Blueberry Lemon Cake
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This Blueberry Lemon Cake is bursting with bright summery flavors from the tangy lemon cake and the sweet blueberry frosting. The cake is soft, tender, and has the perfect flat top when baked. The blueberry cream cheese frosting is rich and so fresh tasting! This is the kind of cake that fits perfectly into any spring brunch, summer get togethers, baby showers, or anytime you’re craving a dessert that tastes like summer.
Why You’ll Love This Blueberry Lemon Cake
- Soft, moist lemon cake layers
- Made with fresh lemon juice and zest
- Real blueberries in the frosting that creates a gorgeous purple frosting
- Beautiful spring or summer dessert
Ingredients
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all ingredients and quantities.
Lemons – Fresh lemons are needed for the lemon zest and juice. The lemon zest provides the strongest lemon flavor while the lemon juice boosts the flavor and creates a tender crumb.
Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use soured milk instead. The buttermilk keeps the cake moist and so soft.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda – The leavening agents for the cake.
Yellow Gel Food Coloring – This is only if you want the bright yellow color in your cake.
Fresh Blueberries – The blueberries are cooked to help release the juices and break down the berries. It gives the prettiest color and a great flavor to the frosting.
Cream Cheese – This needs to be at room temperature so it blends into the frosting smoothly. It will give the frosting a slight tanginess.
Powdered Sugar – This is used to sweetene and thicken the frosting. Because there’s a bit of puree and cream cheese in the frosting, it needs a bit of powdered sugar to thicken it enough to hold it’s shape.
Substitutions and Variations
- If fresh blueberries aren’t in season, you can use frozen. Let them thaw first and drain. Leave out the water too.
- Substitute the blueberries for raspberries in the frosting. Use the same technique to break down the raspberries.
- Add fresh blueberries to the cake batter before baking.
- Use lemon cream cheese frosting instead of blueberry frosting.
- Turn the recipe into cupcakes instead of a layer cake.
NOTE: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations
How to Make Blueberry Lemon Cake
Step 1: Cream together the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time.
Step 2: Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
Step 3: Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 4: Cook the blueberries, lemon juice, and water until soft, Strain through a fine mesh sieve and cool completely.
Step 5: Beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and cooled blueberry puree and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
Step 6: Spread the frosting between the cake layers and over the top and sides of the cake. Pipe the remaining frosting on top.
Tips for the Best Results
- Use room temperature butter ingredients for the smoothest batter.
- Don’t skip the lemon zest. It provides most of the lemon flavor.
- Cool the blueberry puree completely before adding it to the frosting.
- Measure the flour carefully to avoid a dense cake.
- Scrape down the bowl often while mixing.
How to Store and Freeze
Store the cake covered in the refirgerator for up to 5 days. For the best flavor and texture, let the slices sit at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes before enjoying.
To freeze the unfrosted cakes, wrap them tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. You can frost them from frozen.
To freeze the frosted cake, freeze individual slices in a freezer container for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge. You can place the whole cake in the freezer on a baking sheet until frozen. Then wrap it tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Remove the wrap and place in a cake container in the fridge overnight to thaw.
Common Cake Mistakes
Dense Cake – This happens when too much flour is added to the batter or the batter is overmixed. I like to “fluff” my flour before measuring it. I will scoop it and sprinkle it back into the container 4 to 6 times before finally measuring it. Once you start adding the eggs, just mix the batter until each ingredient is combined.
Frosting a Warm Cake – Always let the cakes cool completely before frosting or the frosting will melt and the cake layers will slide all over.
Adding Warm Blueberry Puree to the Frosting – Let the puree cool completely to room temperature before mixing it into the frosting. It’s a must unless you want frosting soup.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Thaw and drain them before cooking them into the blueberry puree. I recommend leaving out the water too. They may not need as much time to cook down since they’re frozen.
The blueberry puree may have been too warm or too much puree was added. Try chilling the frosting for 20 to 30 minutes before using it. If that doesn’t work, you can use additional powdered sugar to thicken it.
The cream cheese or butter could have also been too soft. If the butter has no resistance to it when touching it, it’s too soft. You can also pop it back in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to firm it up.
Absolutely! Toss them lightly in flour or cornstarch before folding it into the batter. This will help some to prevent the blueberries from sinking.
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Blueberry Lemon Cake
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Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 to 3 drops yellow gel food coloring, optional
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 7 cups powdered sugar
- fresh blueberry and lemon slices, for garnish
Instructions
Lemon Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms of each pan with a parchment paper round.
- In a medium bowl, add the 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until combined and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl, add the 1 cup unsalted butter. Beat with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extractContinue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.
- Add the 3 large eggs, one at a time and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each egg.
- In a small bowl, add the 1 cup buttermilk and 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and give it a stir.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture to the butter/sugar mixture starting and ending with flour. Add a third of the flour mixture to the bowl of butter/sugar and mix on low speed, then add half of the lemon juice/milk mixture and beat on low until combined. Continuing adding the flour and lemon juice mixture alternately, ending with the flour.
- Stir in the 2 to 3 drops yellow gel food coloring if you’re using it.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and spread out using an angled spatula.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before flipping the cakes out on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a small saucepan, combine the 2 cups fresh blueberries, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water. Place on medium heat and let simmer until the blueberries are mushy and can be easily squished, about 10 minutes.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a medium mixing bowl. Pour the cooked berries into the strainer and use a spatula to push the juices through. Discard any seeds and skins.
- Cool the blueberry puree to room temperature. You should have between 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of blueberry mixture.
- In the bowl to your stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, add the 1 cup unsalted butter and 4 ounces cream cheese. Beat with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer on high speed until smooth.
- Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
- Add 1/3 cup of the blueberry puree and beat until smooth. Continue adding the remaining powdered sugar slowly until you reach the desired consistency, about 5 additional cups.
Assembling the Cake
- Place one of the cooled cakes on a cake plate. If you need to, place a dollop of the frosting on the cake plate to glue the cake and keep it from shifting.
- Spread an even layer of frosting on the top of the first cake about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick.
- Place the second cake on top and lightly press to ensure it will adhere to the bottom layer.
- Add a couple of large dollops of frosting on the top of the cake and begin covering the top and sides of the cake with an even layer of the frosting. I used an angled spatula to even out the sides and top.
- Place the remainder of the frosting in a disposable piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping top.
- Decorate the top with the remaining frosting and top with fresh blueberries and lemon slices.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)