Double Lemon Cake with Marionberry Compote

May 15, 2023marissamakes
An ombre purple cake decorated with lilac flowers, framed by lilacs in a vase and vintage cutlery.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 4 hours

Serves: 8-10 servings

An ombre purple cake decorated with lilac flowers, framed by lilacs in a vase and vintage cutlery.

This double lemon cake is full of bright flavors that are perfect for springtime. It has a lemon sponge, lemon curd and Marionberry compote filling, and a salted Swiss meringue buttercream to finish. If you aren’t familiar, Marionberries are similar to blackberries, but with a more rounded flavor (in my opinion) that makes them the best for baking. You can find them frozen, and fresh at farmer’s markets a little closer to summertime. The salted buttercream was actually an accident…but let me tell you. It works really nicely to cut the sweetness, and tie together the flavors of the cake without being overpowering. ⁣

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Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps in this recipe. While the components may look daunting, they are all relatively simple to make, and require good time management more than anything. I promise you, this cake is worth the effort.

Spring flavors

This double lemon cake might look small, but it’s packed with big flavors. The classic combination of lemon and berries meets a subtle salty-sweetness in the buttercream that’s absolutely divine. I find that some buttercreams can be cloyingly sweet. This one is light and perfectly balanced with the other bright and sweet flavors in the rest of the cake.

What are marionberries?

Marionberries are a cultivar of blackberries that is considered the “king of blackberries”. The flavor is a bit more complex than your standard grocery store blackberry, with notes of blueberry as well. You can often find them frozen at any time of the year, or at farmer’s markets in the beginning of summer. If you can’t find any near you, fear not! Blackberries will work beautifully in this recipe instead.

Making the compote is easy: everything goes into one pot and cooks for about 5 minutes. The cornstarch helps to thicken the compote to make it a more stable filling.

How to make the best Meyer lemon curd

I love making lemon curd. I think it’s an incredibly easy way to make something incredibly delicious. If you can’t find Meyer lemons where you live, you can of course make the curd with regular lemons. However, you may need to use a few more to get the required amount of juice. Meyer lemons have a slightly sweeter flavor, thinner, deeper colored rind, and very juicy fruit compared to regular lemons. If you can find them, please use them! I promise you’ll be hooked. They’re the best for baking and cooking alike!

Many lemon curd recipes call for the use of a double boiler, or tempering the eggs. I personally do not find either necessary. Lemon curd is very easy to make: everything goes into the pot at once, and it only takes about 10 minutes in total. Make sure you whisk your eggs well before you add them to the pot. To ensure even cooking, continue whisking the entire time the curd is over heat. To guarantee an extra silky smooth lemon curd, simply pass it through a mesh strainer before using.

In this double lemon cake, I added a smidge of cornstarch to the curd to help it thicken. This will help keep the layers nice and stable.

Tips for making this cake

Like I said before, time management is really the biggest factor in this cake. I like to get my filling components going while the cake layers are baking, and then to make the swiss meringue buttercream when the cake layers and fillings are already cool. You can also make all the components 1-2 days ahead of time. Simply refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the cake.

I adjusted my usual lemon curd recipe to require egg yolks only, so that the whites could be used in the swiss meringue buttercream. I find it very annoying when I have a recipe that requires a lot of egg whites or yolks, with no use for the other part. So it’s very convenient that this recipe is no-waste in that regard.

When assembling this lemon cake, make sure everything is room temperature or cold (except the buttercream), and use dowels or long skewers as needed to steady the cake. For each layer with filling, create a thick buttercream dam around the edge so nothing leaks out. Just take your time, and it will come out beautifully!

Tips for making the Swiss meringue buttercream

Swiss meringue buttercream is one of my favorites because it’s not too sweet, and it’s quite stable. It can be a little finicky to make though, but is quite easy once you know the tricks!

Firstly, this buttercream is safe to eat without baking (despite the eggs) because we cook the eggs to 160°F before whipping it into a meringue. It’s very important that the meringue is cool (70°F or cooler) before adding the butter, or the buttercream will go soupy. If this happens, don’t fret! Simply refrigerate the whole bowl for 10 minutes before bringing it back to the mixer. Even though swiss meringue buttercream can be a little temperamental to make, it’s also very easy to fix if things go awry.

If the buttercream gets too stiff, heat it over a double boiler (2 inches of water simmering in a saucepan) for a minute or two before returning to the mixer.

Feel free to color the buttercream however you like (or not). If you want to make an ombre effect, separate the buttercream into three bowls and dye with one dark, one medium, and one light shade as desired.

Tools you’ll need

I recommend using a stand mixer or hand blender for this recipe. For the meringue, it is very helpful to have an instant read or candy thermometer.

I love making small but mighty cakes, so I wrote this recipe to make three 6″ layers. You can bake this cake in three 8″ pans, but the layers will be thinner. To frost this cake, I suggest using an offset spatula and an icing smoother.

How to store this cake

This double lemon cake stores well covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature before enjoying.

I hope you give this Double Lemon Cake with Marionberry Compote a try! Be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see your bakes, and leave me a comment below! Your feedback helps other bakers who are giving this recipe a try, and I love hearing about your bakes!

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Lemon Cake with Marionberry Compote and Lemon Curd

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 4 hours
  • Total time: 4 hours 30 minutes
  • Serves: 8-10 servings

This lemon cake is full of bright flavors that are perfect for springtime. It has a lemon sponge, lemon curd and Marionberry compote filling, and a salted Swiss meringue buttercream to finish.

Ingredients

For the cake layers

  • 360 g all purpose flour , (3 cups)
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 226 g unsalted butter, (1 cup, 2 sticks) room temp
  • 300 g granulated sugar, (1 1/2 cups)
  • 3 large eggs, room temp
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon extract, (optional)
  • 125 g sour cream, (1/2 cup) room temp
  • 118 ml full fat milk or milk of choice, (1/2 cup) room temp
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 80 ml lemon juice, (1/3 cup)

For the marionberry compote

  • 285 g fresh or frozen marionberries, (10 oz, ~2.5 cups) see note for substitutions
  • 100 g granulated sugar
  • squeeze lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with water to make a slurry

For the lemon curd

  • 177 ml lemon juice, (3/4 cup)
  • 6 egg yolks, (save the whites for the swiss meringue buttercream)
  • 150 g granulated white sugar, (3/4 cup)
  • 113 g unsalted butter, (1/2 cup, 1 stick), cold and cut into cubes
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with water to make a slurry
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest

For the salted swiss meringue buttercream

  • 6 egg whites, reserved from the eggs used in the lemon curd
  • 400 g granulated white sugar, (2 cups)
  • 339 g salted butter, (1 1/2 cups, 3 sticks), softened but still cool, cubed
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • food coloring, optional

Method

For the cake layers

  • 1)

    Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Whisk and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and line three (3) 6″ cake pans.

  • 2)

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with electric beaters, cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.

  • 3)

    Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon extract, if using.

  • 4)

    In a spouted mixing cup, combine the milk, sour cream, lemon juice, and zest until you have a uniform mixture. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and sour cream mixture until just combined.

  • 5)

    Divide the batter into the three prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

  • 6)

    Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes before turning out and allowing to cool completely while you prepare the remaining components.

For the marionberry compote

  • 1)

    Combine all the ingredients except for the cornstarch slurry in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the berries start to break down and the mixture is bubbly.

  • 2)

    Cook for about 5 minutes more before stirring in the cornstarch slurry until it is fully combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool fully before using to fill the cake.

For the lemon curd

  • 1)

    Separate the eggs, setting aside the egg whites to be used in the buttercream for this cake. Start with one egg and separate the egg white into a small bowl, and the yolk into another. Transfer the egg white into a large heat proof mixing bowl. Repeat with the remaining 5 eggs. This way, if one egg breaks, you don’t ruin the entire batch.

  • 2)

    Add the lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest, to a medium sized heavy-bodied sauce pan or pot. Beat the egg yolks thoroughly and add to the pot. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken. Make sure to whisk the edges of the pot thoroughly, as this is where the curd has a tendency to burn.

  • 3)

    Once the curd has thickened, add the cornstarch slurry, and whisk thoroughly to combine. Remove from heat.

  • 4)

    Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the lemon curd into a heat-proof container, such as a pyrex, to remove any bits of egg.

  • 5)

    Add the butter, a few cubes at a time, to the container with the hot lemon curd. Stir continuously until all the butter is incorporated. The heat from the curd will melt it into the mixture.

  • 6)

    Cover the lemon curd with cling wrap so that the wrap is touching the surface of the lemon curd and allow to cool fully before using.

For the salted swiss meringue buttercream

  • 1)

    Take your separated egg whites in the large heat proof mixing bowl, and whisk in the sugar. Fill a saucepan with an inch or two of water, and set it over medium low heat until simmering. Place the heat proof bowl with the egg and sugar mixture on top of the simmering pot to create a double boiler: it is important that the bowl does NOT touch the water in the pot, but sits above it. Whisk the mixture until it thins out and becomes frothy on top, all the sugar is dissolved, and the temperature on an instant read thermometer reaches 160°F.

  • 2)

    Transfer the still-hot mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium-high heat until you achieve thick, glossy peaks and the meringue is no longer warm to the touch. This may take a while, around 10-15 minutes. If the meringue does not stiffen by this point, place it in the fridge for 10 minutes and beat again until stiff peaks form.

  • 3)

    If the bowl and/or the meringue still feels warm after you have reached stiff peaks, place the meringue into the fridge in intervals of 10 minutes until everything is cool to the touch. This is crucial so that the butter does not melt.

  • 4)

    When the bowl and the meringue is cool, switch to the paddle attachment and add the butter on medium-high speed, a tablespoon at a time, until fully combined. Turn the mixer down to low and add the vanilla. The buttercream should look silky smooth, fluffy, and thick.

  • 5)

    Add food coloring, as desired. If you’d like to create the ombre effect, divide the buttercream into three bowls, and add varying intensities of the color of your choice.

Assemble the cake

  • 1)

    Level out your cake layers as needed, and secure the bottom layer of the lemon cake on a cake board or cakestand with a little bit of buttercream.

  • 2)

    Pipe a border dam of buttercream around the edge of the first layer of cake, then add about 1/4 cup of lemon curd across the cake layer. Top the middle with a few tablespoons of marionberry compote.

  • 3)

    Place the next cake layer on top of the first and repeat the process. Add cake dowels or skewers as needed to stabilize the cake.

  • 4)

    Once all the layers are added, frost with a thin crumb coat of the middle color of the buttercream. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up.

  • 5)

    Add another layer of buttercream, this time putting the darkest color at the bottom, medium color in the middle, and lightest color at the top, if creating the ombre effect.

  • 6)

    Chill before serving. Serve with additional marionberry compote and lemon curd.

  • 7)

    Store any leftovers wrapped well in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

If you can’t find marionberries, blackberries work delightfully.

This recipe makes extra compote and extra lemon curd. Serve alongside the cake for extra indulgence, or save to enjoy with your breakfast, or as an ice cream topping.

If your swiss meringue buttercream is too thin after adding the butter, refrigerate in increments of 10 minutes before bringing it back to the mixer. If it’s too thick after adding the butter, let it warm up for a couple minutes over the double boiler before mixing again.

Cake and swiss meringue buttercream recipes adapted from Sally’s Baking Blog.

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