Lemon Poke Cake
Serves 16
45 mins prep
30 mins cook
75 mins total
My from scratch lemon poke cake is soft, moist, and very lemoney. Instead of a classic lemon jello, it has pockets of gooey tangy lemon curd and topped with an airy whipped cream for a more sophisticated twist. I also infused the cake and cream with optional chamomile tea - giving the cake a warm, comforting chamomile flavor. It's an easy cake to make that packs a lemoney punch and is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Lemon Cake
Lemon Curd
Chamomile whipped cream
Lemon Cake
Preheat the oven to 190°C (355°F). Grease the bottom and sides of a 8" by 12" baking pan or shallow dutch oven with a bit of butter.
Rub sugar, lemon zest, and chamomile tea with your fingers until fragrant.
cup granulated sugar
lemons
tbsp chamomile tea
Add butter, oil, and salt. Mix together until light and fluffy.
cup unsalted butter
cup olive oil
tsp sea salt
Add eggs one at a time, blending well between each egg. Add vanilla, lemon juice, sour cream, and buttermilk and blend.
large eggs
tbsp pure vanilla extract
cup lemon juice
cup sour cream
cup buttermilk
Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into the wet ingredients. Mix gently just until it forms a batter.
cup all purpose flour
tsp baking soda
tbsp baking powder
Transfer the batter into the baking pan and smooth the top. Bake for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Lemon curd
Combine eggs, yolks, and sugar in the saucier. Stir or whisk together to break up the eggs.
large eggs
large egg yolks
cup granulated sugar
Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Stir together.
cup lemon juice
large lemons
tsp sea salt
Place the saucier on low heat and bring the curd mixture to a simmer - stirring constantly. Cook until bubbling and thickened.
Add butter, stir until smooth, and let it cool completely.
cup unsalted butter
Whipped cream
Combine the cream and chamomile in the saucier and heat on low heat until it starts to steam. Immediately remove from heat and let steep and cool for 10 minutes. Strain the chamomile out of the cream and chill the cream in the fridge completely.
cup heavy whipping cream
tbsp chamomile tea
When you're ready to top the cake, combine the steeped cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and whip until stiff peaks.
cup powdered sugar
tsp vanilla extract
Assembly
Poke the back of a spatula into the cooled cake, pushing gently almost all the way to the bottom.
Pour most of the lemon curd on top of the cake, reserving about ¼ cup for swirling on top.
Top with the whipped cream and spread it out to the edges.
Swirl with reserved lemon curd. Poke chamomile flowers on top right before serving. Store covered in the fridge.