May 19, 2022

Lemon Poppy Seed & Blackberry Cake

This light and fruity layer cake is the perfect dessert for special occasions on sunny spring or summer days. This cake includes a moist lemon & poppy seed cake as well as a double blackberry fruit layer. It is surrounded by a light and fluffy white chocolate & cream cheese frosting and decorated with beautiful lilacs.

Special material requirements

3 Round cake rings or tins 18cm diameter (you can also work with 1 cake ring)
2 cake/tart rings 15cm diameter
Acetate foil
Scraper
Piping bag (optional)

Recipe

Yield: approx. 20 servings | Difficulty: easy

Ingredients

Blackberry insert

220g blackberry puree (10% sugar)

1 tbsp honey

2 1/2 tsp sugar

2 1/2 tsp corn starch

3 1/2 gelatine sheets

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Blackberry cream insert

165g blackberry puree (10% sugar)

115g heavy cream

37g sugar

1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp corn starch

2 gelatine sheets

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Lemon & poppy seed cake

320g almond flour

188g oil

150g lemon juice

150g honey

113g powdered sugar

5 large eggs

80g poppy seeds

1/2 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder

lemon zest of 1 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp salt

White chocolate & cream cheese frosting

750g cream cheese (cold)

565g white chocolate

455g heavy cream

3 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Blackberry Sauce

70g blackberry puree (10% sugar)

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp lemon juice

Decoration

blackberry sauce

edible flowers (e.g. lilacs)

fresh blackberries (approx. 10)

Directions

Blackberry insert

Cover one side of each 15cm cake/tart ring with cling film. Place the rings in a hot oven for couple of seconds. This will tighten the cling film. Then line the rings with acetate foil.
Prepare a bowl with cold water and place the gelatine sheets in it to soak.
In a small bowl, mix together sugar and corn starch.
In a saucepan, combine blackberry puree, honey, lemon juice and vanilla extract and bring to a simmer. Add a little bit of the puree mix to the sugar and corn starch mix and whisk until smooth and there are no lumps.
Add the sugar and corn starch mix back into the saucepan and while constantly whisking cook on medium heat until the puree thickens.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, squeeze out excess water from the soaked gelatine sheets and add them to the saucepan. Whisk until all gelatine has dissolved.
Divide the puree mix in two and pour into the prepared tart/cake rings. Let it cool to room temperature and then place in the fridge.

Blackberry cream insert

Prepare a bowl with cold water and place the gelatine sheets in it to soak.
In a small bowl, mix together half of the sugar and corn starch.
In a saucepan, combine blackberry puree, heavy cream, other half of the sugar and vanilla extract and bring to a simmer. Add a little bit of the puree mix to the sugar and corn starch mix and whisk until smooth and there are no lumps.
Add the sugar and corn starch mix back into the saucepan and while constantly whisking cook on medium heat until the puree thickens.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, squeeze out excess water from the soaked gelatine sheets and add them to the saucepan. Whisk until all gelatine has dissolved.
Divide the the puree mix in two and pour into the tart/cake rings, on top of the first blackberry layer. Let it cool to room temperature and then place in the fridge.
After the purees have set, you can either use them soft and cool from the fridge or you can place them in the freezer overnight and use them frozen in the cake.

Lemon & poppy seed cake

Grease the 18cm diameter cake ring and line with baking paper. Cover one side with tin foil (not needed if you use cake tins) and preheat the oven to 170°C.
Add the lemon zest to the powdered sugar and set aside.
Combine almond flour, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt in a separate bowl and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the eggs and honey, then add the powdered sugar with the lemon zest and whisk until there are no lumps and all is well combined.
Add the lemon juice and 2 thirds of the dry ingredients and whisk.
Lastly, add the oil and the rest of the dry ingredients and whisk until you have a well combined cake batter.
Divide the cake batter into 3 cake rings/tins and bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown. If you don't have 3 cake rings/tins, bake each layer one at the time.
Let the cakes cool down and place them in the fridge overnight.

White chocolate & cream cheese frosting

Heat the heavy cream with the vanilla extract in a saucepan or microwave.
Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate, let it sit for half a minute and then whisk until all chocolate has dissolved. Blend with an immersion blender to eliminate lumps if needed.
Cover with cling film to touch and place in the fridge overnight.
As soon as you are ready to assemble the cake, combine the ganache with the cream cheese and whisk until the frosting is light and fluffy. If not used immediately, store the frosting in the fridge.

Blackberry sauce

Place the puree, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and heat it up on medium heat.
Shortly before it starts boiling, add some puree to the cornstarch and whisk until there are no lumps.
Pour the cornstarch mix back to the puree in the saucepan and heat it up while constantly whisking until it starts boiling and thickens up.
Transfer the puree into a bowl, cover with cling film to touch and let it cool down completely before using.

Assembly

Pipe some frosting on the cake board and stick the first layer of the cake to it.
Cover the cake with some frosting, place one blackberry insert in the middle and cover again with frosting.
Repeat step 2 one more time.
Place the last cake layer at the top and crumb coat the cake with frosting.
Place the cake in the fridge for at least an hour or in the freezer for 30 minutes.