This Black and White Cake has three-layers of chocolate sponge layered with blackberry compote and covered with white chocolate buttercream.
Blackberry compote is an amazing addition to baking, like with this Victoria Sponge Cake!
This cake was created to celebrate the five year anniversary of launching this website. But to be honest, why should anyone need an excuse to make a a beautiful dessert like this black and white cake?
I firmly believe that a perfect cake should look as good as it tastes. To achieve that, we need a fantastic sponges with something stunning between the layers, and a vision for bringing it all together.
This cake uses a classic sponge recipe that has been refined over many years. Between the layers is a luxurious blackberry compote. And covering it all is a decadent white chocolate buttercream.
It’s a dreamy combination, and I think I found a way to make it look beautiful as well. While the sides have been inspired by the technique used for naked cake, the top pops with dollops of buttercream and classy chocolate balls.
Sounds like the perfect cake, doesn’t it!
Black and White Cake
This Black and White Chocolate cake holds everything that I love. Chocolate. Both dark and white. Blackberries. And finally… Truffles.
I know this cake is not seasonal. No pumpkins, apples or pears in view. Not even a touch of cinnamon. Still I felt like this black and white chocolate cake should be about things that are not seasonal but rather constant.
And chocolate is always there for me when I celebrate or need a shoulder to cry on. Chocolate is for ever!
But let’s talk about this chocolate cake. The recipe itself is not difficult to execute but it will take a bit of time as there are three main components.
The chocolate sponge, the blackberry compote and the white chocolate buttercream. They all need your care and undivided attention.
Black and white cake design
The chocolate sponge brings the ‘black’ part of the name of this cake, and the icing brings the ‘white’. Together they give the cake its distinctive look.
If you don’t want to pick up a piping bag for decorating, don’t worry about it, the chocolate truffles alone are enough. The piping is not necessary but I wanted my black and white chocolate cake to look extra pretty, so I went all out.
I love the look of naked cakes and used the same technique for the sides of the cake. The icing quantity has been set for limited use on the sides of the cake, and the amount made will need to be increased for a different style of decoration.
The decoration, like the cake itself, is not too seasonal so can be used for any holiday or time of year. Or perhaps for any event, such as birthdays, parties or weddings!
Blackberry compote
I used foraged frozen blackberries from my freezer, so the filling turned out to be a very cheap/free option, so if you have any frozen berries, feel free to use them.
Berry compote works particularly well in this rich, double chocolate cake to balance out the sweetness and to bring in a much needed sour note. The amazing fragrance and flavour the wild blackberries is particularly good as a match for chocolate, and adds to the overall taste. Delicious!
To make the compote, heat blackberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Let it get nice and thick so that it coats the back of a spoon, which should take about ten minutes.
Take it off the heat and put it through a blender or food processor until it is quite smooth. Then push through a sieve, which will get rid of the seeds. It’s best with some real fruit, so add a few blackberries and gently combine.
More chocolate cakes
- Black Forest Cake
- Honeycomb Crunch Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Truffle Cake
- Christmas Chocolate Cake with Cranberries
If you make my Black and White Chocolate Cake, I would LOVE to see your photos. Tag @vikalinka in your Instagram post so I can share your creations with the world!
Black and White Chocolate Cake with Blackberry Compote
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1¾ cups/220 g flour
- ¾ cup/90 g cocoa
- 1 ½cup cups/300g granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs large
- 1 cup/ 250 ml whole milk
- ½ cup/ 125 ml oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
For the blackberry compote
- 1 ½ cups/150g blackberries fresh or frozen I used frozen
- ½ cup/110g sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 cup/100g blackberries if frozen defrosted
For the white chocolate buttercream
- 300 g/ 10 oz good quality white chocolate chopped (not chocolate chips)
- ½ cup/125 ml whipping/double cream
- ½ cup/125 g unsalted butter cubed and softened
For the decorations
- Chocolate truffles
- Maltesers
- White sugar pearls
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 F/180 C, butter and line 3 8″/20cm cake pans with parchment paper.
- Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. In a separate bowl mix eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and beat with an electric mixer until well incorporated.
- Divide evenly among 3 pans and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. I bake 2 layers together and then the third one later.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove cakes from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
For the blackberry compote
- Combine 1½ cups of blackberries and sugar with water in a small saucepan and cook on low heat until thick and mixture coats the back of a spoon. It will take about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and process in a food processor or a blender until smooth. Push through a fine sieve to get rid of the seeds. Combine the compote with fresh or defrosted blackberries and set aside.
For the white chocolate buttercream
- Heat the cream in a saucepan until it just simmers but not boiling. Take off the heat and pour over chopped white chocolate in a medium sized bowl. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and then stir until chocolate is melted into the cream. Cool for 10 minutes and then start whipping in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer.
- Mix for 10 minutes until light and fluffy and is completely cooled, then start adding softened butter by a tablespoon, mix well until entirely incorporated into the frosting after each addition. (You will have enough frosting to fill the cake and ice in the manner of a naked cake.)
To assemble the cake
- Load a half of your white chocolate buttercream in a large piping bag with a plain round tip.
- Pipe a border around the first layer, it will keep your blackberry compote from leaking out of the sides.
- Fill with half of your raspberry compote. Then pipe in the buttercream on top and smooth it out with a spatula.
- Top with another layer and repeat the process. Finish with the third layer.
- Cover the entire cake with the remaining white chocolate buttercream and then using an offset spatula scrape the mascarpone cream off the sides of the cake to reveal the sponge, thus creating the “naked cake” effect. Decorate the top with chocolate truffles, maltesers and white sugar pearls. Pipe rosettes if desired.