Ah, fall is quickly upon us and I am so excited for my favorite season to roll around. Sweaters, the changing of leaves, Halloween décor and pumpkin spice everything – there is nothing I love more. Not to mention, the excuse to indulge when I feel like it, because that is what the holiday season is about - am I right?
Now that Labor Day weekend is behind us, I am in full-on fall mode and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off an early start to the season than with another Cocktails & Cakes series. This edition may be my favorite, but I also may be a bit biased considering I love chocolate and all things salted caramel!
With this Blackberry Filled Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting and Salted Caramel Topping recipe, we wanted to indulge in fall’s decadence so we didn’t skimp out on any gluten, dairy or sugar (but it’s definitely a recipe that can be modified if you’d like to do so). But to me, this cake was WAY too pretty (and tasty) to cut corners if I didn’t have to!
Another aspect of this cake recipe that is amazing is that it looks super intimidating, but it’s actually super simple. Your guests will be impressed and think you worked day and night to make this beauty! In reality it’s quick, painless and includes lots of alternative steps that can be taken to make it doable - even for the busiest baker!
To top it off, of course we have the yummiest cocktail to pair. We decided on a Blackberry Salted Caramel White Russian that matches the cake perfectly. Not going to lie, this cocktail in of itself tastes like a dessert – but who’s complaining here?! One component to note with this cocktail is using a ‘star-shaped’ head for the whipped cream topping to give it that fluffy, perfectly swirled look. We learned the hard way, but we got another cocktail out of it so that’s ok! Top with fresh blackberries and you are fall-ready in the most delicious fashion.
Cheer to sweetening up new seasons! We hope you enjoyed our fall edition of Cocktails & Cakes and can’t wait to hear what you think of these recipes at home.
Blackberry-Filled Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting and Salted Caramel Topping
Cake Ingredients:
- Use our favorite chocolate cake recipe (found here) or feel free to use a classic chocolate box cake mix!
- For frosting:
- 1 cup butter, at room temp
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Blackberry Filling Ingredients:
- 4 pints Cal Giant blackberries (plus more for garnishing)
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 2/3 cup cornstarch
- 8 egg yolks
Caramel Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions:
- Bake cake according to box directions, or follow our favorite recipe here. Let cool in fridge.
- To make frosting, beat butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add confectioners sugar, along with heavy cream and vanilla. Set aside.
- Make blackberry filling by combining blackberries and sugar in a medium saucepan and cook for five minutes. Add mixture to a food processor and blend. Strain mixture to remove blackberry seeds. Transfer juice back to sauce pan along with other ingredients and bring to a boil. Once cooled, store in fridge for at least an hour.
- For caramel, combine sugar, salt and water in a saucepan. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat and cook until golden brown. Turn off heat and slowly add butter and cream until combined. Let cool.
- To assemble: Layer bottom of cake with a pipping of frosting around the outer edge, creating a barrier for the blackberry filling. Fill with blackberry filling. Place other cake layer on top, pushing down slightly. Continue with remaining layers. Frost cake with remaining buttercream frosting. Once frosted, slowly add caramel droppings along edges of cake. Then fill top of cake with remaining caramel. Decorate with remaining blackberries.
Blackberry Salted Caramel White Russian Cocktail
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce Kahlua
- 8 ounces Cal Giant blackberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Splash of heavy cream
- Salted caramel (see recipe above)
Instructions:
- To make blackberry syrup, combine blackberries and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook until bubbly. Let cool completely.
- To assemble, fill glass with ice. Pour in vodka, Kahlua, a splash of heavy cream. Top with blackberry syrup, salted caramel, and fresh blackberries.
