Lemon raspberry cream puff cake – with vanilla custard, lemon curd, raspberry jam, and a cream puff as the cake.
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lemon raspberry cream puff cake
Hello hello! It’s officially spring and lemon and raspberry are my absolute favorite spring flavors, which is exactly why they’re here in this cake today. This is very similar to my lemon raspberry cream puff ice cream cake, except it’s made with vanilla custard instead of ice cream. If you’re in the middle of summer or it’s just super hot where you are, you might opt for that cake instead. Buuut if you’re just craving some fresh spring flavors and not ice cream, you should choose this cake.
We’ve got a giant cream puff acting as our cake, a rich vanilla custard that’s beaten with butter to make it thick and rich (this is also known as a crème mousseline or German buttercream if you want to get technical), homemade sharp lemon curd, and raspberry jam. This is also known as a Karpatka, one of my favorite Polish desserts, which is typically only filled with crème mousseline.
The only thing special you’ll need is a 7″ springform pan – you can find the one I used here. But other than that, this cake is super easy to make. So let’s get into it! 🙂
why you’ll love this lemon raspberry giant cream puff cake
- Choux pastry: a super delicious alternative to cake that’s easier to make than it might seem.
- Lemon & raspberry: a classic and delicious combo that’s perfectly light & tart for spring.
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
TRY TO AVOID METAL UTENSILS WHEN MAKING THE CURD
It’s possible for the curd to take on a metallic taste if you are using a metal bowl or whisk, so to be safe I would recommend staying away from those when making the curd.
LINE THE CAKE PAN WITH PLASTIC WRAP WHEN ASSEMBLING:
When it’s time to assemble the cake, I *strongly* recommend lining the pan with plastic wrap so that it’s much easier to get your cake out when it’s time to eat it.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for lemon raspberry cream puff cake –
vanilla custard:
- Egg yolks: thickens the custard and emulsifies it.
- Granulated sugar: for sweetness.
- Cornstarch: also helps to thicken the custard.
- Salt: to balance and bring out the flavors of the custard.
- Whole milk: for richness, the bulk of the custard.
- Unsalted butter: for richness and for beating with the custard. You can use salted butter here as well.
- Vanilla bean paste: or vanilla extract, for flavor.
Choux pastry:
- Whole milk: adds some richness and softness to the dough.
- Water: for moisture
- Unsalted butter: for richness, tenderness, and flavor. You can use salted butter here, just be sure to omit the extra salt from the dough. You’ll also need a little bit to brush on top of the choux pastry before baking it.
- Granulated sugar: just a tiny bit for a touch of sweetness.
- Salt: to balance and bring out the flavor of the dough.
- All-purpose flour: for structure.
- Egg: for binding the dough together and for richness.
HOMEMADE LEMON CURD & jam:
You can use store-bought lemon curd, but this lemon curd is super easy to make and has more flavor (in my opinion) than store bought.
- Egg: thickens up the curd. We’ll use a whole egg here so you don’t have to worry about having extra egg whites!
- Granulated sugar: to sweeten and thicken up the curd.
- Lemon: the star of the show – we’ll be using both the zest and the juice for maximum flavor.
- Salt: a bit of salt helps with the flavor and sweetness of the curd.
- Unsalted butter: helps thicken the curd and make it creamy. You can substitute in salted butter here, just be sure to omit the extra salt from the curd.
- Raspberry jam: use your favorite raspberry jam or raspberry preserves here – no need to make your own.
lemon raspberry cream puff cake
recipe q&a
can i use a different flavored jam?
Definitely! You could use blueberry, strawberry, or blackberry in place of the raspberry jam.
can I make a different flavored curd?
Definitely! You could replace the lemon with orange or lime if desired.
Can I bake this cake in a different sized pan?
I would not recommend baking this in a pan bigger than 7″ as the choux pastry is already spread pretty thin in the 7″ springform.
can I make the components ahead of time?
Yes! You can make the lemon curd and vanilla custard up to 3 days in advance and keep them stored in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
how to store cream puff cake
The cake will need to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Lemon Raspberry Cream Puff Cake
Ingredients
Vanilla Custard
- 3 egg yolks
- 100 g granulated sugar (½ c.)
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 16 g cornstarch (2 tbsp.)
- 340 g whole milk (1 ½ c.)
- 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
- 184 g unsalted butter room temperature (¾ c. + 1 tbsp.)
Choux Pastry
- 60 g whole milk (2 oz.)
- 100 g water (3 ⅓ oz.)
- 85 g unsalted butter sliced (6 tbsp.)
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 90 g all purpose flour (¾ c.)
- 150 g egg room temperature (~3 large eggs)
- 14 g unsalted butter (1 tbsp.)
Lemon Curd & Raspberry Jam
- 35 g unsalted butter room temperature (2 ½ tbsp.)
- 1 egg
- 50 g granulated sugar (¼ c.)
- zest of 1 large lemon
- 50 g freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 ⅔ oz.)
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 120 g raspberry jam* (½ c.)
Instructions
Vanilla Custard
- Start by making the vanilla custard. Add the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and cornstarch to a small mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Add the milk to a medium-sized saucepan and set it over medium heat. Stir occasionally until it comes to a simmer.
- While constantly whisking the egg mixture, slowly stream in about half of the hot milk mixture. Then, pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan and put it back over medium heat.
- Constantly whisk the custard until it thickens, then whisk it for an additional 30 seconds. Remove the custard from the heat and mix in the vanilla bean paste and 14g (1 tbsp.) of butter until the mixture is cohesive and smooth.
- Transfer the custard to another bowl and press plastic wrap directly on top of the custard, then place it in the fridge to chill.
Choux Pastry
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ / 220℃. Line the bottom and sides of two 7” springform pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt to a medium-sized saucepan. Set the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to boil.
- Once boiling, vigorously mix in the flour until the mixture thickens and clumps up into one cohesive dough. Continue to cook the mixture, continuously mixing, for one more minute.
- Remove the dough from the heat and transfer it into a medium sized mixing bowl. Set the dough aside to cool down for 5-10 minutes, until the dough temperature is around 120℉ / 50℃ (or just not too hot to touch.)
- While the dough is cooling down, whisk your eggs together in a small bowl.
- Once the dough has slightly cooled, slowly beat the whisked eggs into the dough. Have a stand mixer or hand mixer running, and slowly stream in 1/4 of the egg mixture. Beat for ~30 seconds, then beat in another 1/4 of the mixture. Continue until you’ve used up all of the egg, then beat the dough for another minute.
- Split the dough between the two lined springform pans. Spread the dough into an even layer. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to form little swoops to make the top of the dough uneven.
- Melt 1 tbsp. of butter and brush it over the pastry.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 375℉ / 190℃. Bake for another 18-20 minutes, until the top of the pastry is golden brown. Turn off the oven and crack the oven door. Leave the pastry in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove it and let it cool to room temperature.
- While the pastry is baking, start on the lemon curd.
Lemon Curd
- Cube the butter, then place it into a small mixing bowl. Place a fine mesh sieve over the butter and set it aside.
- Add the egg, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt to a medium sized saucpan. Whisk the mixture vigorously until it's smooth.
- Place the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens (~3-5 min.)
- Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it through the fine mesh sieve over the butter. Mix together the curd and butter until the butter has completely melted, then set the curd in the fridge.
Filling / Assembly
- Finish making the vanilla custard. With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 2-3 minutes, until it's light and fluffy.
- While beating the butter, slowly add in dollops of the custard** until you have used it all up. Beat the mixture for an additional 2 minutes.
- Choose the choux pastry that is more flat on top, and slightly press down on it in the springform pan it was baked in.
- Top the pastry with ½ of the custard, followed by dollops of all of the lemon curd and raspberry jam. Top it off with the remaining custard, then use a knife to gently swirl the custard, curd, and jam together.
- Place the other pastry on top of the fillings, cover the whole thing with plastic wrap, then place it in the fridge to firm up for at least one hour.
- Remove the cream puff cake from the fridge, generously dust it with powdered sugar, top it with fresh raspberries (optional), then slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.
