Jo says: “Whether it’s a celebration or just an afternoon treat, this cake is suitable for any occasion. Unlike standard butter-based sponges, this one is made with oil, which gives such a lovely moistness to the cake making it last a good few days rather than drying out.

This cake also comes with many flexible options, so you can swap around flavours to suit your tastes, occasion or season.”

Prep 45 minutes

Cooking 25 minutes

Serves 12

Ingredients

For the cake:

200g/7 oz/1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
3 eggs
200g/7 oz/1½ cups self-raising flour
225g/8 oz/scant 1 cup sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
150ml/5 fl oz/²⁄³ cup milk
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
½ tsp fine sea salt

For the compote:

200g/7 oz/1½ cups blackberries, fresh or frozen (defrosted if frozen)
50g/1¾ oz/¼ cup caster (superfine) sugar
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp arrowroot powder

For the buttercream:

225g/8 oz/1 cup butter, softened
375g/13 oz/2²⁄³ cups icing (confectioners’)
sugar, sifted
2 tbsp milk
finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas 4. Brush two 20cm/8 inch loose-bottomed cake tins with oil and line with parchment.

To make the sponge, place the sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk until they are light in colour and frothy. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir until combined and pour into the cake tins.

Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown and the sponge is just coming away from the edge of the tins. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then run a palette knife around the inside edge of the tins. Carefully turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

To make the blackberry compote, put the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook over a low–medium heat for 10 minutes or until the blackberries have broken down. Push through a sieve and return to a clean saucepan. Mix the arrowroot with 1 teaspoon water to form a paste. Stir into the purée and cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time until just simmering. Set aside to cool – it will thicken slightly as it cools.

Place the ingredients for the buttercream in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Set your mixer to a low speed and gradually increase it until you have a smooth, creamy buttercream.

To assemble, place one cake upside down and spread it with some buttercream. Turn the other cake upside down and spread a generous layer of blackberry compote. Sandwich together. Spread a thick layer of buttercream on the top and sides of the cake, smoothing the edges with a palette knife (for a super smooth finish, dip the knife into hot water before you spread). Finish by swirling some compote through the buttercream on the top of the cake.

Flexible

Gluten-free: swap the flour for a gluten-free flour blend and add an additional 50ml/2 fl oz/scant ¼ cup milk to the cake batter.
Dairy-free: use a non-dairy milk in the cake such as soya, almond or my favourite, fresh coconut milk. For the lemon buttercream, swap butter for a plant-based alternative (preferably a firm, not spreadable, one).

From The Flexible Baker by Jo Pratt (£20, White Lion Publishing), out now

3 delicious blackberry recipes to help you make the most of the season