Ines Mendes Chocolate Blueberry Cake With Mascapone Frosting

Ingredients

For the Cake

300 g caster sugar

4 free range eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup plain natural yogurt 1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup cocoa powder pinch of salt

2 + 1/2 cups self raising flour 1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

For Filling and Icing

1 cup blueberry jam

500 g mascarpone cheese

200 ml whipping cream (35% fat) chilled

4 tbsp icing sugar

½ tsp vanilla bean paste

Fresh blueberries to garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350F). Grease two 20 cm round baking pans and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.

In a large bowl place the eggs and sugar and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes, until light and frothy. Add buttermilk, yogurt, oil and mix well.

Then add the flour, cocoa powder, pinch of salt and baking powder and soda, and mix gently,to incorporate.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for around 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

For the filling and icing, beat the mascarpone until smooth on low speed, then add cream and beat until firm on higher speed. Add sugar, vanilla paste and beat until creamy.

To assemble the cake, first you need to level the cakes and then cut each in half so that you have four layers.

Place the first layer of the cakes on a cake stand or serving dish, and spread some of the mascarpone mixture with a palette knife, right to the edges, and then spread a few tablespoons of your favorite blueberry berry jam on top of that, without reaching the sides.

Then pop the second layer of cake on top. Repeat the jam and mascarpone with the other layers of cake and finish with your fourth layer cake. Spread the rest of the icing on top and sides, giving it a naked look with the help of a knife to reveal part of the cake. Garnish with fresh blueberries on top. You can store the cake in the refrigerator. Enjoy!