Blackberry Almond Cake with Mascarpone Icing

When I first made this blackberry almond cake over a year ago, friends and family quickly pronounced it “the best cake I’ve ever made.” And for once, I can’t argue with the compliment! If you want the same level of praise, check out my recipe for this cake which features a moist and fruity olive oil crumb, tangy blackberry jam swirl, and unbelievably decadent mascarpone icing.

Since August 2023, I’ve been dying to share this recipe. It’s got a lot of quirks, secret ingredients you wouldn’t expect, and some important notes … but all the effort is 100000% worth it.

It’s no secret that I love using foraged ingredients (see my wild garlic falafel!), and blackberries are the easiest of all. I have fond memories of picking blackberries at the local creek with my parents every summer — a tradition I’ve continued with my nieces and nephews (and hopefully my future children one day!). It’s such a fun activity for the whole family.

Plus, there are so many recipes that make use of fresh, juicy blackberries. This showstopping blackberry tart with a chocolate crust, for example. Blackberry virgin mojitos. Or, this “best ever” cake that’s ideal for picnics, cake sales, or special occasions.

🍰 Ingredients for this Blackberry Almond Cake

Three components come together for this blackberry almond cake: the cake itself, which is moist with a tight crumb flavoured with nutty almond powder, the creamy and thick mascarpone icing, and finally the blackberry jam, which is used in both the cake and the icing.

Despite its awe-dropping presentation (just LOOK at those blackberry jam swirls!), the ingredients for this blackberry almond cake are surprisingly straightforward.

🎂 Let’s Talk about the Cake

This cake has a few surprises up its sleeve. This is a no-butter recipe, for example. Don’t get me wrong — I love butter. But sometimes olive oil just makes a better cake, and this is one of those times. Especially with the mouth-watering Meditteraran flavours coming from that mascarpone icing.

Plus we’ve got the inclusion of the almond powder. This isn’t a gluten free recipe, but blackberries and almonds are a match made in heaven. You’ll see.

• Olive oil provides moisture to our cake batter, but it also adds flavour. Olive oil is delicate, fruity, and complex — it works shockingly well in cakes. Use the best quality extra-virgin olive oil you can get your hands on.
• Sugar sweetens our cake just enough. I use white caster sugar. Don’t sub for brown.
• Eggs help the cake to rise and give it a gorgeous texture.
• Ground almonds make the cake dense and crumbly — but in a good way. They also add a distinctive nutty flavour that subtly comes through.
• Plain flour (all-purpose flour in the U.S.) adds lightness to our cake.
• Baking powder gives our blackberry almond cake the little extra boost it needs for rising.
• Blackberry jam cuts through the sweetness with a casual tartness that’s jam-packed (get it?!) with berry flavour.

🫙 Blackberry Jam is VITAL for this Recipe

I make homemade blackberry jam specifically for this blackberry almond cake recipe — so I’ve shared it in this post.

You can use store-bought blackberry jam, but I just can’t promise it’ll be as tasty. Plus, my homemade blackberry jam is completely vegetarian (no animal-based gelatin or colourings).

• Blackberries are the key. I use freshly picked blackberries, but store-bought or frozen would be just fine if you don’t want to go out and pick your own or you’re making this cake out of season.
• White sugar sweetens up the jam and makes it deliciously sticky.
• Lemon juice helps the jam to thicken without the need for pectin. It acts to help draw out the natural pectin in the blackberries, plus adds a citrusy hint.

And Finally, the Icing

Or what my U.S. readers would call frosting. It’s worth making homemade — this is the stuff of dreams. It’s incredibly simple — just three ingredients whisked together with blackberry jam lightly mixed through — but it takes this blackberry almond cake to a whoooole new level.

• Mascarpone cheese is a soft, Italian cheese with a sweet and nutty flavour. It builds on the nuttiness of the almonds and the sweetness of the cake.
• Double cream is rich and creamy. It’s whisked to make the icing gloriously thick and silky.
• Icing sugar (powdered or confectioners’ sugar) sweetens the mascarpone icing without it becoming cloggy.
• Blackberry jam swirled through the icing adds an amazing pinkish-purple hue and tastes phenomenal.

🧑‍🍳 How to Bake a Blackberry Almond Cake

Beginner baker? No worries. Expert baker? Perfect! This overview of the recipe is meant to accustom you to the recipe, so you feel more confident once you start baking. It’s something I really appreciate whenever I’m cooking from a recipe, so I’ve included it alongside the full detailed recipe card, which is further below.

This recipe doesn’t have any complicated processes a beginner may struggle with, but there are a few steps.

First, we need to make the blackberry jam:

1. Make the blackberry jam by heating blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small frying pan over low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture becomes thick — a jammy consistency. Remove from the heat and set aside. It will thicken as it cools.

Next, we’ll need to bake the actual cake. This is uncomplicated and a great family activity:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 C (356 F) and line a baking tin.
2. Beat the olive oil and sugar until well mixed.
3. Add the eggs one by one, whisking all the time.
4. Sift in the dry ingredients, including the almond powder, plain flour (all-purpose), and baking powder. Fold into the batter using a wooden spoon or spatula.
5. Pour the batter into your cake tin and tap on the counter a few times to remove bubbles. Now, swirl the blackberry jam into the batter using a spoon.
6. Bake for 60 – 70 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

Finally, making the decorations — the fun (and rewarding) part! I like to do this ahead of time, while the cake is baking.

1. Beat double cream with a whisk/mixer until its thick, light, and fluffy.
2. Beat in the mascarpone cream and sugar until combined. Do this on low speed, so you don’t overmix.
3. Swirl through blackberry jam and mix gently, so some of the icing remains white while other parts are pink.
4. Spread on the cake and decorate with fresh blackberries and slivered almonds.

💡 Expert Tips for the BEST Blackberry Almond Cake

While this blackberry almond cake is absolutely one of the best things you’ll ever eat, there are a few secret tips and tricks you’ll need for this cake to be a success. It can be a bit finicky!

• Use room temperature ingredients. This is a tip I put on every. single. baking recipe on Oh My Veg, because it’s so crucial. Especially for eggs.
• A scale is your best friend. Although many U.S. readers use volume-based measurements like cups, I entreat you to invest in a scale. Baking requires truly accurate measures, and a scale is the only way to get there. It can make or break your bakes!
• Please, please, please don’t open the oven door before the allotted bake time is up. I made this mistake once and it almost ruined the cake, causing it to rapidly sink. Although you may be curious, it’s not worth negatively impacting the bake.
• This blackberry almond cake takes a long time to bake. Don’t try to rush the process. It requires the full 60 minutes (plus 10 minutes extra, sometimes!). This isn’t unusual; loaf cakes and rich fruit cakes often take this amount of time or longer!
• Only decorate the cake once it’s cooled down to avoid the icing splitting.

With these expert tips at your helm, you’re set for success. Now all you need to do is grab an apron and your baking equipment, then open the recipe card — in the next hour, you’ll have your very own irresistible blackberry almond cake right infront of you. Yum.

😍 This Recipe Is:

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