Blueberry Jam Cake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 26, 2016
Time
1¼ hours, plus 3 hours chilling
Yield
Serves 14 to 16
Ingredients
Jam Filling
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar 2 tablespoons low- or no-sugar-needed fruit pectin Pinch salt 15 ounces (425 grams/3 cups) fresh or thawed frozen blueberries 1 tablespoon lemon juiceFrosting
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened1 ½ cups (6 ounces/170 grams) confectioners' sugar 8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened2 teaspoons vanilla extractCake
3 (8-inch) baked white cake roundsBefore You Begin
We like to use our White Layer Cake for this recipe.
Instructions
- Process sugar, pectin, and salt in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Add blueberries and pulse until coarsely chopped, 6 to 8 pulses. Transfer blueberry mixture to medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is bubbling and just starting to thicken, 6 to 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice. Transfer 1⅓ cups jam to small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Strain remaining jam through fine-mesh strainer, cover, and set aside. (You should have at least ¼ cup.)
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and beat until no lumps remain. Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons strained jam and mix until incorporated. Transfer ⅓ cup frosting to each of 2 small bowls. Add 1 teaspoon strained jam to first bowl and 1 tablespoon strained jam to second bowl, stirring well to combine. (You should have 3 shades of frosting.)
- Place 1 cake round on cake turntable. Spread ⅔ cup chilled jam in even layer over top. Place second cake round on top of jam and repeat with remaining chilled jam. Place third cake round on top. Spread small amount of lightest-colored frosting in even layer over top and sides of cake. Using small offset spatula, spread darkest-colored frosting over bottom third of sides of cake, medium-colored frosting over middle third, and remaining lightest-colored frosting over top third. While spinning cake turntable, run spatula from bottom to top of side of cake to blend frosting colors. While spinning cake turntable, run spatula over top of cake, working from outside in to create spiral. Serve.
for the jam filling
for the frosting
Time
1¼ hours, plus 3 hours chillingYield
Serves 14 to 16Ingredients
Jam Filling
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons low- or no-sugar-needed fruit pectin
Pinch salt
15 ounces (425 grams/3 cups) fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Frosting
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups (6 ounces/170 grams) confectioners' sugar
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cake
3 (8-inch) baked white cake rounds
Ingredients
Jam Filling
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons low- or no-sugar-needed fruit pectin
Pinch salt
15 ounces (425 grams/3 cups) fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Frosting
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups (6 ounces/170 grams) confectioners' sugar
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cake
3 (8-inch) baked white cake rounds
Ingredients
Jam Filling
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons low- or no-sugar-needed fruit pectin
Pinch salt
15 ounces (425 grams/3 cups) fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Frosting
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups (6 ounces/170 grams) confectioners' sugar
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cake
3 (8-inch) baked white cake rounds
Why This Recipe Works
To achieve the proper ombre effect (colors that blend into one another from dark to light) with the frosting, having a cake stand with a turntable is a must. Also, we found that we needed to pass the portion of the blueberry filling used in the frosting through a fine-mesh strainer, or it left the frosting full of ugly bits of skin that marred the appearance of the cake. And because the filling contains pectin, we found that we could add increasing amounts of filling to the frosting to get the different shades of color without diluting it (although, in a warm kitchen, chilling the dark shades of frosting helps). Cream cheese frosting was the perfect pairing for blueberries—we preferred it to plain buttercream frosting.
Before You Begin
We like to use our White Layer Cake for this recipe.
Instructions
- Process sugar, pectin, and salt in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Add blueberries and pulse until coarsely chopped, 6 to 8 pulses. Transfer blueberry mixture to medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is bubbling and just starting to thicken, 6 to 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice. Transfer 1⅓ cups jam to small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Strain remaining jam through fine-mesh strainer, cover, and set aside. (You should have at least ¼ cup.)
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and beat until no lumps remain. Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons strained jam and mix until incorporated. Transfer ⅓ cup frosting to each of 2 small bowls. Add 1 teaspoon strained jam to first bowl and 1 tablespoon strained jam to second bowl, stirring well to combine. (You should have 3 shades of frosting.)
- Place 1 cake round on cake turntable. Spread ⅔ cup chilled jam in even layer over top. Place second cake round on top of jam and repeat with remaining chilled jam. Place third cake round on top. Spread small amount of lightest-colored frosting in even layer over top and sides of cake. Using small offset spatula, spread darkest-colored frosting over bottom third of sides of cake, medium-colored frosting over middle third, and remaining lightest-colored frosting over top third. While spinning cake turntable, run spatula from bottom to top of side of cake to blend frosting colors. While spinning cake turntable, run spatula over top of cake, working from outside in to create spiral. Serve.
for the jam filling
for the frosting
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