This is what happened over the weekend. An epic bridal shower for my husband’s niece! This is by far the best shower I’ve ever been to, because it’s simple, cosy, yet very elegant, chic and pretty. Most importantly, it’s joyful, heartwarming and memorable.

As part of the most anticipated family wedding, this bridal shower was a huge success. And I am so glad that I was involved.

It would make more sense if this cake was a lavender cake. And honestly it would be so much easier to make a lavender cake. But the bride loves fruity stuff. So I figured blackberry would be a perfect combination.

Ingredients (one 5-inch 3-layer cake):
Vanilla Sponge Cake
3 large eggs, room temperature, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup cake flour, sifted
Blackberry Compote
2 cups fresh blackberries
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
Vanilla Whipped Buttercream Frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Purple food colouring paste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease three 5-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk eggs and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes, until light and triple in volume.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture on low speed, and mix until just incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans evenly and smooth the top. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the centre of the cakes spring back when gently pressed. Let cool completely in the pans.
Run a pairing knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Peel off the parchment paper circles.
To prepare blackberry compote, cook 1 1/2 cups blackberries, cornstarch, sugar and water in a small saucepan until the berries start to break down, about 10 minutes.
Lower the heat and simmer until the compote is thick, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly before pushing the compote through a fine sieve to remove the seeded pulp. Let compote cool completely.
To prepare buttercream, beat butter for a few minutes in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add powdered sugar and turn your mixer on low, beat until the sugar incorporates with the butter. Add vanilla and heavy cream, beat on medium speed for another 3 minutes, or until buttercream becomes light and fluffy.
To assemble the cake, fill a pastry bag attached to a 1/2″ round tip with about a cup of buttercream. Place one cake layer on your serving plate, pipe a dam around the edge of the cake layer. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the compote inside the dam, along with a few fresh blackberries and 2 tablespoons of the buttercream. Gently spread the buttercream to seal the compote. Place another cake layer on top and repeat the same process. Place the last layer of cake on top. Smear a light coating of frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Divide the remaining buttercream into 3 bowls, with one of them a little more than the other two to frost the top of the cake. Tint one of the other two bowls with 4 drops of coloring paste to create deep purple color. Tint another one with one drop of coloring paste to create light purple color. Take a teaspoon of the light purple buttercream, and mix it into the white buttercream, to create an even lighter pale purple color.
Remove cake from the fridge. Starting at the bottom, carefully smear the side with the deep purple buttercream, followed with light purple buttercream on the middle part, and the pale purple on the top of the cake. Use a metal spatula to smooth frosting all over the cake, to blend the colors together and create rustic stripes effect.
Use an offset spatula to gently smear horizontal strokes against the sides of the cake.
Cover and refrigerate the cake. Leave out in room temperature for at least an hour prior to serving.