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.

Preheat the oven at 170ºC conventional oven and prepare 3 x 20 cm baking pan with parchment paper.

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.

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.

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.