Chocolate and Blackberry Sheet Cake

I'm a big fan of using fruit in my bakes (as you can probably tell!). And even though blackberries aren't always in season, thankfully they are readily available in my local supermarket. Which means I have unrestricted access to the most delicious flavours! This Chocolate And Blackberry Sheet Cake mixes the super sweet cocoa together with the slightly sharper but equally delicious blackberry. And gives an amazing colour to the cream cheese frosting!

This Chocolate and Blackberry Sheet Cake was baked in collaboration with Homepride, who make the most amazing baking flours! This particular cake was made with their premium milled and pre-sieved Superior Sponge Flour.

Cream Cheese Frosting

This cake was frosted using cream cheese for a slightly tangier taste, which pairs really well with the sweet chocolate and berries. It's also really easy to use and allows you to create these beautiful silky ripples when using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.

To get the gorgeous berry colour you'll need to pop the blackberries in a high speed blender and whizz up until they are pureed. Then use a sieve to strain the juice to add to the cream cheese frosting. Feel free to skip the straining though if you're not looking for perfectly smooth icing.

Substitutions And Additions

You could easily switch out the blackberries for another fruit you have at home. Strawberries, mango or cherries would also work beautifully. Perhaps you could try adding some berries to the sponge? Try coating them in cocoa powder beforehand so they don't all fall to the bottom when baking.

INGREDIENTS

Sponge

• 250g caster sugar

• 250g softened butter

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 4 large eggs

• 275g Homepride Superior Sponge Flour

• 40g cocoa powder

• 4 tbsp milk

Frosting

• 50g butter

• 50g full fat cream cheese

• 300g icing sugar, sifted

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 75g blackberries, plus extra for decorating

• A few sprigs of mint to decorate

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C fan assisted

2. Grease and line a 12×8” deep baking tray

3. Cream together the butter and caster sugar, using either a stand mixer or hand whisk, until light and fluffy

4. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix again

5. In a separate bowl combine the sponge flour and cocoa powder and gently stir

6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk on a low speed until fully combined

7. Add the milk and gently mix again until the batter is smooth and silky

8. Pour the cake mix into the prepared baking tray and place in the centre of the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean

9. Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tray for 10 minutes before turning out to cool fully on a wire rack

10. Whilst the cake is cooling, begin making the frosting

11. Place the butter, vanilla extract and cream cheese into a clean bowl and mix using a stand mixer or a hand whisk

12. Add the sifted icing sugar to the bowl in two batches, mixing in between and continue beating for around 3-5 minutes until the frosting is silky and has lightened in colour

13. Whilst the frosting is being whisked, place the blackberries in a large bowl and puree using a hand blender or food processor 

14. Strain the blackberry puree into the frosting using a sieve, discarding the seeds

15. Stir the puree into the frosting until fully combined

16. Once the cake has cooled, begin icing by spooning the frosting onto the cake and spreading gently using an offset spatula or palette knife

17. Decorate the traybake with the extra whole blackberries and mint sprigs

18. Slice into small squares and serve