Lemon Blackberry Bundt Cake

This delicious cake recipe is for a vanilla cake made with sour cream and flavoured with lemon zest and fresh blackberries. After baking, the bundt cake is drizzled with a delicious blackberry and white chocolate glaze for some extra drama.

If you love recipes that highlight fresh berries, then you have to stick around! This Raspberry Vanilla  Layer Cake is the perfect summer birthday cake, and this Strawberry Custard Tart makes a delicious summer dessert.  

Ingredients

To make this delicious vanilla berry bundt cake you will need the simple ingredients listed below. Remember to always use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking.

Unsalted butter – Use room temperature butter for this recipe, and choose unsalted for the best results. 

Caster sugar – This recipe uses superfine sugar for a finer cake texture. 

Cake flour—Use cake flour for this recipe; you can also use all-purpose flour. This recipe can be made using self-raising flour; just omit the baking powder if using this.

Sour cream - Sour cream adds a rich flavor to this butter cake and gives it a moist crumb. Greek yogurt can be used instead if necessary. 

Blackberries—Use fresh, ripe blackberries in the batter and icing. If you can only find frozen blackberries, that’s fine; just use them straight from the freezer. Don’t allow them to thaw. 

White chocolate – Use a plain white chocolate bar or white chocolate chips for this recipe. 

Heavy cream – This is used for the chocolate drip. Choose a heavy cream with about 37% fat. 

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

To make this summer blackberry and lemon cake, follow the simple steps below. Make the white chocolate blackberry glaze while the moist bundt cake is cooling.

Instructions for cake

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and prepare a bundt cake tin with butter and a dusting of flour. 

STEP 2: Add the sugar and lemon zest to a bowl of a stand mixer. Use your fingers to massage the lemon zest into the sugar to release its oils and flavor.

STEP 3: Add the soft butter to the sugar mixture and beat at medium-high speed using a paddle attachment until creamed, about 3 minutes.

STEP 4: With the mixer at medium speed, add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar mixture one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between each addition. Add the vanilla and beat again.

STEP 5: Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the dry and wet ingredients to the cake batter by alternating between them, starting with the flour mixture and ending with the sour cream. Add the berries to the cake batter and mix through using a rubber spatula.

STEP 6: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth over the top with an offset palette knife.

STEP 7: Bake the cake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until it is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in its tin for 20 minutes before turning it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, transfer it onto a cake plate.

Instructions for compote

STEP 1: Add the fresh blackberries, castor sugar, and fresh lemon juice to a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Allow the fruit to soften and the sugar to melt. 

STEP 2: As the compote cooks, the berries will release their water content, which will evaporate, and the filling will thicken. Make sure the raspberry mixture does not catch at the bottom of the pan. Stir occasionally with a spatula and press the fruit against the sides of the saucepan to help it break down if needed.

STEP 3: Once the purée has thickened, remove the filling from the stovetop. Pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass jar or small bowl and set aside. Reserve two tablespoons for the drip and keep the extra for serving.

Instructions for drip

STEP 1: Add the chopped white chocolate and cream to a small bowl. Heat the mixture in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time until melted.

STEP 2: Don't overheat the chocolate mixture. Stir it often with a spatula to help the chocolate melt. If the mixture is overheated, the chocolate will seize, and you will have a coarse, thick texture to the drip.

STEP 3: Remove the chocolate mixture from the stovetop and add the blackberry puree. Stir to combine. 

STEP 4: Pour the melted chocolate sauce over the whole cake, allowing the sauce to drip down the sides. Decorate with fresh blackberries, serve, and enjoy!

Hint: When making the cake batter, make sure you use room-temperature butter; otherwise, creaming the butter and sugar together will be difficult. 

Variations

This recipe celebrates blackberries, but you can make this cake with other berries if you can't find any. Blueberries and raspberries work well. Even using a bag of mixed frozen berries will be great.

I love this purple drip on this recipe—it’s so gorgeous! But if you are short on time, you can skip making the drip and dust the cake with powdered sugar before serving it with a dollop of whipped cream. A simple lemon glaze will also be delicious on this cake. 

Another alternative for decorating this cake is to cover it in buttercream frosting. This recipe for simple Vanilla Buttercream will work well.

Equipment

For this buttery, moist cake, you will need one round bundt cake tin, a cooling rack, and an electric stand or hand mixer.

For the best results, I recommend using an accurate kitchen scale when baking rather than relying on cup measurements. 

Storage

Butter cakes are always best fresh from the oven! But if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days. Be sure to remove any fresh fruit before storing the cake. 

To freeze this cake, cut it into slices, wrap each slice in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to two months. Defrost at room temperature before consuming. 

I love bundt cake recipes because they take the fuss out of decorating cakes. So, if you’re looking for an easy but beautiful cake to serve this summer, this is your cake. It's perfect for Mother's Day, a baby shower, or a cute little garden party. 

If you love this lemon blackberry cake recipe as much as I do, please leave a comment and star review below – I would love to hear from you!

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Happy Baking

With Love,

Kitty