Easy Mixed Berry Compote Cake Filling with Frozen Berries
Amycakes Bakes | amycakesbakes.com
5 from 19 votes
This easy mixed berry compote of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries is full of fresh and natural berry flavor. It's slightly tart, making it a perfect complement to sweet cakes and buttercreams. It makes a perfect filling for vanilla cakes or cupcakes. Because this triple berry compote uses a frozen berry blend and Instant Clearjel or cornstarch, it whips up incredibly quickly and is glossy and smooth. A 1x batch will fill one 6" three-layer cake or about 14 cupcakes, and a 2x batch will fill one 8" three-layer cake or about 28 cupcakes.
Servings 1heaping cup(s)
Prep Time 5 minutesmins
Cook Time 10 minutesmins
Ingredients
Thickener Ingredients
2 ½ Tablespoons Instant Clearjelor or 2TablespoonsCornstarchSee Note # 1 for the differences
100 grams (½cup)Sugar
Remaining Compote Ingredients
8 ounces (227 grams, around 2cups)Frozen Berry Blend (unsweetened)I use Frozen Natural Triple Berry Blend. It's a mix of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. You can also use 3 different types of frozen berries in equal parts.
1 ½TablespoonsLemon JuiceI use bottled
Instructions
Whisk the sugar and your choice of 2 ½ Tablespoons Instant Clearjel or2 Tablespoons Cornstarch together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Combine the frozen berries and lemon juice in a nonstick skillet or saucepan.
When using Instant Clearjel
If you're using Instant Clearjel, cook the frozen fruit and lemon juice on medium heat until the berries are fully thawed and the liquid begins to simmer. Using a sturdy spatula, cut any large berries into very small pieces (around ¼ inch pieces) as they simmer. The berries should be soft enough that they are easy to cut with the spatula. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the berries are softened and you are happy with their size.
Remove from heat and immediately add the Instant Clearjel/Sugar mixture and stir in quickly until it dissolves. The compote will thicken immediately, and continue to thicken as it cools. *Reminder--make sure you are using INSTANT clearjel. Cooktype and original clearjel do not work the same as Instant and require heat to thicken like the cornstarch method*
When Using Cornstarch
If you're using Cornstarch, add the cornstarch/sugar mixture to the pan of frozen fruit and lemon juice and stir. Cook on medium heat until the berries are fully thawed and the liquid begins to simmer. Using a sturdy spatula, cut any large berries into very small pieces (around ¼ inch pieces) as they simmer. The berries should be soft enough that they are easy to cut with the spatula. Cook for about 10-15 minutes as the mixture boils, scraping the pan frequently with a sturdy spatula. The compote is finished when it is thick and coats your spatula and the berries are soft.
How to Store it
Chill the berry compote in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. It may be used from cold as a cake or cupcake filling (See Note #2). Enjoy!
Read my article Instant Clearjel: a Magical Little-Known Bakery Ingredient to see why I think this ingredient is worth having in your pantry. Instant Clearjel must always be whisked thoroughly with other dry ingredients before being added to wet ingredients to avoid clumping. Cornstarch works great as well--the difference is that the Instant Clearjel option will be slightly thicker and glossier, and unused compote made with cornstarch can separate slightly the longer it sits in the fridge--simply stir before using.
When using triple berry compote as a cake filling, pipe a 1-2" tall ring of buttercream around the edge of the cake, then spoon the compote in the middle of the buttercream ring (as shown in my Berries 'n' Cream Cake recipe). This will prevent the compote from spilling out of the cake.