A Summer German Chocolate Blueberry Vinegar Cake

A Disaster Turned Into a Delight

• A week ago I attempted to make a Cinderella themed drink, 
• the drink was a complete and total disaster that was barely salvageable 
• think Bridget Jone's blue soup terrible,
• but good friends made the best of it with me. 
• I appreciate their love. 
• And in the end I was left with a huge packet of thawed blueberries and a container of Blue Dyed Heavy Whipping Crème. 
• All of which had no purpose, and short expiration dates.
• At the time, on an unrelated note; a good friend suggested I watch The Great British Baking Show. 
• If you haven’t seen it, stop reading this and find an episode on Netflix or on  PBS' website straight away. 
• It’s okay, really. 
• This recipe will still be here. 
• You will need to binge watch it so...
•  I'll see you in a 2 days. 

• Inspired by their constant use of homemade jams I read through some recipes and with a misguided sense of confidence thought: I can do that. 
• The only problem? 
• The recipe calls for lemon juice which I did not have. 
• I have a lemon tree outside my door, but the lemons have imploded into soft brown versions of their former glory.
• I also have grocery stores a couple of miles away, but it was late, and I'm lazy. 
• So I read why lemon juice was so important. 
• It’s about science and lowering the PH. 
• And some vinegar has a similar PH.
•   The percentage of acetic acid in vinegar is printed on the bottle
• don’t use anything under 5%.
• Done, I had found my solution. 
• I enjoy drinking vinegar, and people believe it has health benefits so...win win? 
• After googling to see if anyone else has done was I about to-do, the closest I could find was recipes that did vinegar and lemon juice both. 
• Making this a potential recipe for another disaster.
• But another search after the fact has brought up many more jam with vinegar recipes. 
• None matching mine exactly but close. 
• Like this one.

• I made the jam
• Puree a large bag of thawed blueberries (about 12 ounces)
• Put in a pan on the stove. 
• Add 3 cups of sugar
• Add a 1\2 cup of White Distilled Vinegar
• Bring to a boil
• Stir 
• Mine was rather runny but I didn't take the time to:
• do the spoon, plate or temperature tests 
• Do one, don't do as I did.
• Put in sterilized jars with lids
• Boil the jar for 10 minutes
• Refrigerate 
• Should keep for at least a week if not two.
• I made the jam. 
• I ended up with three jars of the stuff, and after spreading it on toast…found it was best when drizzled over a layer of whipped cream. 

• Next came the desire for a base for those two to mix on
• An upcoming casual get together with co-workers, kicked me into get it done mode.
• My first thought was, I’m going to make one of those delicious sponges made on the show. 
• The top bakers of Britian make them and I had watched them do it on TV. 
• I was ready, right? 
• But after googling actual recipes, possible pitfalls, and realizing I don’t stand on one foot and play a kazoo well, 
• I decided the box of yellow cake mix on my shelf was a better option.
• But it had expired, a year ago and so was tossed.
• But I had another one.
• But it was a German Chocolate cake mix
• But it wasn't expired, so win?! 
• Blueberry German Chocolate Vinegar Crème Cake was coming, 
• A catchy concise title to be sure ;).
• By now the get together with co-workers had morphed from a casual thing to a proper goodbye party for one of our esteemed colleagues, upping the need for a cake 
• I made up the box mix almost like the recipe said, except I have trouble adding the oil
• I once used a sunflower oil in a cake, and it ruined the flavor. 
• Since then that step has made me wary.
• Without it, it sets the cake up to be dryer, 
• but I was planning to soak the thing in blueberry jam... 
• So, I used half the oil and replaced the other half wanted with 1% milk. 
• I also had a tablespoon of vanilla, because I love vanilla and I add it to everything. 
• I then poured the batter into two glass pie tins. 
• Because I have no cake pans. 
• And baked them.

• After which I whipped up the blue whipping crème. 
• Adding a small bit of vanilla and sugar.  

• Then when I had this with medium peaks, I set it in the fridge to keep cool. 

• I don’t know if it was necessary, but in the show they are constantly running to the freezer and fridges, so this seemed like a reasonable next step.

• Then the cakes were done, so I removed them from their glass prisons and set them to cool.

• While they cooled I took a walk, talked to the lemon tree, and watched more of the British Baking Show. 
• Anything to keep me from adding the rest of the ingredients too soon.
• When the cakes seemed cool to the touch...I got ready to finish this thing

• On the top of the bottom layer, I spread the blueberry jams into the cracked top till it was a thick pool steering clear of the sides. 

• Yes, my cakes had dried out a little, 
• but I hoped a good layer of jam would rejuvenate the cake without making it too soggy. 

• I then added a good layer of the whipped cream. 

• After which, I stacked the next layer on and did the same thing. 

• Then I spread whipped cream around the sides.

• I did not have enough heavy whipping cream. 
• So my cake looks sadly sparse. 
• A can of whipped cream and some fresh blueberries decorated the top

• Careful whipped cream from a can slides off of cakes after about five minutes of being exposed to room temperature, 
• so wait til the last minute.
• Better to use the whipped heavy cream if you have extra 
• It pipes well, if you keep it cold.
• Like on this one, on my second try 
• (note your piping will probably be better. It's not something I have mastered for proof see Cupcake Class On A Cruise)

•  Put it in a piping bag with a star tip

•  There was my half hazard attempt at the push and pull back method

•  Then because I could I added blue berry jam to the top 

•  And blended it in

•  Some angles it looks heart shaped, other it doesn't, lol

• And do you see that bowl? 
• With the second cake I left over whipping cream...like I did before starting this project the first time
• I hope I have time to think of way to use it before it goes bad...
• Update: I did find that here
• And because so many experimental elements went into the first cake I had to try it before I subjected my co-workers to it the next day. 
• So in the picture there is a piece missing.
• Plus there is a serious lack of photos of the origional, because I was sure it would fail.

• But surprises never cease, this accidental ride, turned into a moist, fluffy cake that melted in our mouths, 
• and the kick of vinegar brought an unexpected flavor twist that came through nicely. 
• And then a co-worker asked for the recipe...
• how do you write something down that went like this?
• how do you recreate photos that you never took?
• staging and truth
• So after a massive failure, tv binge watching, and serious lack of needed ingredients...
• a happy surprise came through at the end. 
• But I still have too many jars of the blueberry vinegar jam. 
• Anyone want one?