Blueberry spice cake with walnuts is layered with gooey blueberry jam and cream cheese frosting, and topped with walnuts and fresh berries for the perfect bite. A great cake for spring!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9" cake pans.
Sift together flour, baking soda, cloves, salt, and cinnamon. Add walnuts and blueberries and toss to combine.
In another bowl, mix applesauce, brown sugar, and cooking oil.
Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and remove from cake pans.
For the frosting
In a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and butter and mix until smooth on a medium speed.
Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing for a few seconds on a medium-high speed each time to combine. Start tasting after 3 cups of powdered sugar - if you like it, you don't have to add all 4 cups.
Add in vanilla and mix again to combine.
To assemble
Cut off the rounded tops of the cakes to level, then cut each cake in half horizontally to make 4 total layers.
Put a small dab of frosting in the center of your cake stand or serving dish to hold the first layer of cake in place. Place the first layer of cake.
Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of the top of the first layer, then fill with half the blueberry jam. Add a second layer of cake and spread thickly with cream cheese frosting. Place the third cake layer on top and repeat the step for the the first layer (with the jam). Top with the final layer of cake and frost the outside with cream cheese frosting.
Pipe additional decorative frosting around the top and bottom edges of the cake, and decorate the top with blueberries and crushed walnuts.
Notes
To crush walnuts for the top, place chopped walnuts in a freezer bag and pound on the counter with your fist or a mallet. This makes a variety of sizes from small pieces to walnut dust. For a more even consistency, pulse some walnuts in a food processor.