Lemon Blackberry Cake

This lemon blackberry cake is made with layers of lemon cake, studded with blackberries, filled with lemon curd mascarpone whipped cream, and macerated blackberries.

What does yogurt do in a cake?

I love adding full fat greek yogurt or sour cream into a cake because it keeps the cake moist with out adding too much liquid. It also gives good structure and rise to the cake when combined with baking soda.

Is mascarpone the same as whipping cream?

No. Mascarpone is actually a type of fresh cheese that is thick but soft like cream cheese. For this cake it is the base of the filling/frosting and gets whipped together with cream to make a more stable whipped cream.

How do you increase the lemon flavor in cake?

This recipe will taste very lemony because of the lemon zest in the batter and then the lemon curd in the filling. That being said, you could make the cake even MORE lemony by soaking the layers with the lemon simple syrup from my Lemon Poppyseed Cake recipe.

Can I swap or leave out the blackberries?

Yes! This cake will be delicious whether you keep the blackberries in or not. You can also swap the blackberries for blueberries or raspberries if you prefer.

Tips for making a lemon layer cake

• If you want to make a full 9″ cake, multiply all the cake ingredients by 1.5 aka instead of 2 eggs, use 3. This cake can be easily scaled so you could also double it and make two thinner 9″ cakes.
• Alternatively, if you have an 8″ pan I would bake the cake batter as is and just do a single layer cake that you can add all the fillings to, on top.
• Triple check that your pan is the correct size and that your baking soda and baking powder haven’t expired to ensure a proper rise!
• This cake is a great base for so many flavors so don’t be afraid to play around with fillings, and frostings but I do love this flavor combo.
• Use a baking spray with flour in it to spray the bottom of your cake pan, try not to spray the sides as it can make the cake rise oddly. Alternatively, grease the pan with soft butter and line the bottom with a round sheet of parchment paper.
• For the blackberries in between the layers, I recommend using frozen because when they thaw and macerate, they soften, making them a better filling to cut through. If you only have fresh, simply mash them down with a fork after macerating and use that for the filling.
• This cake will slice best if you allow it to sit, assembled, for at least an hour or two if not overnight in the fridge.

Additional Cake Recipes to try!

• Lemon Poppyseed Bun
• Vanilla Layer Cake
• Chocolate Layer Cake

Lemon Layer Cake Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour will work for this cake! I have not yet tried any other flours with this recipe.
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These both help make the cake rise – make sure to check the expiration date! If they are expired, they won’t be very effective.
• Salt: A little bit of salt enhances the flavors and balances out the sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds flavor to the cake and the filling.
• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store.
• Sugar: This cake uses granulated sugar in the cake batter, lemon curd, and to macerate the blackberries.
• Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice: Lemon zest is added to both the cake and the lemon curd filling whereas the juice is added to both the blackberries and the lemon curd. Just be sure to wash your lemons before zesting them.
• 5% Fat Greek Yogurt: Full fat greek yogurt adds richness and moisture to the cake. You can also use Sour cream.
• Butter: I love using butter for the moisture of this cake because it adds such a yummy flavor. That being said you can follow the method in my Vanilla Layer cake if you would rather an oil based cake.
• Mascarpone: Mascarpone is added into the lemon curd instead of butter to give it that silky, creamy, richness but also to firm it up thereby allowing it to be the filling.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream will work, just make sure it’s cold.
• Blackberries: Fresh or frozen will work for this recipe. To be honest I like to use fresh in the cake and frozen for the filling but that feels dramatic so either one will work.

How to make a Lemon Cake?

• Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Lemon Blackberry cake batter

• In a medium bowl add in the sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant and the sugar begins to clump.
• Pour in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.
• Add in the butter, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla.
• Use the paddle attachment to mix the ingredients first on medium low until just combined, then turn it to high speed for 30 seconds.
• Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• In a separate bowl, stir together the blackberries and 15 grams of flour. Pour the flour coated berries into the cake batter and use a spatula to fold them in.
• Spray the cake pan with your baking spray and then pour in the cake batter.
• Smooth out the cake with a rubber spatula.

Bake

• Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, rotate the cake 180 degrees and bake for another 20-25 minutes.
• When the cake is finished baking, check it by sticking a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is fully baked.
• Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool for 10 minutes before removing the spring form.
• After 10 minutes, remove the springform.
• Allow the cake to cool completely before assembling.

Blackberries

• Add the blackberries (fresh or frozen) into a medium bowl, along with the sugar and lemon juice.
• Stir to combine and leave at room temperature to macerate until ready to use. If you are making them the day before, place them in the fridge overnight.

Lemon Curd Mascarpone

• In a large metal bowl or the top portion of a double boiler, add in the egg yolks, sugar, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.
• Add about 2″ of water into a sauce pan or the bottom of the double boiler. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low so that it maintains a simmer.
• Place the bowl with the egg and lemon mixture over the pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly, cooking the mixture until it thickens. It’s done when the mixture is thick like mayo, essentially when you stop whisking the mixture should stop moving, it will sort of just firm up.
• Once thick, immediately remove the bowl from the pot of water and turn off the heat.
• Add the cold mascarpone into the hot curd, one spoonful at a time. Whisk one spoonful of mascarpone into the lemon curd until completely dissolved before adding in the next spoonful.
• Continue adding the mascarpone in until it is all used up. Pour the mixture into a large shallow bowl and place a piece of plastic onto the surface. Place the bowl in the fridge until cold and thick.

Lemon Whipped Cream

• Once the lemon curd mixture is cold and set, spoon about 75 grams into a small bowl and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whip the cold heavy cream on medium high speed until almost stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over whip the mixture.
• Add half of the whipped cream into the lemon curd and fold to combine. Then, add in the other half of the whipped cream and fold until combined.

Assemble

• * Optionally, level off the domed top of the cake first.
• Slice the cake into 2 layers with a serrated knife.
• Place the bottom layer of the cake onto a dish or cake stand, ideally lined with parchment for easy transportation.
• Scoop half of the lemon curd whip onto the bottom layer of cake and use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to spread it out.
• If frozen blackberries were used they will be soft enough as is but if you used fresh blackberries, mash half of them in a separate bowl with a fork – these will be used for the middle filling.
• Scoop half of the macerated blackberries out of the bowl, leaving as much of the liquid in the bowl as possible. Sprinkle the blackberries over the whipped cream so they are evenly dispersed.
• Layer the top layer of cake over the frosting and press down gently.
• Scoop the remaining whipped cream onto the top of the cake. Using the back of a spoon to make loose swoops on top. Spoon the extra lemon curd mixture around the top of the cake and use the spoon to swirl them in.
• Spoon the remaining macerated blackberries, again trying not to scoop up too much of the liquid, onto the whipped cream and lemon curd.
• If time leave the cake to firm up slightly for an hour or two in the fridge before slicing but it can be sliced and served immediately.

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