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Blackberry and Gin Cake

The prettiest vegan blackberry and gin cake. Layers of fluffy vanilla and blackberry sponge infused with a sweet gin syrup and swirled blackberry jam buttercream frosting.

Vegan Blackberry and Gin Cake #cake #recipe #vegan #vegancake #dairyfree #blackberry #gin #seedlip #fruit

This post is sponsored by Pyrex but all opinions and views are my own. Thank you for supporting Cupful of Kale!

Whilst Pyrex are best known for their instantly recognisable heat resistant glassware, they also have an amazing range of bakeware!

I’m going to show you how to make this blackberry and gin cake using their Magic Metal Range which includes a non-stick 26cm/10” spring form tin. I’ll also be using their glassware jugs and Expert bowls to prep it all in!

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Pyrex products are my go-to when I’m baking or cooking. They’re reliable, high quality and super practical! It’s also super handy that they are all dishwasher safe so you can save yourself on the washing up. Which means more time to enjoy eating cake!

This vegan blackberry and gin cake is a showstopper for all occasions! Whether it’s a big celebration or not, this blackberry and gin cake is going to impress.

Three layers of vanilla sponge are filled with bursts of fresh blackberry. Each layer then gets infused with a gin syrup (non-alcoholic option available) and finished with a blackberry buttercream frosting.

Vegan Blackberry and Gin Cake Pyrex Tin

How to make blackberry and gin cake:

Let’s start with the vanilla and blackberry sponge. If you’re not familiar with vegan baking you’ll be pleased to know it’s super simple to make a fluffy, moist cake without eggs or dairy.

For the sponge, we are going to swap eggs with plant milk and a neutral flavoured oil. For the frosting we simply swap dairy butter for a vegan butter.

I’ve used unsweetened almond milk but soya milk also works well too. Just make sure you’re using an unsweetened vegan milk or it’s going to affect the flavour. For the oil, I used rapeseed oil but you can sub for canola oil or sunflower oil.

The gin flavour is going to come from a simple gin syrup. On the hob, simmer sugar, lemon and water until the sugar has dissolved and thickened. Add the gin and then leave to cool whilst your sponges are baking.

Gin and blackberry are a great flavour combo, if you’ve ever had a blackberry and gin smash cocktail, you’ll know how good it is!

Vegan Blackberry and Gin Cake Slice #vegan #recipe #cake #blackberry #gin #seedlip #fruit #vegancake #dairyfree

This doesn’t have to be a boozy cake though. Thanks to Seedlip, which is a non-alcoholic gin, you can make this alcohol free! You can find it in most well-known supermarkets.

For the frosting we are going to make a simple buttercream and quick blackberry jam. The Pyrex Expert Bowl is perfect for mixing and prepping and I use it almost every day!

I love decorating cakes with flowers, they always give them that wow factor and it’s super simple to do! Whether you chose to decorate with flowers is totally optional though. It would look pretty just with blackberries!

Vegan Blackberry and Gin Cake in Tin

If you’re going to use flowers, it’s always preferable and recommended to use edible flowers. However, when you are just using them for decorative purposes. you can use non edible ones too.

Make sure you rinse and dry the flowers first and then cut the stems to the size you want. If you want to stick some in the cake, make sure you are leaving enough stem on the flowers to do so.

The most important step is to wrap the stems in some cling film and/or place a layer of cling film on top of the cake. Then make sure to remove them before cutting into the cake!

Vegan Blackberry and Gin Cake Iced

As with all layer cakes I make, there are a few items I always use and recommend. These are going to make decorating and assembling the cake much easier!

  • palette knife for the icing so you can smooth it out and then scrape to get the naked frosting effect.
  • Plastic/wooden rods to keep your cake stable, you cut them to the length you need.
  • Cake leveller, unless you have a steady hand and can cut them using a serrated knife. This will cut the rounded tops off your sponges and make sure they are even and all the same height.
  • cake lifter, especially for the larger sponges, like these 26cm ones. You won’t run the risk of dropping or breaking the sponge when you pick it up.

If you want to get your hands on any of the Pyrex Magic Range you’ll find it in Argos!

For more cake recipes you may enjoy these:

Lemon and poppyseed loaf cake

Upside-down pear and almond cake

Lemon and elderflower cake with chai spice biscuits


As always if you make this vegan blackberry and gin cake be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

Don’t forget to follow along on FacebookPinterest and Instagram – I’d love to see you all there!


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Vegan Blackberry and Gin Cake #cake #recipe #vegan #vegancake #dairyfree #blackberry #gin #seedlip #fruit

Vegan Blackberry and Gin Cake

Yield: 50-60 slices
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 seconds
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes 10 seconds

Three layer vegan blackberry and gin cake with blackberry jam and gin infused syrup. This showstopper is not only beautiful but so delicious and perfect for celebrations!

Ingredients

Blackberry Sponge

  • 1080g self-raising flour
  • 6 tsp baking powder
  • 675g caster sugar
  • 3 tsp vanilla essence
  • 900ml unsweetened almond milk
  • 390ml rapeseed oil
  • 345g blackberries

Gin Syrup

  • 125g caster sugar
  • 40ml water
  • Juice of 1 lemon / 3 tbsp
  • 45ml gin (or Seedlip non-alcoholic gin)

Blackberry Jam and Frosting

  • 500g vegan butter
  • 1kg icing sugar
  • 200g blackberries
  • 50g caster sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 160C fan/180C/350F.
  2. Grease and line three 26cm/10inch cake tins, such as the Pyrex Magic spring form.
  3. In a large mixing bowl sift the self-raising flour and baking powder, mix with a wooden spoon. Add the caster sugar and mix again to combine.
  4. Measure the almond milk and oil and add to the bowl along with the vanilla essence. Mix until just combined, but no not over mix.
  5. Carefully add the blackberries and gently mix until evenly distributed.
    Divide mixture between cake tins and gently tap them on the work surface to release any air bubbles.
  6. Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes until turning a light golden colour on top. Whilst they are baking, make your gin syrup.
  7. Place the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan on medium heat. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and it has thickened to a syrup consistency. Pour into a small Pyrex jug then add the gin.
  8. Check the sponges. Place a skewer in the middle of each sponge, if it comes out clean then it’s done. If not, leave in for a few minutes longer.
  9. Remove from the oven and place on cooling racks. Leave them to cool in their tins for 10 minutes first.
  10. Whilst they are still warm and, in their tins, make lots of holes in the top of the sponges.
  11. Brush over the gin syrup mixture evenly over each sponge, allowing it to soak in.
  12. Leave the sponges to cool completely and make your frosting.
    Whip the vegan butter with an electric whisk, adding the icing sugar a cupful at a time. It should be thick and fluffy. Place in the fridge until you are ready to frost the sponges.
  13. Make the blackberry jam. Place the blackberries and sugar in a small saucepan on medium heat for around 10 minutes. Once thickened, take off the heat and strain the jam through a sieve so you are left with just a liquid. Don’t throw away the jam.
  14. Level each cake with a cake leveller or serrated knife so they are all flat. Place one sponge on a cake board with a little buttercream to keep in place.
  15. Spread ¼ of the buttercream on top and swirl in some of the jam. Repeat with the next sponge and then place the final sponge on top. Use a cake lifter if you have one to make sure you are placing them evenly on top.
  16. Cover all three sponges generously in buttercream. To get the naked frosting look, use a palette knife vertically to scrape the buttercream so you are getting rid of excess buttercream. You will start to get the naked icing effect like the pictures. Continue all the way round, scraping excess buttercream into a separate bowl.
  17. Place 4-5 cake dowels in the cake to keep it sturdy.
    Using a teaspoon, place dabs of the liquid from the blackberry jam all over the buttercream. Then using your palette knife as before, carefully scrape over the tops and sides till you get a pretty effect like in the photos.
  18. Top with some fresh blackberries and flowers. If they are not edible, make sure you rinse, dry and then wrap the stems in cling film before placing on the cake. Then remove before cutting into the cake.
  19. Serve and enjoy! Will keep in an air tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Notes

You can sub homemade jam for 3/4 cup shop bought jam.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 50 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 365Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 381mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 1gSugar: 37gProtein: 2g

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram @cupfulofkale

Vegan Blackberry and Gin Cake #cake #recipe #vegan #vegancake #dairyfree #blackberry #gin #seedlip #fruit

Jane

Friday 5th of May 2023

Saw oil question answered below! Sorry! X

Jane

Monday 1st of May 2023

Hi Could I mix the ingredients and make as cup cakes instead?

Thank you x

Jane

Friday 5th of May 2023

@Tamsin, Thank you- will give it a go! Also- can I use oil apart from rapeseed?

Tamsin

Tuesday 2nd of May 2023

Hi Jane, I haven't tried it but yes it should be absolutely fine, they'll probably only need 15-20 minutes, Tamsin xo

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Chagai

Tuesday 29th of November 2022

Hey, Absolutely amazing what youยดve done there! My girlfriend is vegan and Iยดm planning on baking this one for her. I do have a question however regarding the sugar. Can I substitute it with a syrup or silan or maple? Or just reduce the amount of sugar without it affecting the outcome?

Thank you and best regards, Chagai

Tamsin

Monday 5th of December 2022

Hi Chagai, thanks for your comment. You can't sub for a liquid as it won't have the same result. You could probably reduce the sugar slightly but I can't guarantee results as I have only tested it with the qty of sugar listed. I wouldn't say the sponge it is overly sweet. You could however reduce the amount of icing you use. Thanks, Tamsin xo

Jen

Thursday 14th of April 2022

This cake looks amazing. I am thinking of using it as one tier of a wedding cake - would it be possible to freeze the baked layers if I bake it in advance?

Tamsin

Tuesday 19th of April 2022

Hi Jen, yes you can definitely freeze the sponges. Wrap well in cling film then take out the day before :) Tamsin xo

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