This is absolutely the best lemon blueberry cake recipe! It's easy to make, extremely moist, full of fresh blueberries, filled with homemade blueberry jam and frosted with the best blueberry lemon cream cheese frosting.
If you're looking for other blueberry recipes, check out my blueberry muffins, blueberry cake donuts or blueberry pie!
Why You'll Love This Blueberry Lemon Cake
It's full of blueberry flavor. The cake is filled with homemade blueberry jam, and fresh, juicy blueberries burst into the batter while baking.
It's a super lemony cake. Lemon zest is added to the batter and frosting adding an extra zesty, fresh lemon flavor.
It's an extremely moist cake. The cake has a super moist crumb, and paired with the cream cheese frosting, it just completely melts in your mouth.
Simple Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour- gives this cake the best crumb
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda- helps to leaven the cake and give it its fluffy texture
- Salt- brings out all the flavors in the cake
- Butter- make sure it's softened, used in the cake and cream cheese frosting
- Sugar- granulated white sugar is used to sweeten and add moisture to the cake
- Eggs- make sure they're room temperature
- Buttermilk- helps to make the cake super moist
- Lemon Zest- adds the most lemony flavor to the cake and frosting
- Blueberries- fresh blueberries are folded right into the batter, and used to make the jam filling
- Cream Cheese- I recommend full fat cream cheese for the best tasting cream cheese frosting
- Powdered Sugar- used to sweeten the blueberry lemon cream cheese frosting
Step by Step Instructions
STEP ONE: Add the blueberries to a blender and blend until pureed. Add the blueberry puree, sugar and fresh lemon juice to a pot. Simmer the mixture over medium low heat until thick, about 35-45 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once thick, remove the jam from the heat and allow it to completely cool.
STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside the dry ingredients.
STEP THREE: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and granulated white sugar with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.)
STEP FOUR: Then add in the eggs and lemon zest and mix medium-high speed until smooth, pale in color and slightly fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
STEP FIVE: Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the butter mixture a little at a time, until each has been added completely. Mix on low then medium speed just until the batter is combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
STEP SIX: Add the blueberries to a small bowl and sprinkle a tablespoon of flour over them. Stir to coat the blueberries. This will help the berries not to sink too much to the bottom of the pan.
STEP SEVEN: Gently fold the blueberries into the batter with a rubber spatula.
STEP EIGHT: Evenly distribute the cake batter between the parchment paper lined cake pans. Bake the cakes for 33-36 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.
STEP NINE: To make the cream cheese frosting, add the butter to a large bowl and whip on high speed with an electric mixer until pale in color and fluffy, about 5-10 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.) Then add in the cream cheese and mix on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined, 1-2 minutes. Add in the blueberry jam and mix on medium speed until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, and mix on low then medium-low speed until all is combined together. Lastly add in the lemon zest and mix on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, 1-2 more minutes.
Assembling the Cake Step by Step
For these steps you'll need:
- a cake scraper
- a rotating cake turntable
- an offset spatula
- a piping bag
STEP ONE Filling the Cake Place a dollop of blueberry lemon cream cheese frosting in the center of your cake turntable. Place the first cake layer over it. Then add a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake layer and even it out with your offset spatula, turning the cake table as you go. Add some of the frosting to a piping bag and cut off the tip so you have a half inch opening. Pipe a “border” layer of frosting just on the edges of the cake layer. Make sure the border of frosting is about ½ inch thick and 1 inch high. Then add about ¼ cup of blueberry jam onto the cake layer. Place the next cake layer over top and repeat the step.
STEP TWO Creating a Crumb Coat: Then place the final layer over the top and place small dollops of frosting on the outsides and top of the cake. Even out the frosting as much as possible with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper, scrape the icing across the cake, turning the cake turntable as you go to make this as easy as possible. This layer of frosting ensures the cake's final layer will be free of crumbs. Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.
STEP THREE Final Layer of Frosting: Once the cake has chilled in the fridge, remove it and apply the final coating of frosting. You may need to rewhip the frosting at this point. Apply generous dollops of frosting on the sides and top of the cake and smooth them out with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper even out the frosting, turning the cake turntable as you go, to give you an even coating of frosting. (You may have to do this step twice to make sure the frosting is on thick enough. Chill the cake for 20-30 minutes in-between coats.)
STEP FOUR Decorating the Cake: Top the cake with blueberries and lemon slices, then, serve the cake!
FAQs
Can I use frozen blueberries? I would recommend sticking with fresh blueberries for this cake.
Can I use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour? For this cake, AP flour will really give you the best, most tender crumb. If you want to use cake flour, increase the amount to 2 ½ cups (280 g), as cake flour weighs less than AP flour cup for cup.
Can I use store bought jam? Yes, absolutely!
Does lemon blueberry cake need to be refrigerated? Yes. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. The cake is best enjoyed at room temperature, so for the best taste, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before enjoying. You can also freeze individual pieces by wrapping each in plastic wrap, and then putting them in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.
PRO TIPS
Measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. Instead sprinkle spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams.
Troubleshooting blueberry lemon cream cheese frosting:
- Make sure you really whip the butter until it is pale in color and fluffy, before adding the rest of the ingredients in. This will give you the best, and most fluffy, frosting.
- Make sure your butter is the right temperature, not too cold and not too soft. Usually 30-40 minutes out of the fridge is just right.
- Make sure your cream cheese is cold. This will help the frosting to have a more stable consistency.
- If your frosting gets too warm while assembling the cake, chill it in the fridge for 10-20 minutes. Whip again with an electric mixer to get it back to the right consistency. This is a soft frosting because of the cream cheese so you may need to chill and rewhip a few times while putting the cake together.
Make sure all your wet ingredients for the cake are room temperature. You'll have the best textured cake when the ingredients are room temperature instead of cold. Cold wet ingredients can lead to a "gummy" cake.
If you make this cake please leave a star review! Also, tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other Cake Recipes to Try Next Time
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the Blueberry Jam
- 18 oz (510 g) fresh blueberries
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
For the Blueberry Lemon Cake
- 2 ¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoon (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoon (8 g) lemon zest
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 9 oz (255 g) fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) all-purpose flour (for tossing the blueberries with)
For the Blueberry Lemon Frosting
- ¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (80 g) blueberry jam
- 3 ½ cups (455 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (4 g) lemon zest
Instructions
For the Blueberry Jam
- Add the blueberries to a blender and blend until pureed.18 oz (510 g) fresh blueberries
- Add the blueberry puree, sugar and fresh lemon juice to a large pot.¾ cup (150 g) granulated white sugar, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- Simmer the mixture over medium low heat until thick, about 35-45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Once thick, remove the jam from the heat and allow it to completely cool.
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 6" cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside the dry ingredients.2 ¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and granulated white sugar with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.)10 tablespoon (140 g) unsalted butter, softened, 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
- Then add in the eggs and lemon zest and mix medium-high speed until smooth, pale in color and slightly fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.3 eggs, at room temperature, 2 tablespoon (8 g) lemon zest
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the butter mixture a little at a time, until each has been added completely. Mix on low then medium speed just until the batter is combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- Add the blueberries to a small bowl and sprinkle a tablespoon of flour over them. Stir to coat the blueberries. This will help the berries not to sink too much to the bottom of the pan.9 oz (255 g) fresh blueberries, 1 tablespoon (8 g) all-purpose flour (for tossing the blueberries with)
- Gently fold the blueberries into the batter with a rubber spatula.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for 33-36 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.
For the Frosting
- Add the butter to a large bowl and whip on high speed with an electric mixer until pale in color and fluffy, about 5-10 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.)¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Then add in the cream cheese and mix on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined, 1-2 minutes.4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- Add in the blueberry jam and mix on medium speed until combined.¼ cup (80 g) blueberry jam
- Sift in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, and mix on low then medium-low speed until all is combined together.3 ½ cups (455 g) powdered sugar
- Lastly add in the lemon zest and mix on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, 1-2 more minutes.1 tablespoon (4 g) lemon zest
Assembling the Cake
- Filling the Cake Place a dollop of blueberry lemon cream cheese frosting in the center of your cake turntable. Place the first cake layer over it. Then add a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake layer and even it out with your offset spatula, turning the cake table as you go. Add some of the frosting to a piping bag and cut off the tip so you have a half inch opening. Pipe a “border” layer of frosting just on the edges of the cake layer. Make sure the border of frosting is about ½ inch thick and 1 inch high. Then add about ¼ cup of blueberry jam onto the cake layer. Place the next cake layer over top and repeat the step.
- Creating a Crumb Coat: Then place the final layer over the top and place small dollops of frosting on the outsides and top of the cake. Even out the frosting as much as possible with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper, scrape the icing across the cake, turning the cake turntable as you go to make this as easy as possible. This layer of frosting ensures the cake's final layer will be free of crumbs. Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Final Layer of Frosting: Once the cake has chilled in the fridge, remove it and apply the final coating of frosting. You may need to rewhip the frosting at this point. Apply generous dollops of frosting on the sides and top of the cake and smooth them out with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper even out the frosting, turning the cake turntable as you go, to give you an even coating of frosting. (You may have to do this step twice to make sure the frosting is on thick enough. Chill the cake for 20-30 minutes in-between coats.)
- Decorating the Cake: Top the cake with blueberries and lemon slices, then, serve the cake!
This cake is delicious! I made this for my friends birthday and everyone loved it. I’ll definitely be making it again!
This was so yummy. I turned the recipe into cupcakes instead, and loved that the frosting wasn't super sweet 🙂
Yay! I'm so glad you liked it, and that it worked well as cupcakes!
Delicious
Hi, would this frosting be enough to frosting a 3 layer 9 inch cake or would I need to double the recipe?
Can I use frozen blueberries?
I have not tested with frozen blueberries, but I would think that it would work similarly.
When you called for lemon zest, is it the juice or the peel?
Can you freeze the layers of cake & decorate when thawed?