Sticky Lemon Curd Cake (With Blueberries)
on May 04, 2023
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This beautifully easy lemon curd cake is a sticky but not overly sweet loaf cake packed with pockets and swirls of lemon curd and fresh blueberries. It’s moist, buttery and full of tangy lemon flavor – a delicious treat perfect for a brunch gathering, Mother’s Day, or just a lazy afternoon tea.
Why you’ll love it
✔ Perfect for a gathering. Whether it’s for an afternoon tea, picnic, Mother’s day or even a dinner party dessert, you won’t go wrong with this!
✔ A fresh and summery taste. The classic lemon blueberry combination just screams summer, right? The tangy lemon curd and fresh tart blueberries complement the sweetness of the cake perfectly.
✔ Impressive and easy to make. The swirls of lemon curd and blueberries make this cake look impressive, but it’s made with just 8 simple ingredients and is so easy to pull together.
✔ Keeps well. This cake stays moist and delicious for several days, making it a great option for a make-ahead dessert.
✔ A great way to use up leftover lemon curd! Don’t leave it languishing in the pantry…
5* reviews
“This is one of THE most delicious cakes I’ve ever made or eaten. Thank you!!!!” Deb
“This recipe has become a family favorite. So easy to make and absolutely delicious! Will be trying more of your recipes if they are as good as this!!!” Nicola
About the ingredients
Butter: Real (unsalted) butter will give your cake a delicious buttery taste.
Sugar: I usually use caster sugar/superfine sugar, but regular white sugar is fine as well.
Eggs: You’ll need 3 large eggs.
Greek yogurt: I use Greek yogurt a lot in both sweet and savory recipes. I always try to use an authentic brand containing just milk and live cultures. The yogurt adds extra tang, moisture and protein to the cake!
Flour: To make the recipe super easy, I use self-raising flour (Note: NOT self rising flour, which is different). It’s fine to use all-purpose flour + 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder + 3/4 teaspoon salt instead if you don’t have self-raising flour on hand.
A lemon: A small to medium sized lemon which gives you around 2 tablespoons of juice. You’ll add both the juice and zest to the cake batter for plenty of tangy lemon flavor.
Lemon curd: Honestly… any brand will work well! No need to make your own lemon curd. However, if you’d like to try, it’s actually really easy! Check out this 5-ingredient lemon curd recipe from Sally’s Baking Recipes.
Blueberries: I do usually use fresh blueberries in this recipe, but there’s no reason why you can’t use frozen blueberries instead if you like.
Fun fact: Legend has it that lemon curd was invented in the 19th century by some clever English bakers. They wanted to preserve their precious lemons since they could be hard to come by back then. They mixed lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and butter in a top-secret recipe until it magically transformed into the delicious spread with a zingy kick that we know and love today.
How to make a lemon curd cake
The step-by-step guide below should help you make the recipe perfectly first time. Scroll down to the end for the full recipe including ingredient amounts.
All you really need to make this easy lemon curd cake is a big bowl, an electric hand mixer and a loaf pan to bake your cake in. It’s so easy to pull together in a few simple steps!
Firstly, cream the butter and sugar together using a hand held whisk (or stand mixer if you prefer) on a medium speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy (usually 2 to 3 minutes).
Then slowly whisk in the eggs, one by one until well combined.
Next, stir in the yogurt. Then fold through the flour.
Stir in the lemon zest and juice to complete the cake batter.
Then roll the blueberries in a little flour (not essential but helps the blueberries to not sink right to the bottom while baking).
Now the fun begins! Layer up the batter and lemon curd and blueberries in a lined loaf pan.
Don’t worry, it’s simple. Start with half of the cake batter in the bottom of the loaf pan, then swirl half of the lemon curd on top. Finally, add half of the floured blueberries.
Then repeat with a second layer, pressing the second half of the blueberries on top of the cake. See, so easy!
Bake your delicious cake with lemon curd and blueberries for around an hour, or until it has risen well and feels firm when touched. To check if it’s fully cooked, insert a skewer into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean, it’s ready!
Then transfer the cake to a wire rack and let it cool slightly.
You can see what the cake will look like before and after baking in the photo above…
It’s worth the little bit of extra effort to layer the cake. You’ll be rewarded with a moist but at the same time springy and light cake with a slightly crispy, sticky top. Yum!
Helen’s top tips
- Use softened butter so that it’s easier to combine with the sugar. Just take it out of the fridge for a while before you start the recipe.
- As always when making this kind of butter cake batter, once you’ve added the flour only stir until the ingredients are ‘just combined’. If you overmix the cake can become dense and chewy.
How to serve
The very best way to serve this deliciously sticky lemon cake with lemon curd is while still warm and with extra blueberries and a big spoonful of yogurt, whipped cream, ice cream or crème fraiche on top!
If you like, you can serve a little more lemon curd with each cake slice as well. Am I making your mouth water yet? Served this way it makes a perfect dinner party dessert!
To serve any leftovers, you can even warm individual slices up again for a few seconds in the microwave.
Of course, it’s also quite delicious served cold for a snack or catch up with friends with a cup of tea or coffee on the side. One of the great things about this cake is that it keeps well, so you can enjoy it all week (if it lasts that long!).
This really is the best lemon curd cake recipe!
Variations
Not fresh blueberry season? No worries – you can either use frozen blueberries instead, or you can skip the blueberries altogether and just make it a straight lemon cake with lemon curd.
You can also try this cake with different types of fruit which pair well with lemon, such as raspberries or blackberries, or even chopped apple, pineapple or mango.
Lastly, you can try the cake with a fruit jam instead of (or as well as!) lemon curd. Try cherry or raspberry jam!
Recipe FAQs
You can store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. However, after that it’s best to keep it in the fridge. It will keep well in the fridge for up to a week.
Yes! Allow it to cool completely before wrapping well in layers of plastic wrap and aluminium foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, let it defrost at room temperature for a few hours (or in the fridge overnight) before slicing and serving. You can reheat individual slices in the microwave for around 20 seconds to serve warm if you like.
Spread it on toast or scones (try these 3-ingredient lemonade scones). Stir it into yogurt and add some crunchy granola (try this easy low sugar granola!) for a tasty snack. Use it in different dessert recipes such as this mascarpone lemon cake or these lemon bakewell slices. Want more ideas, including cookies and easy no-bake desserts? Check out this list of best desserts using lemon curd!
You might also like
- Fan of easy chocolate desserts? This 6-ingredient kladdkaka recipe (gooey Swedish chocolate cake!) never disappoints, and is sooo easy to make! Or how about these eternally popular 5-minute chocolate pots (only 4 ingredients)?
- Want more lemon cake ideas? If it’s a layer cake you want, try this lemon mascarpone cake. Or how about another loaf cake? Try this super easy 6-ingredient lemon ricotta cake.
- How about a quick and easy cheesecake? Try this baked white chocolate cheesecake (with raspberries!) or this Wagamama copy cat recipe: no-bake ginger and white chocolate cheesecake.
- This orange ricotta cake with chocolate chips is moist, light and super classy, but no one will believe it was so quick and easy to make!
Got lemon curd to use up? Check out this list of best lemon curd dessert recipes!
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Sticky Lemon Curd Cake (With Blueberries)
Ingredients
- 170 grams butter, softened to room temperature
- 130 grams caster sugar, = superfine sugar, or just use regular white sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 115 grams Greek yogurt, plus extra to serve
- 200 grams self-raising flour, Or use plain/all-purpose flour with 1¼ teaspoons baking powder and ¾ teaspoon salt.
- 1 lemon, (zest and juice) small to medium (you should have about 2 tablespoons juice)
- 4 tablespoons lemon curd, plus extra to serve (if you like)
- 120 grams fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 320F/160C (fan oven – increase temp to 355F/180C for a non-fan oven) and line a loaf pan (roughly 9 x 5 inches or 10 x 4 inches, or equivalent) with baking paper.
- Cream together the butter and sugar with a handheld mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Whisk in the eggs one by one on a low speed until well combined. Then stir in the yogurt.
- Fold through the flour until just combined, then stir in the lemon zest and juice. Be careful not to overmix.
- Roll most of the blueberries lightly in flour (this stops them from sinking). Save a few for serving with the baked cake.
- Spoon and level half of the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Then spoon and slightly swirl around half of the lemon curd over it. Scatter some of the blueberries on top.
- Now spoon in and level the rest of the batter. Dot the rest of the lemon curd on top and swirl it a little again, then lightly press in the rest of the floured blueberries.
- Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until it is golden and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the tin for about 10 minutes, then lift onto a cooling rack. Serve when the cake is still slightly warm with a spoonful of Greek yogurt, creme fraiche, ice cream or whipped cream. Add the reserved blueberries on top (and a little more lemon curd if you wish).
Oh I’m excited! One of the my favourite things to make at home is sweet loaves – this one looks fab!
Thank you, Jess, and thanks so much for paying me a visit. I really love these kinds of loaves, too, because they are so easy to make. I sometimes have to stop myself from making yet another one and make something else instead! 🙂
Haha when I saw Alice, my favourite kid’s book ever, I got it!! This cake looks so yummy and perfect to carry to an afternoon tea!
I thought you would all guess it from that one! Glad you liked the cake! 🙂
And a massive thank you goes to the Duchess of Bedford. What better to lift yourself up in the afternoon than nice tea and cakes. I love the freshness of this cake, lemon curd is an absolute must in my cupboard, always.
Lemon curd is something I love but don’t always remember to buy and eat. It’s definitely on my food bucket list to try making some of my own! We definitely do need to thank the Duchess of Bedford, don’t we? The horror of life without afternoon tea!
Ha! I was totally hooked by this post, Helen. I love a little game and fun food trivia! I always watch those history shows that have food anthropologists and I think, HOW DO I GET THAT JOB?? I’ve done afternoon tea in NYC and Victoria, BC and London! Love it. Although, I was younger and my dad took me, so I certainly won’t be doing it again anytime soon unless I come into a big bag of free cash. They do get rather pricy, which is why making your own at home is so perfect!!! More my style, anyways -no dress code 🙂
I am obsessed with lemon curd and will eat it straight-up. Pairing the lemon and blueberries, oh em gee. I am dying for a slice of this for breakfast right now! Perhaps we will be in the same corner of the world sometime in the future and we can have our own little afternoon tea 🙂 Preferably with this cake! Also, I would love to know how to make a real cup of tea. I can brew coffee, but tea is another story!
Ahhh … now you’re tempting me to tell you right now how to make a ‘proper’ cup of tea. Nope, really can’t resist, so here goes …
First of all, there are two ways of making it, in a pot or in a cup. Making it from loose tea leaves in a pot is the best way, of course, but for the sake of moving with the times, I’ll concentrate on the other way 😉 So … you boil the kettle (always to 100% if it’s black tea) and pour your water onto your tea bag which will be there waiting patiently in your cup or mug. You then leave it to infuse for about 3 minutes, take out the tea bag, then add a little bit of milk. I find that a lot of the tea I find when I go abroad isn’t strong enough because it’s meant to be drunk without milk, but a proper English cup of tea is always drunk with milk so I’d advise finding a really good brand of stronger tea, like Twinings.
TMI? Sorry, I got a bit carried away there!
So glad you enjoyed the quiz and YES, if our paths ever cross in real life, we’re going for afternoon tea!
Oh Helen, your afternoon tea sounds so lovely! Consider me slightly jealous 😉 No wonder this got so many oohs and ahhs! It is beautiful! And I’m falling just as hard for this swirled cake as your peanut butter one. I’ve been trying to find the perfect use for the lemon curd in the pantry – a blueberry lemon bread sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, pinned! And hope you are having a fantastic weekend!
Thanks so much for the lovely thoughts, as usual, Mary Frances. I’m definitely getting a bit obsessed with the swirly cakes thing, but they’re really good! I love to really taste certain ingredients, and lemon curd is one of them. Thanks for the pin and I hope you’re having a great weekend, too!
I LOVE lemon curd, and I never would have thought to add it directly to the bread- I just slather it on the already cooked loaf. DEFINITELY doing this!
Hi, Chrissy! So glad you like it. It really did work well putting the lemon curd straight into and onto the bread, so definitely do give it a go and let me know what you think. Hope you are well. I need to come on over and see how your travels are going! 🙂
I love a good afternoon tea, but I think 100 dollars would be my limit! Better yet, I’d love to make my own…starting with this lovely cake!
Even a hundred dollars seems a bit expensive to me, but then I suppose if it was REALLY good and a special treat it would be just about OK. I agree though that the best solution is to make your own … a slice of cake feels more justified when you are eating it as part of a meal rather than after it.
I have an obsession with afternoon tea and have enjoyed many different versions. My latest blog post is in fact my birthday afternoon tea a couple of weeks ago. I thoroughly enjoyed your post and thank you for the recipe. This cake looks so light and the flavours sound perfect. I’m delighted to have stumbled across your lovely blog and I’m now following along!
Hello, Miss B! Every once in a while a comment makes my day, and yours definitely falls into that category! Thanks so much for the compliments and I’ll definitely be heading over to check out your blog, too. I love making friends with bloggers from the UK, too. I’ll be back there in September!
I couldn’t guess until you got to the easier clues. But this bread, OMG, I love it. It looks scrumptious and would go perfect with afternoon tea. Come to think of it, It’s been too long since I’ve been to tea!
Pinned!
Glad you couldn’t guess until the easier clues, Norma … didn’t want to make it too easy now, did I? 😉
So happy you like the cake, too. Maybe I’ve inspired you to have an afternoon tea yourself some time soon!
Afternoon Tea is probably my favourite meal of the day if it’s a good one! This would be the perfect cake 🙂
It is, isn’t it? I think it’s because it speaks ‘free time’ and a special treat rather than just an everyday meal. 🙂