I wanted to make this cake since it’s summertime! Fresh sweet corn steeped in warm milk, blended and strained into fragrant corn milk that gets folded into a tender, buttery cake batter, served with a vanilla bean cream and jammy blackberry compote that cuts right through the richness. I originally wanted to make a whipped honey brown butter buttercream to go with the corn flavor, which I genuinely think would be an incredible pairing, but I didn’t have any powdered sugar on hand so vanilla bean cream it was. Honestly it still worked really well! Light, cool, and just sweet enough to let the corn cake be the star.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The corn milk — steeping fresh corn kernels in warm whole milk and blending it into the batter is the move that makes this cake taste like actual sweet corn in the best way
• Super tender crumb — the combination of butter, oil, Greek yogurt, and corn milk gives you a moist cake that stays soft for days
• Vanilla bean cream — light, silky, and speckled with real vanilla bean — so much better than heavy frosting against the delicate corn flavor
• Blackberry compote — jammy, slightly tart, and the most beautiful deep purple color against the pale golden cake
• Summer in cake form — fresh corn, fresh blackberries, warm vanilla — it just tastes like the best time of year

Sweet Corn Cake: A Summer Bake Worth the Extra Step

I love all corn flavored things so I wanted to do flavor my cake with it. The corn milk step sounds like extra work but it genuinely makes a difference you can taste and smell from the moment it starts steeping. The original plan was a whipped honey brown butter buttercream which I still think would be an incredible flavor pairing with sweet corn — deeply nutty, caramelized, and rich — and I’m planning to revisit that combination. But not having powdered sugar on hand led me to this vanilla bean cream instead and it was honestly perfect. Cool, light, and fragrant against the warm corn cake with that blackberry compote bringing everything together with a hit of tartness.

Sweet Corn Cake Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 300 g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

Corn Milk

• 4 ears fresh sweet corn
• 1½ cups whole milk

Wet Ingredients

• 113 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 110 g vegetable oil
• 400 g granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 cup Greek yogurt, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp corn extract, optional for extra corn flavor
• 1 cup corn milk, from above

Blackberry Compote

• 500 g frozen blackberries
• 60 g granulated sugar
• 20 g lemon juice

Vanilla Bean Cream

• 700 g heavy cream, cold
• 85 g granulated sugar
• Seeds from 2 vanilla bean pods

The Corn Milk

This is the step that makes this cake what it is. Fresh sweet corn kernels steeped in warm whole milk, blended until smooth, and strained into a rich fragrant corn-infused milk that gets folded into the batter. It sounds like extra effort but it takes maybe 30 minutes including steep time and the payoff is a cake that genuinely tastes like sweet corn — subtle, aromatic, and completely unique.

The Cake

This is a butter and oil cake which gives you the best of both worlds — butter for flavor and oil for moisture. Greek yogurt keeps everything tender and adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness of the corn. The corn extract is optional but if you can find it use it — it amps up that corn flavor and makes the cake taste even more distinctly like sweet corn without being artificial. Add the dry ingredients in two portions and mix only until just combined.

The batter gets divided between 12 three-inch cake rings which gives you individual cakes perfect for plating, but you can absolutely bake this in cupcake pans if you don’t have rings.

The Blackberry Compote

Frozen blackberries work perfectly here and honestly this is one of those cases where frozen is the move — they break down faster and create a more jammy, deeply flavored compote than fresh. The lemon juice brightens everything and keeps the compote from feeling too sweet or heavy. Cook it low and slow until it’s thick, glossy, and the berries have broken down into a rich purple sauce that pools beautifully around the cake.

The Vanilla Bean Cream

Originally this was going to be a whipped honey brown butter buttercream — and I genuinely still think that would be a stunning pairing with sweet corn, deeply nutty and caramelized against the delicate corn flavor. Add it to the list of things to make next time. But not having powdered sugar led me here and the vanilla bean cream was honestly the right call for summer. Cold, light, silky, and flecked with real vanilla bean specks — it melts against the cake in the best way and lets the corn flavor come through without competing with it. Use real vanilla bean pods, not extract — the specks and the fragrance make a difference you’ll notice immediately.

How To Make Sweet Corn Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream and Blackberry Compote

MAKE THE CORN MILK

1. Cut the corn: Slice the kernels off all 4 ears of corn directly into a saucepan. Add the cob as well.
2. Steep: Add 1½ cups whole milk to the pan. Heat over medium heat until just simmering. On lowest heat cover, and steep for 20-30 minutes until the milk is fragrant and slightly golden.
3. Blend and strain: Transfer to a blender and blend thoroughly until completely smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve pressing the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Measure out 1 cup for the cake and set aside to cool.

MAKE THE BLACKBERRY COMPOTE

4. Cook the compote: Combine frozen blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook stirring occasionally until the berries break down and the compote thickens to a jammy glossy consistency, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely — it will thicken further as it cools.

MAKE THE CAKE

5. Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease 12 three-inch cake rings and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Or line a cupcake pan.
6. Whisk dry ingredients: In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Set aside.
7. Cream butter, oil, and sugar: Whisk room temperature butter, vegetable oil, and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
8. Add eggs: Beat in eggs and egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated.
9. Add wet ingredients: Mix in Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and corn extract if using until combined. Add the 1 cup of corn milk and mix until smooth.
10. Add dry ingredients: Add the flour mixture in 2 additions, lightly whisking after each just until combined. Do not overmix — stop as soon as no dry flour remains.
11. Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake rings. Bake for 20-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and cool in the rings for 10 minutes before carefully removing.

MAKE THE VANILLA BEAN CREAM

12. Whip the cream: Combine cold heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds in a chilled bowl. Whip until the cream holds soft to medium peaks — you want it light and silky, not stiff. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

ASSEMBLE

13. Core the cakes: Once the cakes are removed from the rings use a piping tip or cake corer to core out the center of each cake.
14. Fill: Spoon or pipe blackberry compote into the center of each cored cake so the filling is hidden inside.
15. Pipe the cream: Pipe vanilla bean cream on top of each cake. Use the back of a teaspoon to press a small indent into the center of the cream.
16. Finish: Spoon more blackberry compote into the indent on top of the cream so you get a little pool of compote sitting right in the center. Serve immediately.

Storage

• Cake: just the cake with no cream or compote can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days. The crumb stays moist thanks to the oil and yogurt.
• Blackberry compote: refrigerate in a jar for up to 1 week.
• Vanilla bean cream: best made fresh just before serving. If making ahead refrigerate and re-whip briefly before serving to bring it back to the right texture. Holds for up to 1 day in the fridge.
• Assembled plates: store in refrigerator in airtight container for up to 3 days.