Blueberry Lemon Poke Cake

This Blueberry Lemon Poke Cake (minus the lemon) was an exciting find for me and I think will be for you also.  It originally appeared in the Washington Post Food Section Voraciously by Jessie Sheehan and I couldn’t have been happier to find it.  A Poke cake is so named because you literally poke holes in it.  

This cake takes a bit of time but is so stunning when presented cut that it’s worth every minute.

One of the fascinating aspects is it is not too sweet.  It’s perfectly balanced to remember every bite and want more.

Preparing the Pan

I have seen the method mentioned in the newspaper multiple times but I can’t figure it out.  Maybe my head just doesn’t go there.  The pan is lined with parchment paper that overhangs both long edges so it can be lifted out of the pan.  I get that.  But then what?  How do you get the paper off the bottom of the cake after you have removed it from the pan?  It can’t be put on a serving dish or cake board with the paper still in place.

In order, not to mess up the holes filled with puree, I have given an alternative to removing the cake which is what we used at the bakery.

The Cake 

First of all, it is a gorgeous looking cake made from scratch which is right up my alley.  From what I gleaned, the cake was originally made with a cake mix, cool whip and any number of fillings including jello, kool-aid, sweetened condensed milk, and more.  While I have often soaked cakes in a flavored liquids or sugar syrup, I only poked small holes that were all but unnoticeable.  Not so here.  

The cake itself is really easy to put together.  The recipe in the newspaper seems to mix it by hand.  I opted for the mixer.  It’s basically what is referred to as a muffin mix or, in days gone by, a dump cake.  I kind of like the latter name because while not elegant, it is certainly descriptive. Basically, the liquids are mixed and then the flour is dumped in.  

I added the rind of a large lemon to the batter to brighten it up and I’m glad I did.  It’s the perfect complement to blueberries as the many recipes using this combination can attest. However, if you prefer an all vanilla cake, omit it.

Half oil and half melted butter are used.  The oil keeps the cake moist, the butter for flavor.  Buttermilk adds longevity to a cake as well as flavor.  As long as the cut edges are covered, the cake will last for days when refrigerated.  The batter is more liquid than thick.  It bakes up deep, flat, and ready for all the holes.

When I wrote about freezing cream in an earlier post, one of my readers mentioned she froze buttermilk also.  One day I found myself with a quart that I wasn’t going to use for a bit so I froze it.  After thawing in the refrigerator for a day or two, I gave it a good shaking and it worked perfectly for this cake.

About the Flour

Speaking of flour, if you go to the Post recipe there is a discrepancy between the volume of my flour and theirs.  Because there is no standard weight for a cup of flour (which is really annoying), there are many different weights given for a cup in different recipes.  The two most prevalent are King Arthurs which is 120 grams or 4 ¼ ounces because they fluff up the flour before putting in a cup.  Most professionals, use 140 grams or 5 ounces of flour per cup because we don't fluff.  I use the latter.  So, my volume measurement will be different than those using another method.

However, the weight of the flour remains the same.  310 grams is 310 grams which is why I strongly encourage everyone to buy a scale.  Weighing ingredients makes a recipe consistent every time ensuring the same outcome.  I also round up or down because 1 or 2 grams more or less doesn’t make a difference.

Cake flour is called for because it makes a softer cake than all-purpose.  However, if no cake flour is to be had, use all-purpose.

When using cake flour it is important to sift it after weighing or measuring. Because it is a really fine flour, it has a tendency to clump up. These clumps don't always mix completely into the batter.

The Holes

It is important to poke the holes in the cake as soon as it comes from the oven and is hot.

A half inch round tool such as this wooden spoon is perfect to make those big holes that hold a lot of puree.  Just make sure whatever is used is completely smooth.  Each time I made a hole, I cleaned the spoon with a paper towel so it wouldn’t pull cake out of the hole.  

The holes should be spaced about an inch apart. Seven or eight down and five across seems to be good.

The Puree

An easily made, intensely flavored puree of frozen or fresh blueberries is poured into the holes three times.  I was skeptical when I first saw the 2 ¼ cups of puree.  It seemed like too much to fill the holes.  I was wrong.  The cake absorbs a lot of the puree so it’s important to let it sink in for about 10 minutes each time and then add more.  All of it will be used.

For maximum absorption, have the puree at room temperature or just slightly warm.  If made ahead and refrigerated, heat briefly in a microwave or on the stove to warm it.  

Save about three to four tablespoons to marbleize the top of the whipped cream for a beautiful finish.

Blenders do a better job of pureeing than processors so my suggestion is to use that if you have one.  I don’t, so I used my processor and it did the job very well.  Not quite as smooth, but not noticeably so.

Thickening the Puree

Because I was going to freeze half the cake, I changed the thickener.  There are only two of us here and while I was positive we could have polished off the entire cake, it didn’t seem like the best idea so I froze half of it.  Cornstarch breaks down when frozen and then thawed.  

However, sweet rice flour is wonderful and easier to use.  Don’t confuse it with white rice flour - they are not the same.  It can easily be found online or in Asian stores if your grocery story doesn’t carry it.  I have a post, Thickeners as Used in Baking and Pastry, that has more information.  I also increased the original amount of whichever thickener is used because the puree was more liquid would have run out.

Overnight Rest in the Refrigerator

The original article puts the hot cake on a rack in the refrigerator after filling the holes.  I don’t suggest that because the temperature of home refrigerators will warm up quickly if something hot is put in due to the small size.  At the restaurant we have a huge walk-in cooler so it doesn’t matter how hot something is put in because it won’t raise the temperature.  There are many things in a refrigerator that require a temperature of 42 or less to be safe.  It is safer to just cool the blueberry filled cake to room temperature and then refrigerate it overnight.

Whipped Cream Frosting

I have often been asked about stabilizing whipped cream.  There are so many ideas out there from a small batch of cornstarch that has been cooked and added at the end, to gelatin, also added at the end.  

But I want to share what we did at the bakery.  We used heavy cream and powdered sugar.  Period.  Nothing else – well maybe a bit of extract or liqueur.  It was whipped to a spreadable or pipeable consistency and then used as called for.  There is no need to use anything else.  Products were finished with it and the cream didn’t separate, leak, or become watery.  Cakes, tarts and other desserts were frozen with the cream as a filling or frosting and thawed in the refrigerator where they were stable for days.

Using cream that is not marked heavy or 40% whipping cream can cause problems.  Using the correct cream is the key.  

One last note about whipped cream.  I have seen where the rage is to whip the cream in the food processor.  I love my processor and use it for all kinds of prep but not whipping cream.  It never achieves the lightness of being beaten in a mixer or by hand if you are so inclined.  It's heavier and tastes closer to butter.

Marking the Blueberry Lemon Poke Cake

To make sure the cake is cut dramatically so all the holes with the puree show in each piece, I mark the cake with toothpicks which are placed at the edge of the puree on both the long and short side of the cake.  I have to admit, I didn’t do the best job of spacing out holes but in the end, it all came together.  Seven or eight down and five across seems to work well.  

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To make sure the cake is cut dramatically so all the holes with the puree show in each piece, I mark the cake with toothpicks which are placed at the edge of the puree on both the long and short side of the cake before it is finished with the whipped cream.  I have to admit, I didn’t do the best job of spacing out my holes but in the end, it all came together.