This cake took far too many tests but I will say, the process wasn’t a total loss! Somewhere in the middle of it all, I stumbled onto a lovely one-bowl lemon (NO MIXER!) cake that’s coming to the blog next week, so stay tuned for that.
The issue was simple: a straight, oil-based cake just wasn’t sturdy enough to withstand the jam swirl I was going for. I needed something a little thicker, a little richer. After two more tests on the butter ratios, all I can say is wow. There is a reason I listed this cake as “best bake of my month” on my Instagram. The combination of oil and butter gives this cake the most incredibly moist, rich crumb. It was worth every single test.
The jam swirl is as simple as it sounds: drop spoonfuls over the batter, smooth it out with an offset spatula top with the other half of the batter, and the oven does the rest. It bakes into these gorgeous ribbons of jammy goodness throughout every slice.
How do I get a jam swirl in my cake?
This cake is so much simpler than it looks. After you line your prepared 8×8-inch pan, scoop half the batter in and smooth it out. Then dollop the jam on top and spread it into an even layer, and gently top it with the remaining batte… go slow here, you want that jam layer to stay flat right in the middle of the cake, not get disturbed. It bakes into this gorgeous ribbon of jammy goodness running through every single slice.
Can I swap the jam flavor?
Absolutely. Any jam works here. Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, apricot, fig… whatever you’ve got in the fridge. The lemon cake base plays well with basically everything.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Lemon Blueberry Swirl Snacking Cake
Equipment
- 1 Hand mixer or standmixer
Ingredients
- 1⅔ cups All-purpose flour 197 g
- 1½ tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 14 tbsp 1¾ sticks unsalted butter, softened, 203 g
- ¼ cup vegetable oil 54 g
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup Sour cream 60 g, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 3 lemons
- 3 tablesspoons fresh lemon juice 45 grams
- 1/2 cup blueberry jam
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar 125 grams
- 2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice plus more as needed, 30-45 grams
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8X8 pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, with a hand mixer (or in a standmixer fitted with a paddle attatchment) beat butter, sugar and lemon zest on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3–5.
- With the mixer on low, stream in oil with mixer running. Turn off the mixer and add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in lemon juice, and sour cream. Mix again, then add the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing until just combined. Scoop half the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Spread an even layer of blueberry jam over the batter, then dollop the remaining batter on top — adding it in spoonfuls across the surface makes it much easier to gently spread into an even layer without disturbing the jam underneath. Bake 35–40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, add the confectioner’s sugar and the lemon juice, mix to form a thick glaze and pour on top of the cooled cake. If you wish, you can top with more lemon zest. Let the glaze set before cutting and serving.
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