Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake (Printable)
Moist lemon cake filled with blueberry sauce and almond cream, finished with toasted sliced almonds.
# Ingredient List:
→ Lemon Cake
01 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ tsp baking powder
03 - ½ tsp baking soda
04 - ½ tsp salt
05 - ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1 tbsp lemon zest
09 - ⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice
10 - ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
11 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Blueberry Sauce
12 - 1 ½ cups (225 g) fresh or frozen blueberries
13 - ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
14 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
15 - 1 tbsp cornstarch
16 - 2 tbsp water
→ Almond Topping
17 - 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
18 - ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
19 - ½ tsp almond extract
20 - ½ cup (60 g) sliced almonds, toasted
# Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated. Mix in the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, whole milk, and vanilla extract until combined.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top evenly.
05 - Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
06 - While the cake bakes, combine the blueberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch and water to form a slurry, then stir it into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
07 - Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes across the cooled cake, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Pour the blueberry sauce over the cake, spreading it evenly and gently nudging the sauce into the holes. Allow the cake to cool completely.
08 - Beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and almond extract with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the fully cooled cake.
09 - Sprinkle the toasted sliced almonds evenly over the whipped cream topping. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The poke technique means every single bite gets a pocket of jammy blueberry sauce, not just the lucky corner pieces.
- Almond extract in the whipped cream is the kind of quiet upgrade that makes people close their eyes when they taste it.
02 -
- If you pour the blueberry sauce over a warm cake, it will soak through unevenly and the bottom gets soggy, so patience during cooling really matters.
- Toasting almonds takes roughly three minutes and they go from golden to burnt in seconds, so stay at the stove and keep shaking the pan.
03 -
- Use the wooden spoon handle, not a chopstick or fork, because the wider holes hold more sauce and create those gorgeous purple pools in every slice.
- A dusting of lemon zest over the finished whipped cream right before serving wakes up the whole dish with bright color and fresh aroma.