Yeah… it’s Luca’s 9th Birthday tomorrow and we have been celebrating all weekend.
 
We have done a major spend in Toys R Us, Olly has spent the whole weekend building Lego for him and racing on his Scalextric, he has had his chosen Birthday dinner of Chinese tonight and we are off to see Legend of the Guardians tomorrow, he has been such a happy little man and had a really lovely time.
 
Anyone that knows Luca will know that he is the most amazing, sunny, funny little character ever and what a fruit bat he is and his favourite fruit of all time is blueberries! So it goes without saying that his birthday cake was going to be blueberry related.
 
Well this is the last birthday we will celebrate at Clayton Cottage as we move in three weeks time, it will be hard leaving Godstone but we are all really looking forward to our lovely new house.
 
So a massive HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCA and a fond farewell to Clayton Cottage.
Makes 12 – 16 slices
 
For the cake:
  • 350g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 350g caster sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 450g plain flour
  • 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp baking powder
  • 280ml soured cream
  • 250g fresh blueberries, plus extra to decorate
  • 2 quantities cream cheese frosting (see below)
  • icing sugar, to decorate
  • a 25-cm ring mould, greased and dusted with flour

For the cream cheese frosting:

    • 300g icing sugar, sifted
    • 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 125g cream cheese, cold
    • Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes (double the recipe for 20-cm cake)

 

  • 1.Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.
  • 2.Put the butter and sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, flour and baking powder until well mixed. Add the soured cream and mix well until everything is combined and the mixture is light and fluffy.
  • 3.Gently stir in the blueberries by hand until evenly dispersed.
  • 4.Pour the mixture into the prepared ring mould and smooth over with a palette knife. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave the cake to cool slightly in the mould before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  • 5.When the cake is cold, put it on a serving plate, cover the top and sides with the cream cheese frosting and decorate with more blueberries. Dust with a light sprinkling of icing sugar.
  • For the cream cheese frosting:
  • 1.Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
  • 2.Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.