A tender lemon poppy seed cake baked around a silky vanilla custard center and bursting blueberries, dusted with powdered sugar. Easier than it looks and perfect for brunch or dessert.

Prep time: 25 minutesCook time: 50 minutesTotal time: 3 hours 15 minutesServings: 10 servings

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Blueberry lemon poppy seed crème cake: the prettiest, simplest spring cake. It is easier to make than you would think, and best of all, it is delicious. A sweet lemon poppy seed cake acts as a shell for a light, creamy vanilla custard and sweet blueberries that burst in the oven. If you love lemon poppy seed cake and you love crème brûlée, this combination is for you. A dusting of powdered sugar finishes this simple, fresh, exciting cake. Enjoy it for brunch, as an afternoon treat or for dessert. The bonus? It is beautiful, with very little effort.

This cake was inspired by two very different recipes: an old-fashioned blueberry poppy seed brunch cake from a vintage Pillsbury booklet, and a recent vanilla Earl Grey crème brûlée. The vintage cake was baked with a center full of blueberries, and that idea sparked the thought of a custard center topped with blueberries instead. By crème, think of the creamy baked custard you would find in a crème brûlée, but with lots of blueberries. It sounded too good not to test, and it worked almost perfectly on the very first try, something that almost never happens with baking recipes. With Easter and Mother's Day around the corner, it is the perfect cake for both.

Start with the cake. It is simple, but made with fresh lemon zest and poppy seeds, plus a little sour cream to keep it moist. The key to this cake is creating a bowl, or really a nest, for the custard and berries to bake in. You spread the batter into a springform pan and push it up the sides, leaving room in the middle for the custard. It is easy and honestly fun to do.

For the crème center, whisk egg yolks with a little sugar, then slowly stream in hot cream, whisking constantly so the eggs do not scramble. Pour the custard into the nest you created and scatter the berries over the top. Bake for about forty-five minutes and the cake is done. The longer you bake it, the more set the custard will be, and the longer the cake chills, the firmer the custard becomes. For a creamy but slightly loose center, chill for about an hour before slicing. Simple, pretty, sweet and creamy in the middle, with just the right amount of lemony poppy seed cake around all that cream.

Ingredients

  • 125 g (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar, divided
  • 113 g (1 stick, 8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (use Meyer lemons if you can)
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
  • 190 g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 120 g (1/2 cup) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) heavy cream
  • 4 large egg yolks

Blueberries

  • 300 g (2 cups) fresh blueberries, or frozen blueberries thawed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a 23 or 25 cm (9 or 10 inch) springform pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment.
  2. Make the cake. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, 1/2 cup (100 g) of the sugar and the lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla until combined. Add the flour, poppy seeds, baking soda and salt and mix until smooth. Add the sour cream and mix until just combined. Spread the batter over the bottom of the prepared pan and about 3 cm (1 1/4 inches) up the sides, creating a shell for the custard. Make sure the batter on the sides is about 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick and that there is an even layer across the bottom.
  3. Make the custard. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until combined.
  4. Warm the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until just steaming. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla. In a slow stream, whisk about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the hot cream into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so they do not scramble. Whisk in the remaining cream. Pour about three-quarters of the custard into the center of the cake, reserving the remaining 1/3 cup (80 ml).
  5. In a bowl, toss the blueberries with the sugar and flour. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the berries over the custard; it will be wobbly. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, gently pour the reserved custard over the top and sprinkle with the remaining berries. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the cake is deep golden around the edges. The custard should still be very jiggly in the center. For a looser custard, bake for 45 to 48 minutes total.
  6. Let cool, then remove the cake from the pan. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until ready to serve. The colder the cake, the firmer the custard will be. Just before serving, dust the top with powdered sugar and enjoy.

Tips

  • Meyer lemons give the cake a slightly sweeter, more floral flavor, but regular lemons work well too.
  • Add the hot cream to the yolks very slowly; this is the only tricky step and it keeps the custard silky.
  • Chill for about an hour for a creamy, slightly loose center, or longer for a fully set custard.
  • Nutrition information is an estimate only.

Nutrition

Calories: about 307 per serving

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