This soft and fluffy lemon blueberry cake is a show-stopper of a dessert. Light and lemony, the ultra-moist cake is perfect with the whipped lemon frosting.

For an unabashed chocolate lover, I can humbly and easily admit that this lemon blueberry cake is one of my very favorite cakes of all time.

I’ve been making it for a couple of years now, and I don’t want to oversell it here, but…it’s absolutely one of the best cakes in the history of ever. Words almost fail me. Almost.

I made it last year to celebrate our sweet neighbor, Carol’s, 72nd birthday.

And then the next week I made another lemon blueberry cake and sent it off for her annual sister’s trip/retreat (cutest group of sisters I have ever met, BTW).

I’ve made it for several baby showers, a couple potlucks throughout spring and summer and one time just because it felt like the right thing to do.

This lemon blueberry cake is a cake for all seasons and all events. I’m telling you, it’s perfect.

And it’s a showstopper every single time.

Looking for a signature dish with which to claim immense popularity? This might be it.

I swear, even lemon and blueberry haters love this cake (true story if you’re talking to my very opinionated 8-year old).

Not only is it refreshingly pretty, it tastes amazing: bright, fresh lemon flavor (in the cake and the frosting) with juicy pops of blueberries and the luscious creaminess of whipped lemon frosting.

The ingredients and instructions for this lemon blueberry cake may look long and daunting but that’s only because I tend to be wordy in situations where I want you to succeed immediately.

In all actuality, it’s a simple cake – it doesn’t even require cake flour which is a beautiful thing.

The tips and tricks I included are for your benefit so take advantage. Or in other words, read through the whole thing before making it.

When it comes to making, baking and frosting layer cakes, a few key pieces of equipment make my life a whole lot easier. {A few Amazon affiliate links included but feel free to shop around for similar items.}

Offset spatula for frosting. I’m not even going to tell you how many of these babies I have in my drawer.

I think cake stands are glorious. However most of the time (especially if I’m transporting the cake), I frost and serve my cakes on an elegant but simple cake plate. The one I have is no longer made but it’s the same brand and is similar to this one. Perfection.

I’ve had the same cake pans for ages and I love them because cakes rarely stick + the sides are straight for more professional looking cakes. They aren’t sold on Amazon but this similar pan has untapered sides and gets great reviews.

No matter what brand you use, I’d recommend lighter color aluminum baking pans (not dark, nonstick pans) with at least 2-inch sides.

For this cake, a zester is indispensable. I have this rasp grater (going on four years now) and it’s inexpensive and fabulous.

I also use a handheld lemon juicer. It’s easier and less messy than pulling out an electric juicer for just a few tablespoons of lemon juice.

And, I think that’s it.

This cake just makes me happy; I hope you love it as much as I do!

One Year Ago: Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup
Two Years Ago: Honey Lime Tilapia
Three Years Ago: Coconut Tres Leches Hot Chocolate

Lemon Blueberry Cake with Whipped Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 9-inch layer cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

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Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (13 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
• 4 large eggs (7 ounces), room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk (storebought or homemade)
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
• 2 cups (12 ounces) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw if frozen)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Whipped Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter, softened to room temperature
• 4 1/2 cups (18 ounces) powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Garnish:

• Fresh lemon slices
• Fresh blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with at least 2-inch sides with parchment paper and coat with nonstick cooking spray (see note above for pan variations). Set aside.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer (or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes (don't cut down the time on this step).
3. Add the eggs and vanilla until well-combined, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined and a few dry streaks remain.
5. Add the buttermilk and lemon juice to the batter, and stir by hand, folding the batter until just combined.
6. In another bowl, toss the blueberries with the 2 tablespoons flour (see note above). Add the blueberries and remnants of flour to the batter and fold in by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon until just-combined. Overmixing may result in a tough, dry cake.
7. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until just baked through. The top will spring back lightly to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs but not wet batter.
8. Let the cakes cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans before turning them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
9. For the frosting, whip the cream cheese and butter together with a handheld electric mixer or with an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix on low speed (so the powdered sugar doesn't fly everywhere) until combined. Increase the speed to medium and mix until creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and whip the frosting until very light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
10. When the cake has cooled completely, place one round on a platter or plate and spread the top evenly with frosting. Place the other cake round upside down on the frosting and press just lightly. Continue frosting with a thin spatula or offset spatula until the top and sides of the cake are evenly frosted. Garnish with blueberries and lemon slices, if desired.
11. This cake, once frosted, lasts very well in the refrigerator for several days (I've made it up to two days in advance before serving). Take it out an hour or two before serving or serve chilled, your choice!

Notes

Lemons: zest the lemon(s) before juicing them (it will cut down on the number of lemons you need to use). Speaking of number of lemons, you'll need about 4-5 lemons for this recipe, plus more if you want to garnish the cake with lemon slices.

Blueberries: as stated in the ingredients list, frozen blueberries work well in this cake. The baked cake is slightly wetter around where the blueberries bake into the cake but it's not too noticeable, in my opinion. Remember not to thaw them first. I've actually noticed that the blueberries don't sink to the bottom of the cake as often with frozen blueberries - I think it's because the flour adheres to the blueberries better, helping them cling to the batter. I've never tried it but I suppose you could try just barely misting fresh blueberries with a bit of water (maybe 1/2 teaspoon max!) before tossing with the flour to help prevent sinkage. To be honest, it doesn't really bother me if the blueberries tend to gravitate toward the bottom of the cake but if you are more particular, there's an idea for you.

Frosting: Also, the frosting makes for thick layers of frosting in between the cake layers and on the top and sides. If you like a little less frosting-to-cake ratio, you could probably cut down the frosting ingredient amounts or just use less and save the rest of the frosting to spread on other goodies.

Pans: I've often spread the batter into 3 8-inch pans (with at least 2-inch sides) but find more often, I simplify and bake it in 2 9-inch layers.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Citrus Zester
• 
  Small Offset Spatula
• 
  9-inch Cake Pan
• 
  Silicone Spatula
• 
  KitchenAid Stand Mixer

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