This better-than-ever lemon blueberry layer cake is bursting with sunshine-sweet taste and crammed with juicy berries in each chunk. Its tender, moist crumb is completely balanced with a shiny, zesty lemon taste. Completed with a wealthy and creamy cream cheese frosting, this can be a delightfully recent and luscious dessert that’s good for spring and summertime.
I initially revealed this recipe in 2014 and have made a number of small updates to supply a lighter, softer cake with simply as a lot unimaginable taste.
This cake has turn into one among my favourite spring dessert recipes and Easter dessert recipes—and for good causes. It boasts a shiny, superior lemon taste; bursts with blueberries in each single chunk; has a superbly tender crumb; and is completed with a tangy cream cheese frosting that ties all of it collectively.
I initially revealed the recipe in 2014, however after receiving blended suggestions through the years, I knew it wasn’t fairly good but. Whereas many readers beloved the flavour and appreciated the denser-style crumb, others merely discovered it too heavy.
Once I see a sample of critiques with considerations over the identical factor, I’ll revisit the recipe and check out making numerous tweaks till I’m assured I’ve mounted the problems. After experimenting a number of variations of immediately’s cake, my crew and I found 3 small tweaks that made an enormous distinction within the cake’s texture. The end result? A softer, lighter crumb whereas retaining the entire identical sunshine-sweet taste.
The up to date recipe is beneath, with the sooner model within the Notes—simply in case you really liked the unique!
3 Small Recipe Updates = Spectacular Adjustments
- Sub in some oil: The recipe initially known as for 1 cup of butter. Whereas creaming butter with sugar produces a comfortable, ethereal base for desserts and cupcakes, if the opposite substances within the batter are additionally heavy (buttermilk, flour, eggs), an excessive amount of butter will merely weigh every thing down. I eliminated half of the butter (1/2 cup), and subbed in 6 Tablespoons of oil. Not a 1:1 swap as a result of we didn’t need an excessive amount of liquid within the batter.
- Sub in some baking soda: The cake known as for 1 Tablespoon of baking powder, which wasn’t the best quantity for its heavy crumb. As a substitute of accelerating the baking powder, which may depart us with a chemical aftertaste, I subbed in some baking soda. Combining baking powder and baking soda enhances each the rise AND the flavour of the cake.
- Barely scale back the buttermilk: Scale the buttermilk down to three/4 cup, as an alternative of 1 cup. The cake remains to be extraordinarily moist with out tasting heavy and moist.
Key Components in Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Granulated & Brown Sugar: Use a mixture of sugars. Brown sugar offers moisture and a bit further taste. White granulated sugar provides sweetness with out weighing the cake down.
- Eggs: You want 4 eggs, which offer construction, improve the cake’s rise, and create a richer, extra flavorful chunk.
- Buttermilk: Identified for offering distinctive moisture in baked items, buttermilk leaves every chunk tender. In case you don’t have buttermilk, there’s no must make a buttermilk substitute. You should use complete milk with no different modifications to the recipe as a result of there may be sufficient acid within the lemon juice and brown sugar. (For the baking soda to react.)
- Contemporary Lemons: Use recent lemon juice and lemon zest within the cake batter. A citrus juicer and citrus zester are equally useful right here!
- All-Goal Flour: All-purpose flour is right on this batter; skip cake flour as a result of it’s just too gentle to carry as much as the heavy butter, oil, buttermilk, and blueberries.
- Contemporary Blueberries: I strongly suggest utilizing recent blueberries. Frozen blueberries usually let off an excessive amount of moisture, which can crush the cake’s crumb.
I really like this lemon blueberry cake as a result of the blueberries DO NOT sink to the underside of the cake. Why not? The batter is thick. When you’ve gotten a skinny batter, heavy fruit or add-ins will sink to the underside. Nonetheless, toss the blueberries in a bit flour… for further insurance coverage!
I like to recommend utilizing 8-inch spherical cake pans, which produce thick, lofty cake layers. 9-inch pans can work in a pinch, however count on thinner layers.
Use Parchment Paper Rounds for Muffins
Line your cake pans with parchment paper rounds. I do that each single time I bake a spherical cake, whether or not I’m making a 1-layer sprinkle cake, a 9-layer Smith Island cake, or immediately’s lemon blueberry layer cake. Retailer-bought pre-cut parchment rounds are handy, but it surely’s very easy to hint your pan on parchment and reduce it out. You possibly can reduce the precise pan measurement you want, whether or not you’re making a 6-inch cake, an 8-inch cake, or a 9-inch cake.
Very evenly grease the cake pan with butter or nonstick spray. Place the parchment paper spherical inside, after which grease the parchment, too. Sure, you grease the pan and then additionally grease the parchment. This creates an ultra-nonstick atmosphere to your cake. The cake gained’t keep on with the pan, and the parchment spherical gained’t keep on with the cake.
As soon as the desserts have baked and cooled, trim the tops utilizing a cake leveler or a big serrated knife to create a fair floor. A flat prime ensures a sturdier and extra secure layered cake. Right here’s my easy methods to assemble and adorn a layer cake video and tutorial if you’d like further assist.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Silky cream cheese frosting is the right of completion on this comfortable lemony cake—it tastes like spreadable cheesecake!
It’s gentle and creamy, so it glides onto the cake fairly effortlessly. I exploit a massive flat icing spatula to frost the layers and exterior of the cake.
Crumb coat? When you can definitely add one, there’s no want for a crumb coat; the cake isn’t tremendous crumbly and the frosting is extremely comfortable and creamy.
Adorn with blueberries, lemon zest, lemon slices, florals, coconut, and/or no matter you want!
You want 1/2 cup of recent lemon juice and a pair of Tablespoons of lemon zest. To extract that a lot juice, 3 or 4 medium to massive lemons is normally sufficient. For the zest, you’ll solely want about 2. Zest the lemons first, after which reduce open to juice them.
I like to recommend utilizing 8-inch spherical cake pans, which produce thick, tall cake layers such as you see within the photographs. 9-inch pans can work in a pinch, however the cake layers shall be thinner than what’s pictured, and the cake shall be shorter.
Sure, completely! Identical quantity. Toss them in flour earlier than utilizing, simply as you do with the blueberries.
Want cupcakes as an alternative? Use my recipe for lemon blueberry cupcakes. Or maybe breakfast? Strive my lemon blueberry muffins. How about pie? My lemony blueberry galette will hit the spot!
Extra Lemon Recipes For You
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This better-than-ever lemon blueberry layer cake is bursting with sunshine-sweet taste and crammed with juicy berries in each chunk. Its tender, moist crumb is completely balanced with a shiny, zesty lemon taste. Completed with a wealthy and creamy cream cheese frosting, this can be a delightfully recent and luscious dessert that’s good for spring and summertime.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 8-inch spherical cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the desserts seamlessly launch from the pans. (If it’s useful, see this parchment paper rounds for desserts video & submit.)
- Make the cake: Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on excessive till clean and creamy, about 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars and beat on medium-high pace till mixed, about 2 minutes. Add the oil and beat till mixed and light-weight and creamy, about 3 extra minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium pace till every thing is totally mixed, about 1 minute. Scrape down the perimeters and backside of the bowl as wanted.
- In a big bowl, whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry substances to the moist substances. Beat on low pace for a number of seconds, then beat within the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice *simply* till mixed. Toss the blueberries with 1 Tablespoon of flour and gently fold into the batter. Batter is thick. Don’t over-mix.
- Spoon batter evenly into ready cake pans. Bake for about 22–26 minutes or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. Take away from the oven and permit to chill utterly within the pan earlier than assembling and frosting.
- Make the frosting: Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter collectively on medium pace till no lumps stay, about 3 full minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer operating on low. Flip mixer as much as excessive pace and beat for 3 minutes.
- Assemble and frost: (Observe: See my easy methods to assemble and adorn a layer cake video & tutorial if you’d like further assist with this step.) First, utilizing a big serrated knife, slice a skinny layer off the tops of the desserts to create a flat floor. Place 1 layer in your cake stand. Evenly cowl the highest with cream cheese frosting. Prime with 2nd layer, extra frosting, then the third layer. Prime with frosting and unfold across the sides. The recipe doesn’t make a ton of frosting, simply sufficient for a light-weight frost. Prime with blueberries or lemon garnish if desired. Refrigerate for at the very least 45 minutes earlier than slicing or else the cake could disintegrate as you chop.
- Cowl leftover cake tightly and retailer within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: Put together desserts and frosting 1 day upfront. Maintain desserts at room temperature, lined tightly. Refrigerate ready frosting in an hermetic container till prepared to make use of. Carry frosting to room temperature earlier than spreading as it will likely be fairly stiff after refrigerating. (Add a splash of cream or milk to skinny out, if wanted.) Frosted or unfrosted desserts could also be frozen for as much as 2 months; thaw in a single day within the fridge and produce to room temperature, if desired, earlier than serving.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 8-inch Spherical Cake Pans | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cake Turntable, Cake Stand, or Giant Serving Plate | Straight Icing Spatula | Offset Icing Spatula | Cake Service (for storage) | Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester
- Sheet Cake: The batter makes an ideal sheet cake! Merely unfold right into a 12×17-inch half sheet/jelly roll pan and bake for about 20 minutes or till cooked by way of. It additionally matches properly right into a 9×13-inch cake pan. Bake for about 30–35 minutes or till cooked by way of.
- Bundt Cake: I like to recommend making my lemon poppy seed Bundt cake recipe. You possibly can pass over the poppy seeds and add 1 and 1/2 cups (210g) recent blueberries. I even have a lemon berry yogurt cake recipe. You should use all blueberries.
- Cupcakes: Listed here are my lemon blueberry cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting.
- 6-Inch Cake: Use my lemon blueberry cupcakes batter and observe my 6-inch cake baking directions.
- Eggs: Room-temperature eggs are beneficial as a result of they combine simply and shortly into the cake batter, lowering the danger of over-mixing. Place eggs right into a bowl of heat water for five minutes earlier than utilizing or set the eggs out once you set out your cream cheese and butter for the recipe.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk helps produce a supremely moist cake. In case you don’t have buttermilk, use complete milk as an alternative. No want for a buttermilk substitute. You should use lower-fat or nondairy milks in a pinch, however the cake gained’t style almost as wealthy and moist.
- Cream Cheese: Use brick-style cream cheese, not cream cheese unfold.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream with 30% or extra milk fats provides the frosting the creamiest texture. Milk will work in a pinch!
- Up to date in 2025: Based mostly on reader suggestions in regards to the cake baking up flat and tasting too heavy, I made 3 small tweaks. The up to date recipe is what you see above. To make the unique recipe, pass over the oil and baking soda. Enhance the butter to 1 cup (226g/16 Tbsp), the baking powder to 1 Tablespoon, and the buttermilk to 1 cup (240ml). The bake time is identical.
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