You won't want to miss this Lemonade Cake with Blueberry Sauce, cool as a cucumber and just perfect for summer. When I taught this, everyone loved the clean cut of this cake with the deep purple sauce running down the pale yellow sides.
A tart lemon curd is tempered with whipped cream and a meringue and poured over a vanilla wafer crust. And that blueberry sauce is one you will make over and over to serve with pancakes and waffles as well as over ice cream. As I said, just made for summer!!
While it does have several component parts they can be made ahead and the cake just assembled. Or, the entire cake can be made ahead and frozen.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It tastes incredible. The sweet-tart mousse served with the whole blueberry sauce is a classic combination for anytime and anything.
- Uses basic ingredients available in any grocery store
- It can be made ahead and frozen. Perfect when time is not your friend.
- Elegantly simple yet boldly flavored.
Recipe Ingredients
Vanilla Wafers and melted butter
Lemon Curd
BACK ROW: Egg yolks, whole eggs, lemon juice
MIDDLE ROW: Unsalted butter
FRONT ROW: Granulated sugar, gelatin, water
Lemon Mousse
Clockwise: Egg whites, lemon curd, heavy cream, granulated sugar
Blueberry Sauce
Clockwise: Blueberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, water, lemon juice
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Lemon Curd
Using the ingredients listed below, prepare the lemon curd as pictured in the How to Make Lemon Curd.
It is important to make the curd and let it cool until just barely cool at room temperature. If it gets too set, just put it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds at a time until it is still thick and cool but will blend well with the meringue and whipped cream.
Crumb Crust
Step 1. Place the vanilla wafers in the bowl of a processor.
Step 2. Process the crumbs until fine and place in a medium size bowl.
Step 3. Add the butter to the crumbs, mixing so the crumbs are evenly buttered. Pour into the prepared pan.
Step 4. Pat the crumbs evenly and firmly into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Lemon Mousse Filling
Step 1. Whip the cream to medium peaks. Remove it from the bowl and set it aside.
Step 2. In a clean mixing bowl, whip the whites until they leave tracks from the beater.
Step 3. Slowly add the sugar to the beating egg whites. Wait about 10 seconds before adding the next addition.
Step 4. Add the meringue into the lemon curd and fold in. It doesn't have to be folded in completely.
Step 5. The reserved whipped cream is added to the lemon curd mixture and everything is folded together completely.
Step 6. Pour the filling over the crust in the pan.
Step 7. Smooth the filling our with an offset spatula.
Step 8. Place the cake in the refrigerator to firm up.
Releasing the Cake
Step 1. Place a hair blower on high about ½ inch from the side of the pan. Go around the side briefly. You just want to loosen the mousse.
Step 2. Place the cake on a wide can.
Step 3. Slide the rim of the cheesecake pan down.
Step 4. Place the cake on a cake board or serving plate by placing a metal spatula between the bottom of the crust and the bottom of the pan. Go around the bottom and move with two spatulas.
Blueberry Sauce
Step 1. Place the sugar and cornstarch in a medium size pan.
Step 2. Whisk the two together.
Step 3. Whisk in the water and lemon juice to start dissolving the sugar and cornsyrup.
Step 4. Add the blueberries to the pan.
Step 5. Cook the sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and cool. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Recipe FAQs
Cultivated blueberries are fairly uniform in their size, color and taste. Wild blueberries are generally much smaller in size than cultivated. They also vary in color from different shades of blue to almost black. Taste varies from very sweet to not-so-sweet.
Gelatin, whether it is in granulated or sheet form must be soaked in cold water to soften it. If using granulated gelatin, it must be liquified after blooming by heating it over a water bath or in the microwave before being introduced into other ingredients.
The cheesecake pan is a solid rim with a loose bottom. The springform pan has a loose bottom and a rim that opens and closes with a latch or buckle. For more information on the two, see my post on Bailey's Cheesecake.
Storage
This cake should be kept in the refrigerator and keeps well for several days. It can also be made and frozen, then well wrapped and stored for several months. The blueberry sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead.
Expert Tips
- If you are queasy about using raw egg whites, put the whites and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Place the mixer bowl over (not in) a saucepan of simmering (not boiling) water. Beat or whisk continuously with a hand held mixer or whisk. Heat to 160°F or 70°C which should take between 3 ½ minutes. Place on the mixer and continue to beat until a meringue forms as described in the recipe.
- Either fresh or frozen blueberries can be used. If using frozen berries, do not thaw them first.
- When using cornstarch, it is important to either dissolve it in a small amount of water or mix it with the sugar in the recipe before adding the water. If it is not dissolved first, it will become lumpy and not thicken.
- Heavy cream with a 36 % butterfat content whips up thicker than whipping cream with less butterfat and is recommended for the best results.
- Straining the eggs and yolk mixture in the beginning removes the chalazae which is the hard, stringy egg white that suspends the yolk in the middle of the white. If it is not strained out, it cooks up hard and ruins the smoothness of the Lemon Curd. It is also much easier to do it in the beginning and not at the end when it has thickened.
Other Delicious Desserts for your Enjoyment
If you love this Lemonade Cake or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Lemonade Cake with Blueberry Sauce
Equipment
- 9x3 cheesecake or springform pan
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 ½ teaspoons gelatin
- 2 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams or 3 ½ ounces)
- ½ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold, cut into 6 pieces (114grams or 1 stick)
Vanilla Wafer Crust
- 1 ¼ cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 40, 140 grams or 5 ounces)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, (58 grams or 2 ounces)
Lemon Mousse
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 egg whites (leftover from above)
- ¼ cup sugar (50 grams or 1 ¾ ounces)
- Lemon Curd
Blueberry Sauce
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (65 grams or 2 ¼ ounces)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries (12 ounce bag)
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- Soften the gelatin in the water. Set aside.
- Place the eggs and yolks in bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Whisk in the sugar and the lemon juice. Strain the mixture into the top of a boiler. Add the butter and place over gently boiling water.
- Stirring constantly, bring the curd to 172°F on a thermometer.
- The gelatin will have formed a wiggly blob at this point. Tear it into small pieces and add it directly to the hot curd. Whisk to dissolve it into the curd.
- Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap. Cool to use.
- If made ahead, microwave briefly to bring it to room temperature when ready to use.
Vanilla Wafer Crust
- Process the wafers into crumbs either using a food processor or putting them in a plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.
- Add the butter and mix with a fork.
- Press them evenly into the bottom of 9x3" cheesecake pan or springform mold. Set aside.
Lemon Mousse
- Beat the cream to medium peaks. Remove from the bowl and set aside.
- In a clean mixing bowl, whip the whites until the whisk leaves marks in them.
- Slowly add the sugar and beat to medium peaks. Fold into the lemon curd.
- Fold in the reserved cream. Pour it into the crust and chill 6 hours or overnight to firm up.
Blueberry Sauce
- Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together in a medium saucepan.
- Whisk in the water.
- Add the blueberries and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. It will have thickened. Continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl and cover directly with plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator if not using immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Kathryn says
Hello. Can I add gelatine to warmed shop bought lemon curd? Eggs are expensive here & lemons not available unless I buy them.
Would love to try the recipe.
Thankyou
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Kathryn, I don't know and wouldn't want to hazzard a guess. There is no way to tell how much gelatin, or how the curd was made. Often commercial products are not made the same as small batch.
Emily says
Perfection!
Helen S Fletcher says
Thanks Emily and thanks for the rating. I very much appreciate it.
Emily says
This was a joy to make, very impressive to serve (those perfect slices!) and a wonderful addition to our Father’s Day meal. Thank you, Helen, for making this home cook feel like a pro!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Emily - Lucky family! This is a great summer dessert and I think it looks so pretty too. Do me a favor and leave me a 5 star rating on the recipe card. It helps google find me. Thanks and happy 4th.
Eileen Murphy says
Absolutely delightful! When I make something new in my house we judge it by whether or not I'd make it again. Definitely a keeper in my household! Thank you Helen!
Helen S Fletcher says
So happy to hear Eileen. I agree about how I keep recipes also.
Jo H West says
Perfect summer dessert!
Helen S Fletcher says
Thanks Jo, I appreciate your comment and agree with you.
Beve Miller says
Lemon curd recipe is missing the 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
Helen S Fletcher says
Thanks Beve - It's fixed now.
Shirley Lipscomb says
Absolutely on my next dessert to make. Sounds delicious for this time of year.
Thank you Helen.
Helen S Fletcher says
You're welcome Shirley.
Eileen Murphy says
Helen, I cannot wait to try this. Heading out to pick up lemons today. Will the base work with your scratch made vanilla wafers? Thanks, Eileen.
Helen S Fletcher says
Sure it will. Monitor your butter. It may take more or less but that would be the only change. Be sure to give it a star rating. That helps a lot.
Donna Marie Lupson says
Thank you v. much for all your recipes. I really enjoy the posts.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Donna, thanks for your kind words.