Blueberry Bash Bake-Off Winners 2011-1st Prize Cake Kimberly Newhall

Ingredients:

Cake:

• ¾ cup unsalted butter
• 3 eggs 2 ½ cup flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cup whole milk
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

Icing:

• 1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Filling:

• ½ cup white chocolate
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• ½ cup whole almonds, toasted and chopped fine

Directions:

Crumb Mixture In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar, beat until light in color and fluffy. Next add 1/3 of the milk and mix until incorporated, then add one egg, mix till combined. And then alternately add the rest of the milk and the eggs. Making sure after each addition of the milk and egg is fully incorporated. Add in the vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to mixer, and mix on low to medium speed for 10-20 seconds or until there are no more lumps and the batter is smooth. Next add in the 2 cups of blueberries and fold them in with a spatula. Cut parchment paper pieces to line the bottom of two 8” round cake pans or three 6” round cake pans. Fill the pans ½ to ¾ of the way full and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees or until you place a toothpick in and it comes out clean. When done, take out of oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Icing: In a stand mixer, beat the butter until it becomes light yellow and fluffy about 4 minutes. Then add in the salt, vanilla, and sugar and mix for another minute until the icing becomes smooth.

Assembly: When the cakes are cooled, cut both of the rounds in half so you will end up with 4 layers. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds, when totally melted mix it with 1 cup of the butter cream icing. In a bowl, smash the blueberries with a fork slightly. Put the first layer of cake on a plate and spread some of the white chocolate icing on the top. Then lay some of the smashed blueberries on top of the icing. Next place another cake layer on top and spread some icing over it, then choped almonds and lay them evenly out over the second layer of cake. For the third layer, just repeat. Then place the fourth layer on top and with the rest of the icing, cover the whole outside of the cake. Decorate as you please, with some fresh blueberries. Enjoy.