“I made this blueberry lemon cake for a very special person’s 60th birthday, and it was a hit all around! It’s a very lemony, truly delicious cake, and actually quite simple to make. Thank you for this stand-out recipe!” ~Kristin
blueberry lemon cake combines two of my favorite flavors
My blueberry lemon cake is a vibrant layer cake recipe bursting with juicy berries and fresh lemon. It makes a wonderfully unique birthday cake, and I’ve yet to meet a soul who can resist this fabulous dessert. Lemon paired with berries is a natural for spring and summer desserts because the flavors are light and bright. The fruity combo has a cult following, something special happens when the two get together that drives us wild.
This fan favorite cake joins lots of other lemon/berry desserts on the site ~
ingredients for blueberry lemon cake
- cake flour ~ I love the tender texture that you get with cake flour, but you can substitute all purpose flour as well.
- sugar
- fresh lemon
- butter
- buttermilk
- eggs
- fresh blueberries
- confectioner’s sugar
- baking powder and salt
a simple lemon sugar is the secret to fantastic flavor in this recipe
I give the lemon and blueberries equal billing in this recipe; I’ve used almost an entire pint of berries in the cake batter, but that’s balanced by the use of a unique lemon infused sugar, as well as a super tangy lemon buttercream frosting to tie it all together.
- I make lemon sugar by processing granulated sugar with the zest of lemon, and the result is an aromatic, super lemony sugar that gives a vibrancy to cakes, and other baked goods like nothing else.
ideas for decorating this blueberry lemon cake
There are lots of ways to garnish this cake, all of them gorgeous. Of course you can leave it plain, but why?
- You might decorate the top with edible flowers ~ purple pansies would be perfect.
- You could simply mound fresh blueberries in the center, accented with fine strips of lemon zest. A shower of powdered sugar helps define the berries and make them pop.
- You could also do it like I did but substitute small mint leaves for the thyme. I think it would be really nice to slice some of the berries in half crosswise to show off their beautiful interiors. If you do this, slice them just before serving.
how to bake a fluffy blueberry lemon cake every time
You can see the lovely fluffy crumb of the cake in the photos…I’m a stickler for that texture in cakes. This recipe gives you the light fluffy result of a boxed mix, with the flavor and character that only a homemade cake can give.
- Preheat your oven, this is important! The oven has to be at temperature when you slide your cake in or it won’t rise properly. I use an inexpensive oven thermometer to double check the temperature. Did you know that the majority of ovens do not run true to temperature?? That can spell disaster for baking.
- Make sure you prep your pans with butter, flour, and a round of parchment paper at the bottom, and do this first, so you can bake your cake immediately after you’ve mixed it. Just trace the bottom of the pan on a piece of parchment to get the right size. You can also buy inexpensive packs of ready made parchment circles on Amazon, in any size, and they’re super handy.
- Follow the recipe. It sounds silly, but it makes a difference…baking is a complex chemical process and cake recipes are carefully composed. Changes are risky.
- A stand mixer or electric beater is important when making cakes because you’ll need it for creaming the butter and sugar together. Make sure to beat for the correct amount of time, don’t skip or skimp on this step. You’re insuring a light fluffy cake by beating in all that lovely air.
- Your ingredients should be at room temperature, especially the butter and eggs. That helps them to emulsify together and create a smooth batter.
- Don’t open the oven to check on your cakes during the first 2/3 of the baking time. If you need to check or rearrange your cake pans, do it quickly so you don’t lose precious oven heat.
- The cake is done when it springs back lightly when touched in the center, when it has just started pulling away from the sides of the pan, and when a toothpick inserted in the deepest part comes out without wet batter on it. Don’t over bake.
tips for storage and baking ahead
- This simple blueberry lemon cake comes together quickly, and when I’m pressed for time I’ll make the cake layers ahead and frost it later that day, or even the next day.
- The cake can stay out on the counter for a day, but after that should be refrigerated, if you have any left, that is!
Blueberry Lemon Cake
Blueberry Lemon Cake is a vibrant layer cake bursting with juicy berries and fresh lemon, topped off with a tangy lemon buttercream frosting.
Servings: 16 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups cake flour (you can use regular flour)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- zest of 1 lemon, peeled with a vegetable peeler (no white pith)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 jumbo or 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp lemon paste, optional
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 pint blueberries
lemon buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 cups confectioner's sugar
- 6-8 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
garnish
- blueberries
- thyme sprigs
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, putting a round of parchment paper at the bottom of each one.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
- Put the sugar and lemon zest into a food processor and process until moist, pale yellow, and no large pieces of zest remain. This will take under a minute.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer for 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the machine as necessary.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between each addition. Beat in the lemon paste, if you’re using it.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture, and just before it’s completely mixed in, add the buttermilk and lemon juice. Blend until combined, but don’t over-mix. I like to finish by hand to get everything incorporated.
- Gently fold in the blueberries. Note: I didn’t use quite the whole pint. Then divide the batter equally between the two prepared pans. Spread out to an even layer.
- Bake the cakes in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes, or until just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, the top springs back when touched, and a toothpick comes out without any wet batter on it (moist crumbs are fine.)
- Let the cakes cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans and continue to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat the soft butter and sugar together, gradually adding enough lemon juice to create a creamy spreadable frosting. If it is too thick, add more lemon juice, and if it is too thin, add a little more sifted sugar.
- Frost the cake and then decorate as you like.
Nutrition
Calories: 589 kcal · Carbohydrates: 90 g · Protein: 5 g · Fat: 25 g · Saturated Fat: 15 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 93 mg · Sodium: 106 mg · Potassium: 173 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 70 g · Vitamin A: 795 IU · Vitamin C: 7 mg · Calcium: 68 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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I made this great tasting cake for a small group wedding celebration and everyone really enjoyed it. The flavor of the blueberry & lemon was wonderful. I followed the recipe but I did not have lemon paste to use. I refrigerated the 2 layers after letting them cool overnight, then frosted the cake the next morning and refrigerated it until I was ready to serve it. I would definitely make this again!
Sue, can I use frozen wild blueberries?
Yes, and yum!
This looks divine! I’d like to make this cake ahead of time but am trying to determine what the best method is. If I make this cake the night before, should it be refrigerated? Or is it best to make the cake layers the night before then frost the day of? If so, can the unfrosted cake layers stay at room temperature or should these be refrigerated too? Thank you!
I like the idea of making cake layers ahead. Cool them completely, wrap in plastic and leave on the counter or in the fridge overnight. Frost the next day. The frosted cake can be kept at room temperature or refrigerated, your choice.
Hi Sue,
Your cake is gorgeous and it looks absolutely delicious. Can I substituted buttermilk for sour cream?
Cindy.
Yes, I do those kind of substitutions all the time with cakes like these.
Any modifications for cupcakes?
No, but this cake will make more of a blueberry ‘muffin’ texture than a cupcake.
Hi! With cake flour and buttermilk and levener, I would assume that the crumb is very fine, tender and light. I guess that Im thrown off by the “blueberry muffin” comment. Can you explain? I was hoping to make cupcakes with this recipe this wknd. Thx!
Hi Sue, This recipe is amazing…like all your others. I’m commenting on the buttermilk questions. Like so many of your readers I have thrown out so much buttermilk over the years, but not any more. I measure mine out into one cup servings pour into a ziplock bag -label each bag and freeze it for a future use. Now I always have buttermilk for waffles/pancakes, muffins & this delicious cake. If I think ahead, I’ll let it thaw in the fridge overnight but mostly I just let it thaw in warm water before adding it to my recipe. No more wasted buttermilk in my house!
Great tip Lucy, thanks!
Making it as we speak. How do you store completed cake?
My husband loves it, already ate the cake batter out of the bowl !
Personally I like to keep cakes on the counter unless the frosting is made with cream cheese or something that can’t safely be left out. This cake can be refrigerated, too, though, if you prefer.
Sue, in the directions for the frosting you tell us to beat together the soft butter and sugar. Then you tell us if the frosting is too thin to add a little more sifted sugar. But it’s not clear if the sugar beat together with the butter was to be sifted. Would you clarify this for me? I want to make sure the frosting turns out as good as yours.
You don’t have to sift it to begin with, although you can. When I add extra sugar, though, I do sift it in because any lumps will be harder to get out at the end. Does that make sense?
Sue, yes, it does make total sense. Thanks for your reply.
Hi, I wanted to make this recipe and I was wondering if you could also do it in 6″ cake pans and make it a 3 layer cake?
I haven’t tried that but it should work fine. These layers aren’t super thick, but there should be enough batter for 3 6 inch pans. They will probably cook in less than 20 minutes.
Hi Sue,
This cake is gorgeous!! I can’t wait to try it. One question though…I have never heard of lemon paste. what is it, and what will it do for the flavor of the cake, since you list it as optional.
Lemon paste is a thick lemon extract, I link to it in the recipe, here. You can also use lemon extract, if you have that, but you’d only use a teaspoon.