Lemon Huckleberry Cake with Huckleberry Curd
If you have ever wanted to make a showstopper cake without stressing out about it, lemon huckleberry cake is your answer. It looks like you spent all day on it, but the steps are simple and totally manageable. The homemade curd is what really sets it apart - it takes just 15 minutes on the stove and gives you that gorgeous purple filling that makes everyone ask how you did it.
Recipe Overview: Lemon Huckleberry Cake with Huckleberry Curd
⏱ Prep Time: 1 hour
⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
👥 Serving: 16 slices
🔥 Calories: ~899 kcal per serving
🥣 Main Ingredients: Huckleberries, fresh lemon, cake flour, buttermilk, sour cream, cream cheese, butter.
👌 Difficulty: Moderate - four layers of homemade lemon cake, huckleberry curd, and cream cheese frosting
⭐ Why You'll Love It: This Lemon Huckleberry Cake is bright, fresh, and packed with summer flavor. Tender lemon cake layers are filled with sweet-tart homemade huckleberry curd and finished with creamy lemon cream cheese frosting.
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Table of contents
Huckleberries are one of my favorite ingredients to bake with. We grab them every summer and I love finding new ways to use them before the season is over. This cake started as a way to use up a big batch of fresh huckleberries and it quickly became a family favorite. It was the cake I decided to make for my 36th birthday, which says alot!
If you love baking with huckleberries as much as I do, you have to check out my Huckleberry No Bake Cheesecake - it uses the same gorgeous berry in a totally different way and is just as impressive. Both are on regular rotation in our house once huckleberry season hits.
Key Ingredients
This cake has three components - the huckleberry curd, the lemon cake layers, and the cream cheese frosting. Each one is simple on its own, and together they are something really special. Here are the ingredients worth talking about:
Cake Flour - This gives the cake layers a softer, more tender crumb than all-purpose flour. It is one of those swaps that really makes a difference in the final texture.
Lemon Zest - You will rub the zest directly into the sugar with your hands before mixing. This step releases the oils from the zest and gives you a deeper, more fragrant lemon flavor throughout the cake.
Sour Cream + Buttermilk - This combo keeps the cake super moist and adds just a little tang that balances the sweetness beautifully.
Almond Extract - Just a half teaspoon, but it gives the cake that bakery-style flavor that is hard to put your finger on but impossible to leave out.
Huckleberries - Fresh or frozen both work here. You will cook them down and strain them to get a smooth, silky curd. No seeds, just pure huckleberry flavor. If you don't have access to huckleberries you can swap for wild blueberries for a similar result.
Cream Cheese - The full 16 ounces in the frosting makes it thick, tangy, and so creamy. It is the kind of frosting you want to eat with a spoon.
How to Make Lemon Huckleberry Cake
Step 1: Start here! The curd needs time to cool and set in the fridge while the cake bakes.
Add huckleberries and lemon juice to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes until everything softens and comes together. Mash the berries, then pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
Step 2: In a heavy bottom pan (or double boiler if you don't have one), whisk together the huckleberry mixture, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice. Whisk constantly for 10-15 minutes until the curd thickens to a pudding-like consistency or reaches 170-180 degrees F.
Remove from heat, add the cubed butter, and whisk until melted. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and refrigerate until set.
Step 3: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
Add lemon zest and sugar to a large bowl. Use your hands to rub the zest into the sugar for 2-3 minutes. This step is so worth it - do not skip it!
Step 4: Add room temperature butter and oil. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through.
Add eggs, egg whites, sour cream, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix on low until fully incorporated.
Step 5: In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Add half the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Add buttermilk and lemon juice, then mix. Scrape down the sides and add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
Step 6: Divide evenly between the two pans and bake for 40-45 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: Beat butter and cream cheese together on low speed for 1-2 minutes until they start to come together. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined, then increase to medium and beat for 5-10 minutes until fluffy and smooth. Scrape the bowl a few times as you go.
Cut each cooled cake layer in half horizontally. You will have 4 layers total.
Step 8: Place the first layer on your cake stand. Pipe a border of cream cheese frosting around the edge of the layer, then spoon huckleberry curd into the center. The frosting border acts like a dam to keep the curd from spilling out.
Repeat with the second and third layers.
Place the fourth layer on top and apply a thin crumb coat of frosting all over the cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let everything firm up.
Step 9: Remove from the refrigerator and finish frosting the outside of the cake however you like!
Tips for the Best Results
Rub that zest into the sugar. I know it seems like an extra step but it makes such a big difference in lemon flavor. Give it a solid 2-3 minutes with your hands and you will smell exactly why it matters.
Keep the whisk moving for the curd. The whole time that bowl is over simmering water, you need to be whisking. If you stop, you risk scrambled eggs instead of silky curd. Set a timer and stay with it - 10 to 15 minutes goes fast!
Everything room temperature for the cake. Butter, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, and lemon juice all need to be at room temp. Cold ingredients cause the batter to look lumpy and can affect the final texture.
Don't skip the crumb coat. That thin layer of frosting you put on before chilling is what gives you a clean, smooth finish on the outside. Skipping it means crumbs in your final frosting layer, which is frustrating!
Press plastic wrap directly onto the curd. When you cover it to refrigerate, press the plastic wrap right onto the surface of the curd. This stops a skin from forming on top.
My Lemon Cake with Blueberry Curd uses the same curd technique with blueberries and it is just as gorgeous if you ever want to switch it up.
Lemon Hucklberry Cake FAQs
Can I use frozen huckleberries? Yes! Frozen huckleberries work great for the curd. No need to thaw them first. Just toss them straight into the saucepan and let them cook down.
Can I make any part of this ahead of time? Absolutely. The huckleberry curd can be made up to a week ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator. The cake layers can be baked, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature for up to two days before assembling. The frosting can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, then brought to room temperature and re-whipped before using.
I can't find huckleberries. What can I use instead? Wild blueberries are the closest swap! They have a similar flavor and will give you that beautiful purple color in the curd. I actually have a whole cake built around that swap, my lemon blueberry olive oil cake is a reader favorite.
How do I know when the curd is thick enough? You are looking for a pudding-like consistency. It should coat the back of a spoon and when you run your finger through it, the line should hold. A thermometer reading of 170-180 degrees F is also a reliable guide.
My frosting seems too soft. What do I do? Pop it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes and then re-whip it. Cream cheese frosting can get soft if your ingredients were too warm when you made it. Chilling and re-whipping usually does the trick.
Can I make this as a different cake size? Yes! You can make this in 9-inch pans for slightly thinner layers. Adjust baking time down by about 5 minutes and check early. This batter also works in a 9x13 pan if you want to skip the layering altogether, perfect for a more casual get-together.
Storage
Refrigerator - Store the finished cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Because of the cream cheese frosting and curd filling, this cake needs to stay cold.
Before Serving - Let the cake sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before slicing. This softens the frosting and brings out the best texture in the cake layers.
Freezer - You can freeze unfrosted cake layers wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before assembling.
If you love layered desserts like this one, my lemon cake with blueberry curd and all the other cake recipes on the blog are a great place to keep browsing!
What to Make with Lemon Huckleberry Cake
If you tried this Lemon Huckleberry Cake with Huckleberry Curd or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make sure to start this first. It will need time to cool and set while the cake bakes.
- In a small saucepan add blueberries and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture has come together.
- Mash the huckleberries then pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
- Add 2 inches of water to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.
- To a medium heat safe bowl add the blueberry mixture, eggs, egg yolks, and sugar, and lemon juice. Whisk together and place on top of the saucepan, whisking constantly so you do not cook the eggs. Continue to whisk until the consistency becomes pudding-like (or reached 170-180 degrees F), about 10-15 minutes. Once this consistency is reached, remove from heat and add in butter. Whisk until melted, then cover with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator set.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Grease and flour 2 8-inch cake pans. Set aside.
- Add lemon zest and sugar into a large bowl. Combine the lemon zest into the sugar with your hands for about 2-3 minutes, this helps the lemon flavor really get in there.
- Add in room temperature butter and oil. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Then add eggs, egg whites, sour cream, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix on low until fully incorporated prior to adding more.
- In a small bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix to the wet mixture until just combined. Then add buttermilk and lemon juice until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Divide batter equally between the two pans and bake for 40-45 minutes. You know the cake is baked when a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cakes are cooling make the cream cheese frosting.
- To a large bowl (I like to use my stand mixer for this) add the butter and cream cheese and beat on low speed for about 1-2 minutes or until the mixture begins to come together.
- Then add in the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mixing on low until the mixture comes together then turn up to medium and beat for 5-10 minutes. Until fluffy and smooth. Scraping the bowl a few times during the process.
- Cut each cooled cake layer in half. You will have 4 total layers.
- Place one cake layer onto a cake stand. Add a boarder of cream cheese frosting to the edge of the cake and then add huckleberry curd to the center. You will likely have extra curd, be careful to not eat it all by the spoonful.
- Repeat with the second and third layers.
- Then place the fourth cake layer on top, adding a thin layer of cream cheese frosting to the cake before placing in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This crumb coat will help you get a clean frosting
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator and finish frosting the cake.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour for best texture.
