Lemon Cake with Blueberry Sauce: A Chopping Block Classic

When I first started working at The Chopping Block 20 years ago, the bulk of our curriculum revolved around the Building Block Series. In this series, there were 24 classes, and each menu focused on different skills and techniques. After taking all 24 classes, you would have a solid culinary foundation and the confidence necessary to tackle just about any recipe that came your way.

It’s been a while since we have run our Building Blocks series, but some of the recipes within those sets of classes are just too awesome not to include in our current curriculum. And, seeing that I’m the curriculum developer of The Chopping Block, and familiar with all of our old-school recipes, it gives me great joy to sprinkle in several oldies but goodies along the way. 

Way back when we were running our BB classes, there was one menu that was comprised of Potato Pancakes, Oven Poached Salmon with Dill Hollandaise, Steamed Asparagus and a Lemon Cake. Everything on this menu is extremely delicious, but it’s really the lemon cake that’s the star of the show because it’s just that good. Not a summer goes by without this cake making an appearance in at least one of our classes. 

The original version has pockets of lemon curd baked into the cake, but because I like to utilize fresh berries this time of year, I serve my cake with a drizzle of fresh blueberry sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. Let me tell you… the sweetness of the blueberries and whipped cream is the absolute perfect complement for the tart cake!

The versatility of this cake is another reason why it always makes an appearance in our summer cooking classes. Enjoy a slice with your morning coffee, serve it alongside brunch or for a casual get together, or dress it up with your favorite frosting and impressive candied citrus for an upscale dinner party. 

The cake can be baked in a round cake/pie pan for triangular slices, or baked in a square or rectangular dish for square-shaped pieces. You can also very easily double the recipe to feed a crowd, but if you end up with too much cake leftover, it freezes beautifully. Are you sold yet? 

Lemon Cake with Blueberry Sauce and Whipped Cream

Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe

Yield: 6-8 servings

Active time: 45 minutes

Start to finish: 2 hours (includes cooling time)

For the cake:

2 eggs, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup grapeseed or canola oil

1/2 lemon, zested

1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the blueberry sauce:

1 tablespoon butter

1 pint (12 ounces) blueberries

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 lemon, juiced

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 325º. Butter a pie pan or 8x8-inch square baking dish and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

3. Gradually beat in the oil, zest and juice until well combined.

4. In a separate, small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt to combine.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture slowly and combine well.

6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until springy to the touch and pulling away from the sides of the pan, 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool.

7. While the cake is baking, prepare the blueberry sauce. In a small saucepan combine the butter, blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Set over medium-high heat.

8. Bring up to a low boil and stir gently until the berries soften and release their natural juices, about 10 minutes. The consistency should remain a bit coarse. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

9. While the cake is cooling, whip the cream. In a large, chilled bowl, measure together the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Using a large whisk or an electric mixer, whip the cream until you have soft peaks.

10. Cut the cake into slices or squares, drizzle with the blueberry sauce and top with a dollop of whipped cream.

These past few months have been a time of reflection for me as TCB goes through a big and exciting change. With the Merchandise Mart location closing and Lincoln Square getting a refresh, it’s really important for me to remember where we started, and to keep our Chef Shelley Young’s vision alive through our classes and recipes. It’s critical to keep looking ahead, but remembering where we came from is just as important, and a slice of lemon cake has the power to do just that. 

Learn how to make this cake in our Summer Surf and Turf class coming up in July. 

Yield: 6-8

Author: The Chopping Block

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Lemon Cake with Blueberry Sauce

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 40 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 2 Hour

Ingredients

For the cake

• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup grapeseed or canola oil
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the blueberry sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pint (12 ounces) blueberries
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

For the garnish

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325º. Butter a pie pan or 8x8-inch square baking dish and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Gradually beat in the oil, zest and juice until well combined.
4. In a separate, small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt to combine.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture slowly and combine well.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until springy to the touch and pulling away from the sides of the pan, 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool.
7. While the cake is baking, prepare the blueberry sauce. In a small saucepan combine the butter, blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Set over medium-high heat.
8. Bring up to a low boil and stir gently until the berries soften and release their natural juices, about 10 minutes. The consistency should remain a bit coarse. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
9. While the cake is cooling, whip the cream. In a large, chilled bowl, measure together the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Using a large whisk or an electric mixer, whip the cream until you have soft peaks.
10. Cut the cake into slices or squares, drizzle with the blueberry sauce and top with a dollop of whipped cream.

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