Description
A zesty lemon blackberry cake with a moist lemon sponge, tangy mascarpone lemon cream, and juicy blackberries. Perfect for celebrations or afternoon tea.
Ingredients
150 g granulated sugar
1 lemon, zested
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
150 g all-purpose flour + 15 g for coating blackberries
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs, room temperature
125 g unsalted butter, soft
100 g full-fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
150 g blackberries (fresh or frozen)
250 g blackberries (for filling)
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
90 g granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
60 g lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
225 g mascarpone
200 g cold heavy cream
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a cake pan.
2. Rub lemon zest into sugar until fragrant. Mix with flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
3. Add butter, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
4. Fold in flour-coated blackberries gently.
5. Pour batter into pan and bake 30 minutes. Rotate and bake another 20–25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then fully on a rack before assembling.
7. Prepare macerated blackberries with lemon juice and sugar. Set aside.
8. Make lemon curd by whisking yolks, sugar, zest, juice, and salt over simmering water until thick. Whisk in mascarpone gradually. Chill until set.
9. Whip cream to almost stiff peaks. Fold into chilled lemon curd mixture.
10. Slice cake into two layers. Spread cream on bottom, scatter blackberries, then place top layer.
11. Spread remaining cream on top, swirl with lemon curd, and decorate with berries.
Notes
You can make the sponge, lemon curd, and macerated berries a day ahead, then assemble before serving.
Frozen blackberries work well. Thaw and mash slightly for filling.
For a larger 9-inch cake, increase sponge ingredients by 1.5.
Serve slightly chilled for clean slices.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 95mg