Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake Almond (Printable)
Moist lemon cake filled with blueberry sauce and topped with almond cream and toasted almonds; chill before serving.
# What You Need:
→ 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
# How-To:
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, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, whole milk, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
05 - While the cake bakes, combine the blueberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together, then stir the slurry into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, approximately 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
06 - Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes across the surface of the cooled cake, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Pour the warm blueberry sauce evenly over the cake, gently nudging it into the holes. Allow the cake to cool completely.
07 - In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and almond extract together until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the fully cooled cake.
08 - 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 cake technique means every single bite has a pocket of jammy blueberry sauce hidden inside it.
- That almond whipped cream topping will make you question why you ever bothered with plain frosting.
- It looks wildly impressive but the whole thing comes together with basic pantry ingredients and zero fancy equipment.
02 -
- Let the cake cool for the full 15 minutes before poking holes or the warm crumb will collapse and tear instead of holding its shape around the sauce.
- Do not skip the chilling hour because the cream needs time to set and the blueberry filling firms into those perfect jammy pockets that make every slice beautiful.
03 -
- Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for ten minutes before whipping cream because cold equipment makes the cream whip in half the time with better volume.
- Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over low heat while stirring constantly and remove them the moment you can smell their fragrance because carryover heat will keep browning them after you take them off the stove.