When I first got my TCB and saw this cake, I immediately knew it would be for my good friend who inspired me to bake layer cakes.

It is a fabulous cake on all counts.

The white chocolate whisper cake itself is amazing.  The leveling scraps and leftover frosting made the friendly White Whisper Whoopie (the last picture).  This friend does not like white chocolate.  I gave a whoopie to another friend who does not like white chocolate—both loved the cake and neither detected it within.

The frosting is lemon buttercream, and I noted how I made it at this post:  http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/index_ee.php/forums/viewthread/2689/.  After doing some taste tests, I used lemon juice and zest rather than oil or extract, and it has a wonderful fresh flavor—even after being frozen for several days after baking (baked and composed on Sunday, froze until Wednesday night, kept in fridge until Friday morning, added blueberries today—Friday—before serving at 1:30 pm).

The blueberry topping gave me the mis’ry.  My test batch, of course, was perfect with petite round berries and lots of juice. This bag for the “real” cakes had big blueberries and so little juice that my sugar caramelized into stiff crunchewy globs around the blueberries.  I put the whole mess into a pan, melted it all, flung in some flour to thicken it (overshooting the mark) and let the overly-thick gooey, gluey mess rest until morning when I would pass judgment.  I went to bed.  In the morning, I looked at it, had the hub taste it, and it was perfect.  And beautiful.  And the perfect consistency.  I was so happy!  The blueberries really go beautifully with this cake. (The slice is a mini cake I made for self and hub.  I tried smashing those blueberries for more juice, but it just made them angry and fussy looking, so don’t do that).

I got lots and LOTS of compliments on the cake.  It was my first piping (except for the scraped pistachio cake—remember that one?) and my first leveling.  One person said it was magazine perfect!  Of course, everyone said how delicious it was, which it couldn’t help but be—the balance of the ingredients is so spot on. 

Make this cake if it appeals to you at all.  It is very easy and very delicious.  Try my buttercream variation!  The fresh lemon really can’t be beat!!!  Even my friend other who doesn’t like lemon loved the cake. 

The two-layer cake is 4”, not including the top shells. 

Thanks, everyone, for all of your thoughts and suggestions while the cake was in the planning stages!!

Anne, what a wonderful cake!  I have looked at the picture in the cake bible numerous times, so elegant.  You did a wonderful job piping and leveling the cake.  I am glad it was enjoyed by all!

Gorgeous, Anne!  That looks sooo much better than my first piping attempt, you must be a natural.  Is that the neoclassic with Lyle’s buttercream?

Anne, it’s so perfect! The blueberry looks so moist and fresh. Agree with Julie that your piping is excellent. I still can’t pipe shell like that. Lovely cake. Thanks for your notes on the flavor and the lemon component. This cake also attract my attention from TCB but haven’t gotten a chance to make it. Maybe when it’s cooler and I’d feel like making/eating some buttercream .

Thank you so much, everyone!!!

Julie—Yes, it’s the neoclassic buttercream made with Lyle’s.  It was so yellow.  It looked like the cake was buttered.

Anne, it’s gorgeous!!  What size tip did you use for the piping?  It looks just right!  Love the blueberry story…it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun without a “near disaster” story thrown in.  Of course, you figured it all out and it came out just perfect!  You must be getting quite the reputation at work…

BTW, where did you find the arrowroot to thicken the blueberries?

Really beautiful, and the texture looks like velvet.  I have always had trouble with white butter cakes being coarse textured and a little dry (all those egg whites).  You have inspired me to try this one.  Thanks!
Janet K

Loopy, I found arrowroot in the bulk spices section at Whole Foods. It’s white powder - looks just like cornstarch or cream of tartar. If you don’t have whole foods nearby, just check your natural grocery store.

Jenn, thanks for the info!  Yes, fortunate to have Whole Foods nearby, I should have known.  I’m always surprised at the things they have in that bulk section, I should check there more often!

You’re welcome Loopy! I try to get my spices bulk, not only they are cheaper, but then I can get as little or as much as I need, .

Thanks so much, Loop & Janet!!!  Yes, those hair-raising, nerve shattering moments make a cake memorable in an unexpectedly fond way.  Kind of like remembering when your dog was a crazy puppy and all the insane, naughty puppy stuff it did.  Yes, I am anthropomorphizing cake. 

Janet, this is a really wonderful cake—the White Chocolate Whisper.  It would be completely delicious with no topping of any kind. 

For a thickener, I didn’t use arrowroot. I used casava (tapioca) starch, as it is supposed to hold up well to refrigeration and freezing.  I wasn’t overly impressed with it:  On my test batch of blueberries, it thickened them wonderfully, but they were considerably thinner (although not unusably thin) the next day.  However, on the “real” cake blueberries, it totally failed.  My mimi-cake batch put off a bit more liquid, because I smashed the bkueberries, but it didn’t thicken it much at all.  For the “big” cake, no dice there either, but I had very little juice. 

I would say that, unless you want a really glassine surface (which Rose mentions you’ll get with arrowroot), Ikd use flour, as I ultimately did.  It is reliable!!  Also if you don’t get much juice, you can pitch in the berries, and the heat will give them what for!!

The spice area of Earth Fare had boxes of both tapioca starch and arrowroot.  Rose says to test your arrowroot, as it can get old and ineffective if it’s been on the shelf for a while.

Those blueberries look so delicious!