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Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Custard Cake…the prettiest simple spring cake! Easier than you’d think to make…and most importantly, so delicious! The sweet lemony poppyseed cake acts as a boat that holds a light creamy vanilla custard and sweet blueberries that burst in the oven. If you love lemon poppyseed cake and you love a crème brûlée, this combination is just for you! Finish this simple, fresh, and exciting cake off with a dusting of powdered sugar. Every last crumb is SO GOOD. Enjoy for brunch, as an afternoon snack, or for dessert – truly delicious. Bonus? It’s so pretty…with very little effort.
Oh, this cake! You guys, I do know I say this very often, but I am really so excited about this one. When I set out to make this, I was not sure it would really work. I was very worried it could require multiple rounds of testing, and even then, not end up working.
But to my surprise, everything worked almost perfectly the first time around. That almost never happens with baking recipes, but I was so happy it did! The funny thing about this cake is that it was inspired by two very different recipes, an old school blueberry cake I found on Pillsbury and my recent crème brûlée.
Not exactly sure how I put two and two together, but it worked! With Easter coming up, followed by Mother’s Day, this feels like the perfect cake for both!
The idea
As I mentioned above, the cake itself was inspired by a brunch-style cake created by Pillsbury way back in the day. As you guys know, I’ve been into retro recipes lately. I’ve been doing more and more research on vintage recipes and it’s taking me in all directions.
What I love about the retro Pillsbury cake is the center. It was filled simply with blueberries. It sounds delicious as is, but something about the center of the cake inspired me. Then I thought about doing a crème center with blueberries on top. And when I say crème, I mean the creamy custard you’ll experience in crème brûlée. So delicious brûlée…plus lots of blueberries!
It sounded too delicious to not at least test it out. So even though I was pressed for time, I tested the idea.
And now here we are! It just goes to show you that you shouldn’t knock something until you try it, you know!?
The details
Start with the cake. It’s simple but made special with fresh lemon zest and poppy seeds. Mix your wet ingredients with the dry, then beat in a little sour cream to keep the cake very moist.
Now, the key to this cake is to create a bit of a “bowl” for the custard and berries to bake up in…or actually, it’s kind of like a “nest”. You’ll
spread the batter out into a springform pan, then push it up the sides to create room for the custard and berries.
It’s simple, and honestly kind of fun to do!
Now make the crème center
Mix the eggs with a bit of sugar, then pour the steaming cream into the eggs. The key here is to be constantly whisking the yolks with the hot cream. You don’t want to end up with scrambled eggs!
Add the custard to the “nest” you created, then sprinkle on the berries.
Bake it up and about forty-five or so minutes later your cake is done! The longer you bake the cake, the more set the custard becomes. And on the same note, the longer you chill the cake, the more set the custard will become. I love mine on the creamy, but runny side, so I like to chill for an hour or so.
And that’s it…simple, pretty, perfectly sweet, so creamy inside, but with just the right amount of sweet, lemony, poppy seed cake surrounding all that creaminess…SO GOOD!
Perfection beyond belief. Hope you guys all enjoy this fun spring/summer cake!
Looking for other spring cakes, try these:
Strawberry Chamomile Olive Oil Cake with Honeyed Ricotta
Hydrangea Flower Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Strawberry Chamomile Naked Cake
Lastly, if you make this Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Crème Cake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Custard Cake
Servings: 10
Calories Per Serving: 594 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, use Meyer if you can
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 4 large egg yolks
Blueberries
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries thawed and drained
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9 or 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper, butter the parchment paper.2. To make the cake. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and 1 tablespoon vanilla until combined. Add the flour, poppyseeds, baking soda, and salt, and beat to combine. Beat in the sour cream until just combined. Spread the batter over the bottom and 1 1/4 inch up sides of the prepared pan, creating a boat for the custard. Making sure batter on sides is 1/4 inch thick and you have an even layer of batter on the bottom (see above photos).3. To make the custard. Whisk together the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl until combined.4. Place the cream over medium heat and gently warm until steaming. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. In a slow stream, whisk about 1/2 cup of the cream into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so they don’t scramble. Whisk in the remaining cream. Pour 3/4 of custard into the center of the cake, reserving the remaining 1/3 cup. 5. In a bowl, combine the blueberries, sugar, and flour. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of berries over the custard. It's going to be jiggly. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently pour over the remaining custard, then sprinkle on the remaining berries. Bake another 20 - 25 minutes until the sides of the cake are deep golden. The custard should be pretty jiggly in the center. If you want a looser custard, bake a total of 45-48 minutes.6. Let cool, then release the cake from the mold. Refrigerate 1-2 hours or until ready to serve. The colder your cake is, the more set your custard will be. When ready to eat, generously dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar and enjoy!!
Hi Tieghan!
How long do you think this will keep in the fridge?
Thank you!
Hey Annette,
This recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was fantastic! Not too sweet and very light. I will definitely make it again. It was even good for breakfast this morning.
Hey Ashley,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Easter ?Tieghan
This was a delightful spring treat! Such a delicious combination of flavors!
Hey Victoria,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Easter ?Tieghan
Can’t wait to try this! Can I make day ahead?
Thanks!
Thanks Elizabeth! Yes, just store covered in the fridge. I hope you love the cake! xTieghan
I thought this recipe was going to be delicious. I was very disappointed! The custard was bland and overall something I won’t make again. It was just missing that wow factor
Hey Cynthia,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, was there anything you may have adjusted? Please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Question vs comment:
Can you make the batter the night before, pop it in the fridge, then make the custard in the morning to add and bake? If so, does the lemon zest lose any flavor and need to also be added in the morning?
Thanks!
Hey Kirsten,
I would just make the entire recipe the night before and keep in the fridge, it’s best served cold anyways! I hope you love the recipe:) xTieghan
Made this the other night. It baked perfectly and… It was so good! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Hey Amber,
Happy Weekend! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Amazing cake recipe!!! Delicious! I have never had a cake with custard in. My dad loves custard so as soon lockdown lifted I saw it as the perfect opportunity to make a cake not just for my self! Tip: I baked it with foil on top until the last 10 minutes to stop it from going too brown and the custard having a skin.
Hey Emma,
Happy Weekend! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
If I leave the poppyseeds out will that affect the cake at all? Not the biggest fan of those.
Hey Jessica,
Totally fine to skip the poppyseeds. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can this recipe be done the night before?
Hey Maria,
Yes, that is totally fine, just keep it covered in the fridge. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Seriously one of the best things I’ve ever eaten!! Like O M G!! So light and not overly sweet. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect.
Hey Michaela,
Awesome! So glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
This recipe is so, so good!! Next time I make it, I’ll definitely push the sides of the cake batter up higher/make a bigger “boat” for the custard, but even with it leaking out a bit, was still delicious!! Also, i didn’t leave enough time for it to chill all the way before dessert time, but it was still really delicious with the custard/berries a little warm.
Hey Meghan,
Awesome! So glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Another great hbh recipe ! This was excellent. Ran out of blueberries and added some raspberries which tasted great with the lemon. Can’t make to make again for Easter!
Hey Sarah,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! ?xTieghan
Oh my goodness Tieghan! Another blueberry recipe! I went down a rabbit hole and I don’t know which blueberry dessert to make first! AHHH! LOL! But seriously, super excited to try some of these recipes! Do you have a favorite blueberry dessert that you have made?
Thanks so much
Hey Gillian,
Lol this one is pretty darn good:) I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made this today and it was a hit! I would have liked it to have more of a lemony taste though, so I’ll probably double the lemon zest. I didn’t have any poppy seeds and had to used chia seeds instead, it was a great substitute. I also didn’t have the springboard pan, this made it a bit difficult when serving but we made it work!
Hey Glenda,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan