Description
This Blueberry Custard Cake combines a creamy homemade custard with a moist, tender cake base, studded and topped with juicy blueberries. The layers of vanilla-infused custard and lemon-zested cake create a deliciously rich and fresh dessert perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Custard
- 1 1/2 cups full-fat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1/4 cup superfine/caster sugar (divided)
- 1/4 cup (60 g) egg yolks (approximately 4 large eggs)
- 3 1/2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1 cm cubes
Cake Batter
- 1/2 cup superfine/caster sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon zest, finely grated (from 1 large lemon)
- 1 cup plain/all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Toppings
- 250 g (8 oz) blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C fan with the shelf set in the middle.
- Prepare Pan: Grease a 20 cm (8 inch) springform pan with butter and line the base and sides with baking paper to prevent sticking.
- Heat Milk: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk with vanilla bean paste and half of the sugar until hot but not boiling.
- Whisk Egg Yolks: In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar. Then add the cornflour and whisk until smooth.
- Temper Eggs: Slowly add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs and prevent curdling.
- Combine Milk & Eggs: Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and stir to combine.
- Cook Custard: Place the saucepan back on medium heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken, then reduce the heat to low and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes. When you see lazy bubbles forming and bursting on the surface, whisk for 30 seconds more.
- Add Butter: Remove custard from heat and whisk in cold butter cubes until completely smooth. Pour custard into a bowl and cover with cling wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool while preparing the cake batter.
- Make Cake Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: the remaining sugar, canola oil, egg, yogurt, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Divide Batter: Remove 1/3 cup of batter and set aside. Pour the remaining batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface evenly.
- Pre-bake Batter Portion: Pour the reserved 1/3 cup batter into a greased ramekin and bake separately for 25 minutes; this step helps with texture contrast.
- Prepare Custard Topping: Whisk the cooled custard until smooth. Dollop half of the custard around the edges of the batter in the springform pan and spread inwards with an offset knife. Smooth the surface gently.
- Add Blueberries: Scatter half of the blueberries onto the custard layer. Mix the remaining blueberries into the rest of the custard and spread this mixture evenly across the cake, pressing the berries in slightly to flatten the surface.
- Bake Cake: Bake the cake in the oven for 35 minutes.
- Burst Blueberries: Remove the cake from the oven, use two small paring knives to hold a blueberry steady with one knife and burst it with the other, doing this for up to one minute. This releases juices into the cake without overdoing it.
- Finish Baking: Return the cake to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes to complete baking.
- Cool Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan for about 3 hours.
- Chill: Refrigerate the cake, still in the pan, for 12 hours to set.
- Serve: Remove the cake from the springform pan and cut into slices. The cake is best served at room temperature rather than cold from the refrigerator.
Notes
- Use superfine or caster sugar for the custard and batter to create a smoother texture.
- Ensure the egg yolks are well whisked with sugar and cornflour to avoid lumps in custard.
- Tempering the eggs with hot milk is crucial to prevent scrambling.
- Covering the custard with cling wrap touching the surface prevents a skin from forming.
- Baking a small portion of batter separately adds texture contrast to the final cake.
- Be careful not to over-burst the blueberries to keep the cake’s texture intact.
- Allow sufficient cooling and chilling time for the custard cake to set properly.
- Serve at room temperature for best flavor and texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
Keywords: Blueberry Custard Cake, Blueberry Cake, Custard Cake, Summer Dessert, Vanilla Custard, Lemon Zest Cake
