Exquisite Blueberry Fault Line Cake

🧾 Ingredients

For the Blueberry Cake Layers:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries (tossed in 1 tbsp flour)
• Zest of 1 lemon (optional, enhances the blueberry flavor)

For Blueberry Compote (for filling):

• 1 cup fresh/frozen blueberries
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (slurry)

For Vanilla Buttercream:

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
• 4–5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2–4 tbsp milk or cream
• Gel food coloring: lavender, light blue, and deep blue

Decorations:

• Edible gold leaf or gold sprinkles
• Fresh blueberries for the fault line
• Meringue kisses, sprinkles, or florals (optional)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Make the Blueberry Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and lemon zest.
4. Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting and ending with dry.
5. Fold in floured blueberries gently.
6. Divide batter evenly into pans. Bake 30–35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let cool completely before stacking.

2. Blueberry Compote (for layering):

• In a saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat.
• Cook until berries burst. Stir in cornstarch slurry and simmer until thickened.
• Let cool completely before using.

3. Make Buttercream:

• Beat butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla and cream.
• Beat until light and fluffy.
• Separate some buttercream into small bowls and tint with lavender and blue gel colors.

4. Assemble the Cake:

1. Stack cake layers with a ring of vanilla buttercream around each layer and blueberry compote in the center.
2. Apply a thin crumb coat. Chill 15–20 minutes.
3. Frost the whole cake in white buttercream, smoothing the sides.
4. Apply a thick horizontal band of blueberries (fresh or piped buttercream dots) around the middle third — this is the “fault line.”
5. Carefully pipe more white buttercream above and below the blueberry band, leaving the center partially exposed. Smooth gently to create a fault-line effect.

5. Decorate:

• Add gold leaf or sprinkles along the exposed blueberry section for elegance.
• Pipe rosettes on top using colored buttercream.
• Garnish with blueberries, gold drips, florals, or meringue kisses for drama.