Lemon Poppy Seed Cake w/ Mascarpone Cream n Lemon curd
This lemon poppy seed cake is made with a tender lemon and poppyseed cake that is topped with lemon mascarpone cream and lemon curd.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 6 tablespoon Butter softened, unsalted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups Granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon Lemon zest
- 2 teaspoon Lemon juice
- ⅓ cup Vegetable oil
- 3 Eggs
- ¼ cup Sour cream room temp
- ⅔ cup Buttermilk
- 2 ¼ cups Flour AP or cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 tablespoon Poppy seeds
For the lemon mascarpone cream
- 8.8 oz Mascarpone cheese room temp
- ⅔ cup Powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups Heavy cream cold
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Assembly
- 7 tablespoon Lemon curd
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare a 9x9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix with an electric hand mixer until its creamy and well combined.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and oil and mix until well combined.
- Add the eggs and mix until the batter is creamy and smooth. Add the sour cream and mix until smooth.
- Add ½ of the flour, ½ of the buttermilk, baking powder, baking soda, and the poppy seeds and mix until almost combined.
- Add the rest of the flour and buttermilk and fold until just combined and there are no streaks of unmixed flour visible.
- Pour the cake batter into a prepared 9 by 9 inch pan with parchment paper and smooth it out using a rubber spatula.
- Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 40-45 minutes (depending on your oven) or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter. Allow the cake to reach room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Make the mascarpone cream
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar and mix with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form. (don't overbeat the mixture so you don't create butter)
- Add the mascarpone cheese (which is at room temperature) and mix it lightly into the whipped cream using a spatula until a creamy mixture forms.
- Do not overmix this mixture! Stop just when the mixture is creamy and smooth. If you overmix this, the mixture will curdle and lose its creaminess.
- Top the cooled cake with the mascarpone cream and dollops of lemon curd and make swirls using an offset spatula.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cake and not a dense and dry cake.
- Use fresh lemon juice. The key to a great lemon cake is the use of fresh, tart lemon juice. Avoid using bottled or concentrated lemon juice, as it can lack the depth of flavor you're looking for.
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients. Opt for plump, juicy lemons and pure vanilla extract for maximum flavor. Invest in a good-quality poppy seeds to ensure a satisfying crunch in every bite.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your loaf cake will release easily from the pan.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. Rushing this step can result in a messy, uneven frosting application. Be patient and let the cake rest on a wire rack until it's completely cool to the touch.
- Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has unmixed parts of the mixture.
Nutrition
Calories: 406kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 5gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 244mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 761IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 1mg
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