Vanilla Pound Cake with Lemon Curd Creme, Blackberries, Blue Berries & Black Plums

This morning, I’m flashing back to one of my all favorite posts.  I remember the day I shot it – Emma was about 4 months old, it was a Saturday morning (back when I would do all of my work on Saturday!) and Mike and Emma watched me while I set up everything on our old porch in Concord with my favorite blue backdrop and old table.  I can’t believe that was 4 years ago – it feels like about 10!

This cake was made in my 6″ round cake pan – which has been restocked, again.  You can use this recipe for my Lemon Pound Cake, or you can use a box white cake mix.  If you are in the mood for chocolate, leave out the lemon curd layer and make a chocolate cake layered with whip cream and berries.  The combinations are endless.  I really just like this idea of a casual, rustic layer cake that is perfect in its imperfections – and unbelievably easy.

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Vanilla Pound Cake with Lemon Curd Creme, Blackberries, Blue Berries & Black Plums

I love assembling desserts.  When I’m entertaining, any shortcuts that result in something scrumptious looking and delicious is welcome in my kitchen.  I set out to make a trifle… but I somehow have misplaced my trifle bowl.  Funny- I don’t think I ever actually used it for a trifle before, but I used it all of the time when I was catering as an elevated bowl for salads, dip, fruit, whatever- and now that I actually need it for a trifle, I can’t find it.  Of course.  I think I even had two from the catering days… multiples of everything.

Anyway, I really wanted to make an elegant, yet slightly rustic and well, sloppily decadent looking dessert.  I decided to make a trifle-looking layer cake with pound cake, lemon curd cream and whipped cream topped with berries.  It turned out beautifully.  I think.

Vanilla Pound Cake with Lemon Curd Cream, Whipped Cream & Berries

6″ Round Cake (6″ cake pan, my lemon recipe here)

Recipe of Lemon Curd

1 pint of Whipping Cream

1/4 cup of Sugar Berries & Fruit

Lemon, zested

Whip the cream with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form.  Add sugar and whip for another 30 seconds.   Slice cake into 3 layers with a serrated knife.  Layer with whipped cream and lemon curd cream between each layer.  Top with whipped cream, berries, fruit and lemon zest.

I bake my cakes with a piece of parchment paper (you can buy here>) cut to the shape of the bottom of my pan.  You can easily use a store-bought pound cake for this ‘assembled’ dessert.  I baked mine because I wanted a round cake that would fit on this cake stand.

A serrated knife is also known as a bread knife – essential for not tearing up your cake.

Put lots of lemon – half of the recipe between each layer!

Big dollops of whipped cream – enough to smoosh over the sides.

Next layer, please…  This is really just silly simple.  I think a cake made in a loaf pan – traditional pound cake – would look great, too.

Pile it on.  The messier the better.

Now the pretty fruit.  You really can’t mess this up – just make it look bountiful, the secret to all great looking food!

Lemon zest adds…

Just the right thing amongst the dark berries.  Isn’t she a beauty?  Wow.  She’s messy and pretty at the same time.  Can I say wow about my own creation?

She looks great, piled high and overflowing, as part of a Mother’s Day Spring table setting.

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