Step 1

Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Smaller pans will not be sufficiently large. If you are using smaller pans reduce the measurements by 1/4.

Step 2

Cream together the butter and sugar very well until light and fluffy.

Step 3

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Step 4

Sift together the flour and baking powder.

Step 5

Fold dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the warm mixture of milk and whipping cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. I warm the cream and milk in the microwave for a 15 -20 seconds. I add the dry ingredients in 3 portions and the milk/cream in 2 portions.

Step 6

Bake at 325 degrees F for about 35- 40 minutes. Rely on the toothpick test to ensure that it is properly baked. Wehn a wooden toothpick, inserted into the center, comes out clean, it's done. Let the cake cool for 10- 15 minutes before turning out of the pans and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Step 7

Simmer the blueberries, sugar and 1/2 cup water very gently together for about 10 minutes.

Step 8

Dissolve the corn starch in the 1/4 cup cold water to make a slurry.

Step 9

Add a little of the slurry to the pot at a time, stirring constantly. Add only enough of the slurry to thicken the slurry to a pudding-like consistency. The juice content of the berries will determine how much thickening the compote will require so use your own judgement on when you have added enough of the slurry.

Step 10

Continue to simmer stirring constantly for an additional minute to ensure the compote does not maintain a starchy taste from the slurry. Cool to room temperature then completely chill the compote in the fridge.

Step 11

Whip the cream,vanilla and icing sugar together at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Step 12

If you don't have a piping bag for the whipped cream, you can still make quite a pretty cake by using a large Ziploc bag with about a 1/2 inch opening snipped off the corner.

Step 13

Split the two layers horizontally into four layers. Place the first layer on the serving plate, cover with whipped cream and add the second layer.

Step 14

Pipe a 1 inch border of whipped cream around the entire edge of this layer. Fill the inside of the circle with half of the blueberry compote before adding the next layer of cake and covering with more whipped cream.

Step 15

Add the final layer of cake and cover the sides of the cake with whipped cream. Pipe a border of whipped cream on the top of the cake and fill the center with the remaining blueberry compote.

Step 16

Garnish with pieces of candied lemon zest if you like which can be made very simply by removing the zest with a sharp vegetable peeler and simmering gently in a small pot with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar for about 15 minutes.