This strawberry and blueberry layer cake has soft and pillow like almond cake layers, with a delicious strawberry and blueberry compote, all covered by a vanilla buttercream. A perfect summer cake.
Every bite of this strawberry and blueberry layer cake feels like a bite of summer. The strawberries and blueberries compote together with the almond cake layers makes you want to go back for a second slice.
This cake is topped with fresh berries, which gives for more fresh flavors and summer vibes. This cake tastes absolutely amazing and I hope you’ll love it too!
For more layer cake recipes, try Strawberry and Lemon Layer Cake, Ultimate S'mores Layer Cake, and Raspberry Pistachio Layer Cake.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Almond cake layers: These cake layers are so soft with the addition of almond flour.
- Strawberry and blueberry compote: The compote makes for the most amazing fresh and delicious filling. It really complements the almond cake layers.
- Vanilla buttercream: The vanilla buttercream if full of vanilla bean paste!
- Showstopper layer cake: The layer cake is a showstoppers and are perfect for a party or birthday.
INGREDIENTS
These are the key ingredients for this strawberry and blueberry layer cake:
- Butter: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Eggs: Take them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk makes for a softer and more tender cupcake. Measure out the buttermilk and let it come to room temperature 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Almond flour: Almond flour gives an incredible flavor and tenderness to the cake. It makes it so light and incredibly soft.
- Strawberries: For the compote you can use both fresh and frozen strawberries.
- Blueberries: For the compote you can use both fresh and frozen blueberries. I highly recommend using wild blueberries as they have most flavor and a beautiful color!
- Vanilla paste: Vanilla paste can be found in many different supermarkets. Vanilla paste is great cheaper alternative to using a whole vanilla bean. It has a more intense flavor compared to vanilla extract + it has all the beautiful vanilla bean speaks.
See recipe card for quantities.
INSTRUCTIONS
STRAWBERRY AND BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
In a pot heat up strawberries, blueberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice and vanilla paste. Once it starts bubbling, take it down to a low/medium heat and let it simmer for 15 min. While it cooks, give the berries a stir once in a while. When 10 min of the 15 min has passed, add the cornstarch and stir it in. Continue stirring until the last 5 min has passed.
Take the pot off the heat and with the back of a spoon or spatula mash out the berries until smooth. Pour the compote into a flat surfaced bowl, so it can cool down faster, and place it in the fridge, to reach a room temperature. Takes about 30-60 min. Meanwhile make the cake layers.
ALMOND CAKE LAYERS
Preheat the oven at 170ºC conventional oven and prepare 3 x 20 cm baking pan with parchment paper.
Sift together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside. Mix together the buttermilk and vanilla extract and set it aside.
In a mixing bowl, use the paddle attachment add the butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar and mix it on high speed for 3 min.
Scape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time into the mixture and mix it in until combined.
Continue by alternating between adding ⅓ of the flour mixture and ½ of the milk mixture, ending on the flour mixture. Mixing in each addition until just combined.
Divide the cake batter into the 3 prepared 20 cm baking tins and bake them for 22-25 min or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 10 min, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let the cakes cool down completely.
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
Once both the cake layers and compote has cooled down make the buttercream.
Sift the powdered sugar.
In your stand mixer, use the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter for 2 min on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix 1 min more.
On low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar in 3 portion, mix in the powdered sugar at low speed, until each addition is fully incorporated. Add the vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract and mix it in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix for 2 min on low/medium speed.
Take the bowl off the stand mixer and with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat it well by hand to make sure to remove the air bubbles in the buttercream.
ASSEMBLING
Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake board on your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.
Add a small dollop of the vanilla buttercream in the middle of the cake. With an offset spatula, even it out. Add a bit of the vanilla buttercream to a piping bag and pipe a boarder around the top of the cake. Then add half of the strawberry and blueberry compote on top of the buttercream and even it out.
Add the next sponge layer and do the same as the previous layer. Then add the final cake layer and cover the cake in a thin crumb coat. Place it in the freezer for 30 min, for the buttercream to set.
Add the remaining buttercream, and spread it out in an even layer. Scape down the sides of the cake to get smooth sides on the cake.
Finish the cake, with decorating with lots of fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.
It’s ready to be enjoyed!
How to store it, keep it on the kitchen counter, covered under a lid.
The cake can also be stored in the fridge. If stored in the fridge, once you want to eat the cake, take it out the fridge at let it come to room temperature before enjoying.
Best enjoyed within a few days.
WHY USE A SCALE
My default setting for my recipes is grams and it is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients. It is also they way I make my recipes, so I therefore know exactly the amount needed to go into the recipes. Cups are a more unprecise way of measuring as many can filled the cups differently, plus there is much more washing 😉
So I will always highly recommend using a scale to measure out your recipes.
EQIPMENT
For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pan are light in color and therefore attracts less heat which means they bake more gently bake which results in a softer cake. If you use a e.g. a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat, which will then give a darker crust, that results in a dryer cake.
See all my favorite baking tools here:
DECORATING THE LAYER CAKE
To make a simple but beautiful decoration, use lots of fresh clean strawberry, blueberries and blackberry along the top of the cake. For this cake I also left the buttercream edge as is, once the sides had been scraped down, to make a more rustic, yet elegant look.
STORAGE
Store this strawberry and blueberry layer cake in the fridge. It's best enjoyed within a 1-2 days. Before enjoying the cake, let it come to room temperature.
MY TOP TIP
I always use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl when making the cake batter. After everything has mixed together, give it one final gently fold together, to make sure everything in the bottom and on the sides of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats and leave me a review below if you made this cake. I hope you loved it! To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
STRAWBERRY AND BLUEBERRY LAYER CAKE
Equipment
Ingredients
STRAWBERRY AND BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
- 100 g strawberries frozen or fresh
- 100 g blueberries frozen or fresh (I recommend wild blueberries)
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 40 g lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
ALMOND CAKE LAYERS
- 180 g butter room temperature
- 65 g vegetable oil e.g. canola oil
- 330 g granulated sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 260 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g almond flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 0,5 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 240 g buttermilk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
- 300 g butter room temperature
- 500 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1-2 tablespoon vanilla extract
DECORATION
- A pack of fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries
Instructions
STRAWBERRY AND BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
- In a pot heat up strawberries, blueberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice and vanilla paste. Once it starts bubbling, take it down to a low/medium heat and let it simmer for 15 min. While it cooks, give the berries a stir once in a while. When 10 min of the 15 min has passed, add the cornstarch and stir it in. Continue stirring until the last 5 min has passed.100 g strawberries, 100 g blueberries, 100 g granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, 40 g lemon juice, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Take the pot off the heat and with the back of a spoon or spatula mash out the berries until smooth. Pour the compote into a flat surfaced bowl, so it can cool down faster, and place it in the fridge, to reach a room temperature. Takes about 30-60 min. Meanwhile make the cake layers.
ALMOND CAKE LAYERS
- Preheat the oven at 170ºC conventional oven and prepare 3 x 20 cm baking pan with parchment paper.
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.260 g all-purpose flour, 100 g almond flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 0,5 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- Mix together the buttermilk and vanilla extract and set it aside.240 g buttermilk, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a mixing bowl, use the paddle attachment add the butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar and mix it on high speed for 3 min.180 g butter, 65 g vegetable oil, 330 g granulated sugar
- Scape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time into the mixture and mix it in until combined.4 eggs
- Continue by alternating between adding ⅓ of the flour mixture and ½ of the milk mixture, ending on the flour mixture. Mixing in each addition until just combined.
- Divide the cake batter into the 3 prepared 20 cm baking tins and bake them for 22-25 min or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 10 min, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let the cakes cool down completely.
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
- Once both the cake layers and compote has cooled down make the buttercream.
- Sift the powdered sugar.500 g powdered sugar
- In your stand mixer, use the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter for 2 min on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix 1 min more.300 g butter
- On low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar in 3 portion, mix in the powdered sugar at low speed, until each addition is fully incorporated. Add the vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract and mix it in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix for 2 min on low/medium speed.1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, 1-2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Take the bowl off the stand mixer and with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat it well by hand to make sure to remove the air bubbles in the buttercream.
ASSEMBLING
- Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake board on your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.
- Add a small dollop of the vanilla buttercream in the middle of the cake. With an offset spatula, even it out. Add a bit of the vanilla buttercream to a piping bag and pipe a boarder around the top of the cake. Then add half of the strawberry and blueberry compote on top of the buttercream and even it out.
- Add the next sponge layer and do the same as the previous layer. Then add the final cake layer and cover the cake in a thin crumb coat. Place it in the freezer for 30 min, for the buttercream to set.
- Add the remaining buttercream, and spread it out in an even layer. Scape down the sides of the cake to get smooth sides on the cake.
- Finish the cake, with decorating with lots of fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.
- It’s ready to be enjoyed!
- How to store it, keep it on the kitchen counter, covered under a lid.
- The cake can also be stored in the fridge. If stored in the fridge, once you want to eat the cake, take it out the fridge at let it come to room temperature before enjoying.
- Best enjoyed within a few days.
Lily
Hi Julie!
Do you have a reccomended substitute for the vanilla bean paste?
Julie Marie
Yes, you can replace it with vanilla extract 🙂
Lily
Thanks!
Karina
Best cake ever made so moist and delicious.. one of my favorites.. just one question can I freeze the cake layers a few days before assembling?
Julie Marie
I'm so happy you love this recipe 😀 Yes, absolutely. Just take them out 1 hour before assembling to let them defrost on a wire rack.
Laura
Hej!
Hvis man nu ikke ejer 3 x forme i 20 cm, ville du så bare bage kagen af 3 omgange i samme form, eller ville de være en mulighed at bage en (meget) høj kage, og så skære gennem den for at få de 3 lag?
Julie Marie
Hi Laura. Du kan sagtens bage kagerne over 3 omgange, det ikke noget problem. Det er bedre end at bage den som en stor kage 🙂 En god måde at fordele dejen liglig, er at plusse vægten af alle ingredienserne og så divedere det med 3. Så put kage formen på vægten og tilføj den udregnet mængde dej.
Iben Nielsen
It’s an absolutely wonderful recipe. The combination of the almond cake and the blueberry is just delicious. My family just loved it.