Blueberry Lemon Poke Cake

Blueberry poke cake is a 9x13" cake that has holes poked in it and filled with a blueberry compote. It is finished with whipped cream and blueberry filling

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Although this cake takes a bit of time, it is easy to make. Large holes in the lemon cake are filled with blueberry puree that makes a dramatic presentation when cut.

Prep Time1

Cook Time25

Total Time1 25

Course: Cake

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baking, blueberry cake, blueberry lemon poke cake, blueberry poke cake, blueberry puree

Servings:

Calories: 359kcal

Author: Helen S Fletcher

Equipment

9x13" baking pan
2 quarter sheet boards

Ingredients

Blueberry Puree

½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
2 tablespoons cornstarch or sweet rice flour
¾ cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (420 grams)

Lemon Cake

2 ½ cups cake flour (310 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar (330 grams)
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (114 grams or 1 stick)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large lemon
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 ¾ cups buttermilk

Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy cream
⅓ cup powdered sugar (45 grams)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, optional

Instructions

Blueberry Puree

Add the water and lemon juice to a medium size saucepan.
Add the blueberries.
Whisk together the sugar and thickener. Add it to the saucepan.
Stir all together.
Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil if using the cornstarch. If using the sweet rice flour, it will thicken before it boils.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Puree in a blender or processor.
The puree can be made several days ahead and refrigerated. Warm in the microwave or on the stove top to just barely warm or room temperature. Yield: About 2 ¼ cups.

Lemon Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line the bottom of a 9x13x2 inch with parchment paper. Spray the paper and side of the pan. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a mixer, blend together the sugar, oil, butter and vanilla extract and lemon zest.
Add the eggs and yolk, mixing the combine.
Incorporate the buttermilk into the mixture.
Last, add the flour and beat on low just to completely mix. The batter will be rather on the thin side.
Pour it into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and a tester comes out clean.
Poke the holes in the cake immediately upon removing the cake from the oven while the cake is hot. See Assembly of the Blueberry Lemon Poke Cake below.

Whipped Cream Frosting

Place everything in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip to medium peaks.

Assembly of the Blueberry Lemon Poke Cake

Lemon Cake
Blueberry Puree
Whipped Cream
Reserve 3 to 4 tablespoons of blueberry puree. Set aside.
Using the handle end of a ½ inch round wooden spoon or other utensil, poke holes almost to the bottom of the cake about 1 inch part. Twist the spoon from side to side for the best holes. After each poke, clean the utensil with a paper towel.
Continue until the entire cake has been covered with holes. Sometimes the holes will partially fill back in. Re-poke them. I poked twice to make sure they would hold the most puree. Poking 5 across the 9" side and 7 down the 13" side works well.
Fill the holes to the very top with the blueberry puree. I found an ice tea or baby spoon works well here. Let the puree settle for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Repeat twice more, allowing the puree to settle before moving on. Allow to cool completely to room temperature.
Cover the top of the cake directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Go around the edges of the cake with a small metal spatula. Place a cake board or half sheet pan on top of the cake pan, keeping the plastic wrap in place.
Turn the pan over.
Remove the pan and parchment paper.
Place a second board or presentation platter on the cake and flip it back over so the blueberry puree filled holes are now on top.
On both the long and short side of the cake, place toothpicks on the edge of the puree so you will know where to cut for the most dramatic effect. Remove the plastic wrap.
Cover with the whipped cream.
Spoon the reserved blueberry puree over the cream randomly.
With the tip of a small spatula or knife, swirl the puree.
Cut along the toothpick lines to expose the puree.
Refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

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Please see the extended notes regarding the cake, flour, thickening and whipped cream just under the ingredients for in depth information.

Please see the information above under the Recipe Ingredients for in depth help.

The cake can be completed and held in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Additionally, if the sweet rice flour is used to thicken the puree, the cake can be frozen in its entirety. Place the cake on a cake board. Do not cover. Freeze until hard. Cover well with plastic wrap and wrap several times in foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Unwrap and thaw in the refrigerator the day before serving.

Bring to room temperature to serve.

In the newspaper comments several people said they were going to make the American flag for the 4th by putting blueberries in the corner of the cake and strawberries or raspberries to make the horizontal lines. Neat idea!

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