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Blueberry Lemon Cake

This is absolutely the best lemon blueberry cake recipe! It's extremely moist, full of fresh blueberries, filled with homemade blueberry jam and frosted with blueberry lemon cream cheese frosting.
5 from 9 votes
Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Decorating Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 slices

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!

Notes

** The old version of this cake also had lavender in it. If you want to add lavender to the cake, add 1 tablespoon of dry, ground lavender, or 2 teaspoon of lavender extract to the batter when adding in the eggs and lemon zest. 
Keyword 4th of July dessert, blueberry, blueberry cake, blueberry lemob cake, blueberry lemon, layer cake, Lemon, lemon cake, summer cake
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