Berry Creme Fraiche Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350*F.
• Grease the bottom and sides of two 9 inch cake pans.
• Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, soda,salt and baking powder.
• Beat the butter with the sugar until light.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir together the buttermilk and the vanilla.
• On low speed, add half the buttermilk and mix until incorporated well.
• Add half the dry ingredients.
• Mix well and then repeat until all dry and wet ingredients are mixed in well.
• Stir in the poppy seeds.
• Divide the cake batter between the two pans.
• Evenly spread it in pans and bake on the middle rack of the oven until a skewer comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely.
• The cake layers can be made up to 2 days in advance; wrap well and store at room temperature.
• To make the filling; cook the blueberries and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have popped open and become juicey, about 5 minutes.
• Let cool to room temperature.
• Whip together the creme fraich, cream and remaining 2 TBS sugar until stiff enough to hold it's shape but is still smooth.
• To assemble the cake, cut the cake layers in half horizontally using a serrated knife, making a total of 4 layers.
• Place a cake layer on a serving plate.
• Spread one quarter of the creme fraich filling on top of the cake.
• Top with one quarter of the blueberry sauce and then one quarter of the raspberries.
• Place a second cake layer on top and spread creme fraich, blueberry sauce, and raspberries on top as you did with the first layer.
• Repeat with the third and fourth layers, ending with berries on the top of the cake.
• If not serving within an hour, refrigerate the cake.
• Once removed from the refrigerator, let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving for optimal flavour.

Steps:

• Assemble the cake: Place 1 cake layer on a platter; scoop the ice cream on top and spread it to the edge using an offset spatula. Top with the second cake layer, then run the spatula around the sides to smooth the ice cream. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
• Make the topping: About 30 minutes before serving, remove the cake from the freezer and let stand at room temperature. Toss the berries and 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl; set aside until ready to serve. Beat the heavy cream, the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and the vanilla in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until medium peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread on top of the cake. Top with the berries and their juices.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Whisk the cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the cocoa mixture in a steady stream until just combined, then finish mixing with a rubber spatula. (The batter will be thin.)
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap the pans against the counter to help the batter settle. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, including the rim. Sprinkle a little sugar into the pan, tilting to coat the bottom and sides in a thin, even layer.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. (Using 1/2 teaspoon baking powder yields a dense and velvety interior, while 1 teaspoon makes the cake slightly airier and softer.)
• In a large bowl using an electric mixer, either hand-held or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions.
• With the mixer set on low speed, beat in half the flour mixture. Beat in the crème fraîche, then the remaining flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. (Depending on your pan, it may fill it all the way to the top, and that is OK.) Bake until the cake is browned on top and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes while you make the syrup.
• In a small bowl, combine 1 cup/120 grams of the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract or rum, and 2 tablespoons water, whisking until smooth. (It should be quite thin. Add more water, if needed.) Using a long, thin paring knife, pierce the cake all over about 20 times, poking all the way through. Spoon 4 tablespoons of the syrup over the warm cake. Reserve remaining syrup in the bowl.
• After the cake has cooled in the pan for an hour, run a thin metal spatula or butter knife around the edges to release them from the pan, then unmold the cake onto the rack to finish cooling.
• Whisk crème fraîche and remaining 1/2 cup/60 grams confectioners' sugar into the syrup until you get a thick glaze, as thick as heavy cream. Add a little more confectioners' sugar or water if needed to get the right texture.
• Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Into a bowl sift together the flour, the salt, the baking soda, and the baking powder and stir in the poppy seeds. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with 1 cup of the sugar and the zest until the mixture is light and fluffy. In a small bowl whisk together the yolks, the sour cream, and the vanilla until the mixture is combined well and beat the flour mixture and the yolk mixture into the butter mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition. In another bowl with cleaned beaters beat the whites with a pinch of salt until they are foamy, add the cream of tartar, and beat the white until they hold soft peaks. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, beating, and beat the meringue until it holds stiff peaks. Stir about one third of the meringue into the batter to lighten it, fold in the remaining meringue gently but thoroughly, and pour the batter into a buttered and floured 10-inch springform pan, smoothing the top. Bake the cake in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
• In a small saucepan combine the juice, the liqueur, the sugar, and the zest, heat the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, and remove the pan from the heat.
• Transfer the zest with a fork to a bowl, pour 1/3 cup of the syrup into the bowl, reserving the remaining syrup, and add the berries to the bowl. Toss the mixture until it is combined well and chill it, covered, for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Remove the cake from the oven, transfer it in the pan to a rack, and poke the top immediately all over with a skewer. Brush the top of the cake generously with half the reserved syrup, letting some of it run down between the cake and the side of the pan, and let the cake stand for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan, remove the side of the pan, and invert the cake onto the rack. Poke the cake all over with the skewer and brush it generously with the remaining syrup. Re-invert the cake onto another rack and let it cool completely. (The cake may be made 1 day in advance and kept wrapped well in plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature). Just before serving, sift the confectioners' sugar over the top of the cake and serve the cake with the macerated berries and the crème fraîche.