blackberry pear and walnut cake with fig and lemon verbena jam

this cake was made with pears and blackberries in the sponge and then I used some fig and lemon verbena jam that I made using a recipe in the modern preserver cookbook (a great book filled with wonderful jam, chutney, cordial ect recipes I would really recommend it) I also added some walnuts in the sponge too as I got some fresh ones from a farm shop I visited with my little brother, he took me out for the day and treated me to lunch and we also went to a antique market and I got the wooden nut cracker to open the walnuts with I also got a vintage gingerbread mould that I haven’t used yet. we went out today to a local apple day event, we seem to go out together most weekends.

the fig and lemon verbena jam is incredible I used the rest of it the following week to fill a tier of my grandmas birthday cake, that time I made a parsnip cake.

here it is

for the fig and lemon verbena tea jam (kylee newton the modern preserver)

100g lemon verbena tea leaves (I got them from suischef.co.uk)
150ml boiling water
2 kg fresh figs
1 lemon zest and juice
400g granulated sugar

makes 4 to 5 228ml jars (I halved the recipe)

seep the verbena tea leaves in the boiling water for 5 minutes then strain and set the liquid aside.

then remove the skin from the figs by cutting off the tops and bottoms then peeling the skin back, cut each fruit into eight pieces.

add the figs, verbena seeped water, lemon juice, zest and sugar into a large jam pan and bring to the boil.

continue to boil on a moderate heat for around 15 minutes until the mixture has thickened in to a jammy consistency.

remove any scum of the top and pour into sterilised jars

lasts for 6 months.

recipe for cake

220g 1 cup caster sugar
220g 1 cup butter
4 eggs
220g 1 and half cups self raising flour
2 pears (ripe Williams or conference pears)
1 punnet of blackberries (about 25 small ones)

peel and core the pears and cut into small chunks and place in a bowl with the blackberries and coat lightly with flour.

preheat the oven to 160c

grease and line three 11 cm tins.

in a stand mixer add the butter and sugar and beat for two minutes, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another minute. add one egg and beat for 2 minutes stop the mixer and scrape around the bowl then add the next egg, (continue adding the rest leaving two minutes between each one so that they are properly combined)

fold in the flour and then fold in the pears and blackberries.

pour into the tins and bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

once baked and a knife inserted comes out clean leave to cool.

for frosting

200ml double cream
250g mascarpone
5 tbsp. icing sugar
3 tbsp honey

add all the ingredients into a bowl and mix until soft/stiff peaks form the take one of the cake layers and spread over the jam then add some of the frosting then continue with the other layers. scrape frosting around cake and decorate with figs, blackberries and walnuts and pear crisps (to make pear crisps cut thinly with a mandolin slicer and bake in a low oven 120c for 30 minutes flip over and bake for another 30 minutes.

5 Comments

Rakhee@boxofspice says

October 18, 2015 at 7:57 pm

What a beautiful cake Aimee! and i love the new look! <3
- twiggstiudios says
  
  October 18, 2015 at 9:04 pm
  
  Thankyou so much xxx
Claudia | THe Brick kitchen says

October 19, 2015 at 12:09 am

Gorgeous cake and photography Aimee! Love the different flavours you have used (so autumnal!), and those fresh figs on top look lovely.
Sugar et al. says

October 19, 2015 at 9:42 am

bOTH THE CAKES ARE BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE IN THEIR OWN WAY. sUCH AN AMAZING MIX OF FLavors too!
Debs says

October 20, 2015 at 7:45 pm

Gorgeous cake and styling, as always, amiee! I’d love a giant wedge of that right now! Beautiful.