There are cakes that feel much more special than they are difficult to make, and these little blueberry white chocolate cakes are exactly that kind of recipe – which means they’re absolutely perfect for hosting friends or celebrating a special day, even if you can’t or don’t want to spend the whole day in the kitchen.
They have a soft, fluffy lemon sponge, a simple jam-like blueberry filling that tastes like summer, and a sweet white chocolate cream that makes them just a little more elegant than an everyday bake, without adding unnecessarily complicated steps. I love how the blueberries turn deep blue and glossy as they cook down, almost like a quick homemade jam, and how well their slight tartness balances the sweetness of the cream.
This is why I don’t use regular jam, though you could certainly use a good, not-too-sweet blueberry jam if you’re short on time. It will be sweeter, though, than if you take the extra few minutes to cook down the blueberries yourself.
I love summer bakes with berries because they always remind me of home. My mother often baked with them when they were in season, and that might be partly why I’m so fond of treats like this. They feel nostalgic, simple, and homely – the kind of sweet treat your mother or grandmother might have made on a warm summer day. Yet they are beautiful and special enough to serve to guests.
These little cakes are the kind of treat I would make for an afternoon coffee in the garden, a birthday table in summer, or a small gathering outside where I want something pretty and sweet without making anything too complicated.
You can make them entirely from scratch like I did, but you can also make the recipe even easier and quicker by buying a good-quality sponge. This way, you’ll only have to prepare the blueberry filling and the white chocolate cream yourself, then assemble everything. Either way, your mini cakes will taste fresh, soft, creamy, and summery.
Ingredients
For the lemon sponge
- 120 g flour
- 130 g sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon zest
For the blueberry filling
- 200 g blueberries
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- optional: a small squeeze of lemon juice
For the white chocolate cream
- 200 ml cream
- 50 g white chocolate
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
I. Bake the lemon sponge
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
- Separate the eggs and beat the yolks with the sugar, vanilla sugar or vanilla extract, and lemon zest in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on high speed until light and creamy.
- Beat the egg whites until they hold their shape, then gently fold them into the egg yolk and sugar mixture by hand.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder, then sift them. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and carefully fold it in with a large spoon.
- Transfer the batter to a parchment-lined standard-sized round cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown and baked through.
- Let the sponge cool for 5–10 minutes, then remove it from the tin and let it cool completely on a rack while preparing the blueberry filling and the white chocolate cream.
- You can also do this step a day in advance.
II. Prepare the blueberry filling
- Wash the blueberries and add them to a small pot. Warm them on the stove over medium-high heat, then turn the heat down to medium-low once they start to release their juices.
- Let them cook for about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with a teaspoon of cold water or blueberry juice, then stir it into the blueberries. Let them cook for another 3–5 minutes, until the liquid has thickened.
- Turn off the heat, transfer the blueberry filling to a small bowl or jar, and let it cool completely.
- Just like the sponge, you can prepare the blueberry filling the day before and simply keep it in the fridge overnight.
III. Make the white chocolate cream
- Chop the white chocolate and melt it in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Let the melted white chocolate cool slightly, but not so much that it becomes firm again. It should still be fluid, but no longer hot.
- Add the cooled melted white chocolate to the cold cream, stirring with a whisk — and when I say cold, I mean it. The cream should only be taken out of the fridge just before you need it. Otherwise, you might struggle to whip it.
- Beat the white chocolate cream until stiff.
IV. Assemble the cakes
- From the lemon sponge, cut out small circles with a diameter of 8–12 cm / 3–5 in, depending on what you prefer. I used round cookie cutters, but if you don’t have any, you can simply use a water glass.
- I was able to cut out 12 circles and had some scraps left over, which can be used for another dessert, such as a trifle or lemon tiramisu. This way, you should be able to make four or six mini cakes, depending on how many layers you want.
- To assemble the cakes, start by spreading 2 teaspoons of blueberry filling on one of the sponge circles, followed by 2 teaspoons of white chocolate cream.
- Now, you can either finish it off with a second sponge circle, another 1–2 teaspoons of cream, and a single fresh blueberry to decorate it, or you can repeat the whole process to add another layer and only then finish it off.
- I’m warning you, though: this might look stunning, but it will be a bit trickier to eat and could fall apart more easily.
- Once assembled, serve the mini cakes as soon as possible.
Note
- The sponge is adapted from a recipe from Nanettes Backbuch – Die gesammelten Rezepte einer Landbäuerin. I used less sugar and added vanilla sugar for flavor and lemon zest for freshness. The filling, cream, assembly, and wording of the recipe are my own.
- I add lemon zest to the sponge for freshness. You can also add a small squeeze of lemon juice to the blueberry filling if your berries are very sweet. This might also balance the sweetness if you use blueberry jam instead, but I haven’t tried it yet, so I would start with only a little lemon juice and taste as you go.
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