Lemon Blueberry Cake with Whipped Lemon Cream Frosting
This lemon blueberry cake is a show stopper! Soft, fluffy and perfectly lemony, the cake is perfection, and the whipped lemon frosting is divine.
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.
Simple Cake Batter
The batter for this lemon blueberry cake is pretty straightforward.
A few things that set it apart are:
- the fresh lemon zest and lemon juice in the batter – YUM
- buttermilk (makes the cake crumb soft and fluffy!)
Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
Fresh OR frozen blueberries can be used in this cake. Don’t thaw the frozen blueberries before using.
Frozen blueberries might make the cake batter slightly wetter and/or slightly blue-hued, but the cake will bake up just fine.
Tossing the blueberries with a bit of flour helps them not to sink while baking. Although whenever I make this cake, some of the blueberries inevitably sink. Don’t panic! The cake tastes great no matter where the blueberries end up.
Subbing in Other Fruits
This cake also works really well with raspberries and blackberries.
Trish in the comments wrote: Wow, Mel! This cake is absolutely fabulous! I tried it with raspberries for a teachers’ luncheon, and it was a hit!
Marilyn says: Since I always have raspberries in the freezer (I have a wonderful raspberry patch) I used them instead! Absolutely yummy! Definitely a hit with the group I made it for!
Whipped Frosting
The frosting for this cake is a lemony whipped cream cheese frosting.
It’s creamy, luscious and divine.
The lemon flavor comes, again, from fresh lemon zest, and also a touch of fresh lemon juice.
A Perfect Cake
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.
Not only is it refreshingly pretty, it tastes amazing: bright, fresh lemon flavor (in the cake and the frosting) with juicy blueberries and that divine whipped lemon frosting.
Many people have made this cake in a 9X13-inch pan as well as baking the batter as cupcakes with great results!
What You Need to Bake This Lemon Blueberry Cake:
- Offset spatula for frosting. These little tools make frosting a cake super easy. I have several in my drawer because I use them all the time.
- I recommend light-colored aluminum baking pans (not dark, nonstick pans) with at least 2-inch sides. These ones are fantastic (with great reviews).
- 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.
What Others are Saying
This cake is a tried-and-true favorite that has stood the test of time. Not just for me but for many of you!
Julie wrote in the comments: I’ve never really liked cake. But this was a HUGE exception. It was so incredible! We used frozen blueberries in the cake batter and fresh on top. Thanks for another outstanding recipe, Mel.
Jenn says: I have never left a comment online before, however I made this cake today and have to report that it is simply amazing! I did not have buttermilk so I substituted heavy cream with teaspoon of lemon juice mixed in. It is delicious!!! I am new to baking/cooking and even “I” pulled it off. Thanks so much for this new family favorite!
Erin commented: This is my “show-stopper” cake when I want to impress people. I make this for easter every year and for guests on special occasions. Favorite cake recipe EVER.
Two Years Ago: My Go-To Fried Rice Recipe {Easy Ham Fried Rice}
Three Years Ago: Salted Caramel Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
Four Years Ago: Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Five Years Ago: Lemon Cream Cheese Crumb Muffins
Six Years Ago: Turkey and Brown Rice Taco Burritos
Seven Years Ago: My Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies
Eight Years Ago: Lemon Drop Sugar Cookie Bars
Nine Years Ago: Candy Apple Pie
Ten Years Ago: Peanut Blossom Cookies
Lemon Blueberry Cake with Whipped Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup (227 g) butter, softened to room temperature (I use salted)
- 1 ¾ cups (371 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 4 large eggs (200 g, out of shell), room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (355 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk (see note)
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice, from about 3 lemons
- 2 cups (340 g) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw if frozen)
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) all-purpose flour
Whipped Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, softened to room temperature (I use salted)
- 4 ½ cups (513 g) powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Garnish:
- Fresh lemon slices
- Fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and coat with nonstick cooking spray. The cake can also be baked in a 9X13-inch pan (metal pan is recommended – if using glass, bake at 325 degrees F). Set aside.
- 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, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until partly combined. Large dry streaks are ok.
- Add the buttermilk and lemon juice to the batter, and stir by hand, folding the batter until just combined.
- In another bowl, toss the blueberries with the 2 tablespoons flour. Add the blueberries and flour to the batter and fold in by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Don't over mix.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pans and bake for 25-35 minutes until the top springs back lightly to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cakes cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans before turning them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. (I don't turn the cake out if baking in a 9X13-inch pan.)
- For the frosting, whip the softened 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 it starts to come together. Increase the speed and mix until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
- 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.
- 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
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (adapted and combined these three recipes: Epicurious, Sally’s Baking Addiction, Cooking Classy)
Recipe originally posted March 2016; updated April 2022 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
Here’s a throwback to 2016 when we made this cake for our sweet neighbor, Carol (who has since passed – we miss her so much! She was like another grandma to my kids 💗).
It doesn’t specify on your lemon blueberry cake with whipped lemon frosting whether I should use salted or unsalted butter could you please tell me what kind of butter I use for both the batter and frosting thank you
I use salted butter
Thank you!! I made this before but couldn’t remember what I determined lol. I made this for a potluck at work and you have no idea how many people asked me how much I would charge to make them one !?!?!! They absolutely loved it! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe
I can’t wait to make this. Today I ate at an old Italian restaurant in Nashville Tennessee named Coco’s. I had a cake like this and it was Heavenly. In searching for a recipe for it I came across your recipe which looks a lot like it! The only thing different was they used the frosting only between the layers and on the top was a crumbly mixture like you would find on a coffee cake. No cinnamon though. If anyone knows how to make the crumbly stuff let me know. Maybe butter, flour and confectioners sugar?
I made this cake a couple of weekends ago. I even designed it like the picture. It was so delicious and everyone praised me for it. I added extra lemon zest to the frosting and it had beautiful specks of yellow throughout it. Thanks so much for the recipe. This recipe is a keeper!
I made this cake for my daughters 8th birthday. I’m not normally a baker, but she wanted a homemade lemon blueberry cake. The cake came out great!! Thanks for your step by step directions. She has already requested the cake for next year!
Hello,
Instead of fresh Blueberries can i use tinned blueberries(which are usually soaked in sugary corn syrup) If yes, since they are soaked in sweet water, should i reduce the amount of sugar in the cake batter?
If the blueberries in the tins are really, really soft (like cooked blueberries) it probably wouldn’t work so well. They need to be pretty dried from excess moisture to work the best.
I made this again, but this time I made it with a cream cheese icing. I made my standard cc frosting version and not yours (I didn’t have heavy cream, and I didn’t feel like measuring anything), but WOWZA what a difference! The lemon glaze I made before turned the cake slightly too sweet and tart. The cream cheese frosting balanced out the tartness of the cake, making every bite perfection. It made it taste like a cheesecake. I trust that your frosting probably makes it even better, but I’m in cake nirvana now and I don’t want to change a thing! 🙂
I took it to a church event and they raved over it. I left with an empty cake carrier. They didn’t eat it all at the event, but everyone wanted a piece to take home! 🙂 I’ve been told that I can bring any flavor of cake I want now.
I made this cake a few months ago and it’s DEEEELISH! Huge hit with my crowd and I’m returning to my bookmark to make it again! It’s fresh, pretty and moist. Thank you times ten!
Cake sure looks awesome. Have to trt this
Curious, some cake mixes include xanthan gum as a thickener. I’ve played with it, with scratch-made cakes and have found that a little of it can prevent items like blueberries from falling to the bottom.
Anyone here care to comment on that?
Sounds interesting, Forrest, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s something to that!
Just made this cake! It was delicious and a huge hit. Check it out on my Instagram: niredier
I had a question about your measurements, the weight and cup measurements seem a little off for your flour. Flour is usually 4 or 4.25 oz per cup, which puts it about 10 to 10.5 oz total, you have it listed as 12.5 oz for 2.5 cups.
I use 5 ounces per cup of flour (that’s how all my recipes are written/tested – same recommendations as Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen). Hope that helps!
I made this cake for Easter and it was awesome! My daughter requested this in cupcake form for her upcoming birthday…do you think it can be adapted for cupcakes?
I believe there are others that have left comments up above saying they made it as cupcakes – I haven’t tried it but think it should work really well!
I made this recipe for a baby shower last week and it was AMAZING! I am now addicted to blueberries and lemon together after trying this and your blueberry muffin recipe! It baked up beautifully and everyone loved it. There were only crumbs left. Thank you so much!
Tried this last night with my husband and it was amazing. Our only comment was we would actually like the cake a little more lemony, any suggestions on how to do this without affecting the batter?
You’d have to experiment a little – maybe adding more lemon juice to the batter? I’m not sure how it would affect the rest of the cake; you might need to compensate with a little bit more flour. Good luck!
I made this on 5/21/2016 in a 13×9 pan. It fit perfectly. I also used a dark nonstick pan. It didn’t get too brown or crunchy at all. Next time I will follow directions and line the pans with parchment — I didn’t lose much cake, but some blueberry juice and and a very thin layer of cake was left in the bottom of the pan. Usually I don’t bother because crisco + flour makes a cake slide right on out. When I took the cake out of the oven, it almost seemed underdone. As it cooled, it firmed up into one of the most moist cakes I have ever made. I used cake flour instead of all purpose, so the crumb was fine and the texture was so silky. I had to make a quick lemon glaze for it because I was a dummy and thought that cream cheese would freeze/thaw well. The fat separated out and the whey almost made it like cottage cheese, so the frosting was delicious but had a weird texture — I threw it out. I can’t wait to try this again with the frosting, I bet it will make it even better!
Oh yeah, all of my blueberries sank. I used fresh ones and tossed them with flour while they were still damp from washing.
Wow, Mel! This cake is absolutely fabulous! I tried it with raspberries for a teachers’ luncheon, and it was a hit! I snitched a piece for myself, and then sadly watched the rest of the cake disappear. So glad they loved it, but I kind of wanted to take some home! Lots of compliments, and I always tell everyone about your site!
Thanks for another amazing recipe! I made this for Mothers Day and everyone loved it! Just the right amount of lemon…delicious!
The frosting was also super soupy for me too… I followed the recipe to a T so I’m not sure went wrong?
Hmmm, I’m not sure why this is a problem since the frosting has always set up when I’ve made it but I’m making it again Tuesday so I’ll keep an eye on it and report back.
Mine was rather thin as well…..looked great until I added in the cream…..may just omit that next time. The recipie is a keeper for sure.
I made this today for my daughter’s birthday!! I have been eyeing this cake for some time now, so I decided I’d make it and see what all the fuss was about!! 😉 Well…it was AMAZING!! Not only did my daughter and our family LOVE IT…the several waitresses at the restaurant we were having her birthday celebration at ALSO kept coming up to me telling me how AMAZING and how GOOD my cake was! Yep, I gotta say, I was one very proud momma!! So, thank you for sharing this awesome cake recipe for us all to enjoy for ever and ever!! My daughter who has always been a chocolate cake lover, now informed me that this cake just might be her absolute favorite from now on!! WOW…that’s huge!!!
But, I have to tell ya, I was really worried about this cake earlier in the day. I baked two 9 inch pans full of this yumminess…( yes, the badder is AMAZING too!! )for 35 minutes. I did the tooth pick check in the center, both came out clean!!! Took the cakes out of the oven, let set for ten minutes, while I cleaned up the kitchen. I then flipped both cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool. A few minutes later I moved the racks to the other side of the counter and when I did, I noticed under one of the cakes some batter had dripped onto the counter!!!! 🙁 I turned it over and about a half dollar size area in the middle was all gooey!! 🙁 HOW did that happen? When I had checked it in the oven with the tooth pick and both cakes were done in the middle and the tooth picks came out clean as a whistle!! So, I didn’t know what to do, so I did what I thought I had to do and put the cake back in the pan and back into the oven for another 8-10. Trying to firm up that middle! It never really did firm up, so I just took it out of the oven and let it cool down. I’m not sure what in the world happened, unless a few blueberries formed a pocket around some of the batter and it shifted or something!! I’ve never had anything like this happen before and I have baked a lot of homemade cakes. Can you please tell me what you think happened? Cuz, I’m definitely gonna make this cake again and I surely don’t want this to happen ever again!
But, like I said in the beginning. Everything worked itself out….not sure HOW…but it did, and the cake was AMAZING!!!
I’m happy this cake was such a hit and happy birthday to your daughter! To be honest, I have no idea what would have caused the gooey center in the cake unless the cake was taken out too early and then it settled in a way that it didn’t firm up even after more baking. Good luck if you try it again!
Mel, I did try it again…and it was absolutely YUMMY just like the first time. I was a little worried since the first time I made it and it came out gooey in the middle ( still can’t figure that one out ) and I put it back in the oven and crossed my fingers it would still be good….AND somehow it worked itself out and it WAS SOOO good!! This time, I baked it a little bit longer…still nervous from the first time. But, no problem this time at all!! I’m thinking the first time, I might have over loaded up on the blueberries a tad to much?? Maybe? This time, I was cautious not to do that and the cake was just perfect!! And, tasted AMAZING! I made it for my girlfriends birthday. She LOVES anything lemon and well….adding blueberries made it even more PERFECT!! She talked about it for days! She took half of it to work and they all raved about it too! SO….yes, we LOVE your cake and thanks to you…it will be ENJOYED by our family and many others for many many years!!
So happy it worked out better!!
So you don’t have to cut the top off the cake before turning upside down?
You don’t usually have to cut the top off before you turn it upside down unless it’s a really curved or lopsided top. Once you flip it upside down, it tends to flatten some anyway. Sometimes the outer edge of that layer doesn’t sit completely against the cake plate and ya gotta push a bit of frosting between the cake and the plate to fill it in. No biggie.
I don’t but it isn’t usually very domed. If it looks uneven, you may want to trim first.
I made this on Sunday and it was delicious! I used frozen blueberries and followed the cake recipe exactly. My frosting was a little runny too, but I just added about 1/2 c. more powdered sugar and a little bit of kosher salt and it was perfect. Our friends who came over for dessert loved it too. Thanks, Mel!
Hi Mel!…I made this cake and it was WONDERFUL!!…I was thinking of using the same recipe but I want to make it vanilla…any tips on do’s and dont’s?…obviously no lemon…do I still use buttermilk?..or just milk??…any help is greatly appreciated
I’d probably just leave out the lemon zest/juice and see how it goes!
Hi Mel & All
I’m thinking of baking for my son’s 2nd birthday party. A pirates themed party. Instead of a thick frosting layer. Could I thicken the frosting and apply a thin layer of frost covering the cake. Then set it in the fridge for a little while and cover the cake with fondant and decorations? Would this work?
Appreciate any advice.
Thanks
Cheers
Caryn
I don’t see why not, Caryn. I don’t work with fondant much so I can’t say 100% but it’s definitely worth a try.
Hi Mel
I’m thinking of baking this for my son’s 2nd birthday. Pirates themed party! Thinking of jazzing the cake up a little. Instead of a thick frosting on the cake, what if I were thicken the frosting and apply a layer of thin frosting all over the cake. Chill the cake in the fridge for a little and a layer of fondant on top. Would this work? Appreciate any advice.
Cheers
Caryn
I just made this cake. The frosting was very loose so I added more sugar hoping it would thicken. I added probably another cup of sugar. It is still too thin. What did I do wrong? I put it in the refrigerator now. I hope it thickens up.
I’m not sure Barbara – did you use light cream cheese? That can make cream cheese frosting much runnier in texture. Also, the cream cheese and butter should be room temperature but not warm at all (just cool room temperature).
I made this cake just a couple weeks ago. I used 9″ round pans, and the cakes were a little flat and dense. My biggest issue was the frosting. It never thickened. I even tried adding more powdered sugar. I decided let it sit in the fridge overnight. The next morning, I found the frosting set well, so I commenced to icing my cakes. As the icing came back to room temp, it became runny again, and puddled around the edges of the cake. Any tips or ideas of why this may have happened? The flavors of both the cake and icing were spot on, so I definitely will try making it again. My husband enjoyed it even though it wasn’t the prettiest cake in the world. lol
Hi Amy – I haven’t had issues with the frosting being this runny – it definitely is a softer frosting (it wouldn’t be suitable for piping roses or anything like that) but it should definitely firm up and not puddle. Did you use light cream cheese? That can make a much runnier frosting; also, the cream cheese and butter should be room temperature but not warm at all. Do you think any of those factors could have made a difference? Also, about the cake, if it was overly dense, that might have been from over mixing or over flouring. I hope it works out if you try it again!
Mel, I need to make this recipe for cupcakes. Have you ever and would I bake the usual heat and time for cupcakes? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it as cupcakes but I believe several people up in the comment thread have so take a look and see what their suggestions are. Good luck!
I made this tonight for our family dinner. We had missionaries join us, and it just happened to be one of their birthdays! They were both THRILLED with the cake and raved about it, as did the rest of the family.
The frosting didn’t turn out very stiff, I’m not sure what I did wrong? But it still spread fairly well and tasted amazing! Thanks!!
Have you ever tried this recipe with strawberries? I wonder if it would work as a strawberry lemonade type cake 🙂
I haven’t but I believe someone (or several someones) commented above about using different fruits.
I made this and took it to a Teacher Appreciation Luncheon today at my daughter’s preschool. It got rave reviews! I mean I had teachers stopping me in the hall asking if I made “the cake.” I felt like a rock star thanks to your step-by-step recipe and tips! Thanks so much!
Is there any reason I couldn’t make this in 2 single layers one for a small luncheon and another for my husband to take to his co-workers??
Do you mean baking them in the 9-inch pans but leaving them as separate cakes? That should work just fine!
I made this cake for a Relief Society birthday dinner last night. These were some of the adjectives that the women used to describe it: delicious, divine, and to die for! I also made some of the batter into mini muffins to send in a mini care package to my college son. They turned out great too!
I made this last weekend for a work get-together and it was a huge hit!! And that frosting is amazing. One question – even though the blueberries were all coated in flour, I still got some color bleed from them when I started stirring them into the batter (I tried to be as gentle as possible.) Does this happen to you also, or should I do something different? In the photo it doesn’t look like your berries bled any color at all.
Hi Rebecca – did you use frozen or fresh blueberries? I haven’t had an issue with color bleed when using fresh but there is a little bit more when using frozen.
Just made this cake. It’s delicious but the cake didn’t rise well. It’s very heavy and flat. The batter was beautifully airy and fluffy but not after baking 🙁 Perhaps the blueberries inhibited the rise? I measured my blueberries by weight (not volume) and it seemed like a lot.
This looks really good, and your explanations are spot on. I’ll be making this soon – thanks!
Just reporting back on using raspberries. They worked great! I also made the frosting using just 8 oz of cream cheese and sort of 2/3 the rest of the ingredients. That also worked great.
2 questions for you Mel: Have you ever tried halving your overnight cinnamon twists and do you still make the dark chocolate ganache brown sugar bars? I know those go way back. Just wondering if you still love them:)
Glad the raspberry version worked great! Yes, I still love those ganache brown sugar bars! And I haven’t tried halving the overnight rolls but I believe several people have in the comments.
I made this for our family’s Easter gathering last night and it did not fail to impress. Everyone loved it. Most comments (beside the groans of pleasure) was that the cake had a perfect amount of lemon flavor. So thank you! My reputation as the rock-star dessert maker in the family still holds true, thanks to you!
p.s. I tried finely misting the fresh blueberries before adding the flour, just to see how well it would suspend them in the batter. It worked rather well. Thanks for the tip!
Made this on Saturday before Easter and brought it to our family gathering. It was DELISH!!! I found it simple to assemble and decorate, yet still looks very pretty. The cake was very moist but a tad dense (however I liked that because it holds up to the frosting well). The frosting is incredible! I’ve made cream cheese frostings before, but adding the 2 T. heavy cream really makes it spread nicely. I couldn’t stop eating the frosting (good thing it makes plenty). I’ll definitely be trying this with raspberries this spring and summer.
I can’t wait to try this cake! It looks so cheerful and tasty!
I took this to an Easter lunch and felt almost guilty fielding so many compliments! ;o) I loved the flavor combination as much as I thought I would – as soon as you posted it, it jumped to the top of my desserts-I-want-to-make-next-time-it’s-not-just-me-eating-them list. I made it in a 9×13 pan (baked about 45 min) and used 2/3 of the frosting recipe, which worked great. Thanks!
Thanks for checking back, Bet, and giving your feedback on the 9X13! So happy this was a success! Take all the compliments, you deserve them!
Any suggestions for all the yummy leftover frosting? Crepes maybe?
Sure, crepes would be yummy – I also use it for sugar cookies and sometimes just on graham crackers.
I just finished frosting this cake and put it in the fridge for tomorrow. The frosting is to die for! In case anyone else is considering cutting down the frosting quantity, I reduced it by 1/4 (8 oz. cream cheese, 6 Tbsp butter, 14 oz. powdered sugar, etc.) and I thought it was perfect. Still a thick layer of frosting between cakes and on top, and I had enough for the sides as well. I’m also making your Sweet Baked Ham for the first time, using my electric pressure cooker. Excited about our Easter menu thanks to you!
Just a quick question… You mentioned only the light non stick pans. All I have is darker nonstick springform pans. You had mentioned not to use the dark non stick pans… Is there a reason why?
Thanks!!!!
I know lots of recipes specify “light” pans and I know there is a reason (not sure what it is), but for the record, I made 1/4 of this recipe and baked it in a cast iron loaf pan lined with parchment paper and it did fine. It was actually my first time baking anything in the cast iron loaf pan – I kept a close eye on how it looked and then tested with a toothpick when the top looked done.
Thanks for the report back, Liz!
I’ve found my cakes don’t get quite as crispy/dark on the edges if I use light pans but it looks like Liz used a dark cast iron pan with great results so I think as long as you keep a close eye on it, the dark pans might work.
Hmm … ok my cast iron cake WAS a bit brown/crispy on the edges. I really liked that, but I can see that maybe for an event cake that might not be desired. I made a half recipe over the weekend and did cupcakes with papers in an aluminum cupcake pan and they were not brown/crispy on the edges. So, I guess if you are going for uniform appearance and texture: light pans.
Hi Mel!
Should I alter the bake time for 3 8 inch pans?Also, instead of parchment paper, will lining the pan with butter then flour be sufficient?
Yes, you probably want to decrease the baking time by several minutes – and as long as the pans are well buttered and floured, it should work fine. Good luck!
This looks delicious – making it tomorrow!! Were the blueberries you used in the photo fresh or frozen?
Fresh.
I’m wondering – when you ask for butter, are you asking for salted or unsalted? I looked through all the comments and no one asked that, so my next question is in recipes when it says “butter” does that always mean salted and if it is unsalted, then it will specifically state that? or the other way around? Thanks!
Hi Meghan – I can only speak for recipes on my blog but whenever I say “butter,” I’m talking about regular, salted butter. I will specify if using unsalted. Hope that helps!
Yes it does. Thank you so much for your reply. I’m making this for Easter!
I took this to a party last night and it was absolutely incredible. My sister was freaking out because she hates cake but loved this so much. No one could believe that it was my first time making it, it was perfect. Thank you so so much Mel!!
Hi Mel, any thoughts on converting to high altitude? I haven’t had a lot of luck with scratch cakes so thought I’d ask. Thanks, I’m addicted to your site!
A lot of times with cakes, adding a few tablespoons more flour (just 1-2) can help with high altitude adjustments.
Great, thanks, trying it for Easter!
Mel! This was utterly AMAZING! My hubby and I have been off sugar for 2 weeks but we needed a cheat and this was PERFECT (albeit not the most subtle of cheats 🙂 It pained me to use all the sugar in the frosting so I omitted half of it and instead whipped a cup of cream and folded that into the frosting instead. DIVINE! Light and fluffy and not overly sweet. The hubs and I had 2 slices the night I made it and then my children inhaled the rest in about 30 seconds the next day. THANK you!! Totally making this again stat!
So happy to hear it, Bonnie – and your creamy changes to the frosting sound delicious!
Hi Mel, I’m in need of your help: I made this cake just last night, but something strange happened. As soon as I added the lemon juice to my batter it all shifted. Instead of a nice, well combined batter I suddenly had this liquid, already risen uncooked batter with speckles. Do you have any idea why this happened? It’s the first time I’ve made a cake with lemon juise and zest .
Hmmm, I honestly don’t know, Allynara. I haven’t experienced that. Did you add the lemon juice with the buttermilk?