wild fennel and blackberry compote cake with honey cream

my partner and I went blackberry picking whilst on a dog walk. we got a big bag full so I decided to make a cake as soon as I got home. i also found some wild fennel so I picked it and added it into the pan with the blackberries to make a compote, I used fresh fennel pollen but usually it is sold dried.

if you are quick there is fennel still in flower at the moment but a lot of it has gone to seed (I have picked lots of seeds too and I am drying it out), I used a very small amount of the pollen maybe 1/8 tsp.

wild fennel and blackberry compote cake with honey cream

Ingredients

recipe for sponge
150g sugar
4 eggs
150g self raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
…………………
for compote
200g blackberries
1/8 tsp fennel pollen or a bunch of fennel leaves (just use the leaves to infuse the flavour and remove them)
1 cup 220g sugar

Instructions

to make sponge
preheat the oven to 160f
add the eggs and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and whip for about 5 minutes with the whisk attachment until the mixture is thick and pale and doubled in size.
add the vanilla extract and mix. fold in the flour gently then pour into a lined loaf tin and bake for 30 minutes.
for the compote
add the blackberries, sugar and fennel pollen in a pan and let the blackberries pop then add 2 tbsp. of water.
pour through sift and add the liquid back into pan then reduce for a few minutes until it thickens
sliced cooled cake and add some whipped cream (about 250ml) that is sweetened with 3 to 4 tbsp. of honey then spoon on the compote.
add some more cream to the top then decorate with blackberries, fennel leaves and flowers and some cut comb honey