Lemon and Blackberry Cake Recipe

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This Lemon and Blackberry cake truly offers a little slice of heaven. Perfect for afternoon tea or a mid-morning coffee break. The tartness of the lemon paired with the sweetness of the blackberries makes for a delicious contrast in flavours. The cake itself is moist and fluffy with a light lemon frosting. You can jazz it up and top it with fruit, slices of lemon or edible flowers for a special occasion. But it also works perfectly well served as is. And, let’s be honest, it won’t be around for people to admire for long anyway!

Can I use frozen blackberries?

You can most certainly use frozen fruit for this recipe. However, I recommend thawing them first so that the cake cooks evenly. Freezing ruptures the skin of the fruit as the water inside expands and turns to ice. Therefore, you may also want to pat down the thawed fruit with some paper towel first if they are leaking a lot of juice.

Whether you use frozen or fresh blackberries, do make sure to slice them before adding them to the cake batter. As they are such a large fruit huge chunks in the mixture can lessen the stability of the cake.

A slice of lemon and blackberry cake on a plate

Can I make it with a different fruit?

This cake will work well with a range of different fruits. Why not try it out with strawberries for a sweet summery cake. Raspberries also work great, as do blueberries.

Why does my cake sink in the middle?

Have you ever had the disappointment of spending time making a cake, only to have it collapse when you take it out of the oven? Don’t despair. There are a few reasons why this might happen, and thankfully, there are also a few things you can do to prevent it from happening again.

The oven temperature was wrong. If your oven was too hot, then the edges may cook too quickly while the centre doesn’t have time to set. Conversely, if the oven wasn’t hot enough then the cake may not have had the chance to cook in the middle properly.
The cake ingredients were too cold. Note that this recipe calls for room temperature ingredients – butter, eggs and milk. If you use ingredients straight from the fridge then the temperature of the batter will be colder, meaning that the outside of the cake will cook faster than the middle.
The batter was left for too long before baking. When you beat the butter and sugar you are adding air into the mixture. This gives the cake its structure and fluffy consistency. If you leave it sitting around for too long, then you may find that it loses this texture. Additionally, you may not realise that baking powder actually has two reactions to help it leaven. The first is on impact with the wet ingredients in the batter and the second is when it is heated. You won’t get the full benefit from this first reaction if you don’t use it straightway, and your cake may not rise as much.
The batter was over-beaten. Once you have added the flour to the batter make sure to mix it only until it is fully combined. Don’t keep mixing after this point. The more you beat the batter the more gluten is formed, which can make the cake gummy. It can also make the structure of the cake weaker which can cause it to collapse.
The oven door was opened too soon. We get it, you want to take a look at your creation and check how things are going. But if your cake is not set and you let cool air into the oven it can deflate and may not return to its plump self. Wait until at least 75% of the cooking time has passed before you take a peek. For this recipe that is 30 minutes of unadulterated baking time. I do rotate my cakes in the oven to ensure even colour, but this can be done successfully in the last 25% of the time.

How long does it keep?

Store the lemon and blackberry in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, providing you didn’t add any perishable decorations such as fresh fruit. After that point, it will become drier. You can keep it in the fridge to prolong its lifespan by an extra couple of days, but you may prefer to bring it to room temperature before tucking into a slice.

You can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months. The cake can be frozen whole or in slices. Wrap it in foil and then place it in a freezer-proof container to stop it from getting crushed before it is fully frozen.

Lemon and blackberry cake with slices removed

Ingredients

For a full list of ingredients, with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Plain flour
Baking powder
Sea salt
Unsalted butter, room temperature
Sugar
Vanilla extract
Eggs, room temperature
Whole milk, room temperature
Lemon juice
Fresh blackberries, sliced into 3-4 pieces each

for the glaze…

Icing/confectioners sugar
Lemon juice

equipment…

How to make it

For more detailed instructions, with recipe tips, jump to the printable recipe card.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease the cake tin with butter and line the bottom with parchment/baking paper.
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
In another bowl cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and mix for a further couple of minutes.
Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk, mixing each until only just incorporated.
Add the lemon juice and mix for a final few seconds.
Fold the blackberries into the batter and then spoon into the cake tin, evening the top with a spatula.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Allow to cool before transferring to a wire rack.
Make the icing by mixing the icing sugar and lemon juice together.

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