The ultimate Lemon Blueberry Cake. Two layers of buttery lemon cake filled with fresh blueberries and covered in a luscious lemon cream cheese frosting. It’s a beautiful layer cake perfect for birthdays, celebrations or parties.
Introducing your new favourite thing 🍋
A luscious Lemon Blueberry Cake made from scratch. This light and soft lemon sponge is filled with juicy lemons and fresh blueberries and is covered in a melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese frosting.
One bite and you’ll be whisked away to a zesty, lemon wonderland.
While I love my easy Lemon Loaf and my tender Blueberry Bread, I realised I needed a good go-to lemon layer cake that can be used on just about any occasion. And I FOUND IT.
This buttery lemon cake is seriously tender, seriously moist and seriously GOOD. It has fresh lemon juice in the cake and plenty of lemon zest for flavour. Fresh blueberries add a pop of colour and are a nice contrast to the zesty lemon.
Instead of the regular method of making a cake – creaming the butter and sugar first, before adding the remaining ingredients – this method starts with the dry ingredients first.
It’s commonly referred to as the reverse creaming method. The small difference is the order in which you add the ingredients and it guarantees a light, fluffy and moist cake. I’m converted.
And what takes this cake over-the-top and makes it an all-time favourite, is that cream cheese frosting. It’s creamy, tangy and literally the perfect pairing to this Lemon Blueberry Cake. Throw on a few extra fresh blueberries, and you have a total showstopper that’s surprisingly easy to make.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON BLUEBERRY CAKE
- This cake uses the reverse creaming method. It’s really easy to make but you need to follow the method and add each ingredient in the order specified.
- Start with the dry ingredients. I recommend measuring all your ingredients using a kitchen scale to ensure accuracy.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar and baking powder. Mix together briefly. Next, add your butter that has been roughly chopped. Make sure your butter is at room temperature.
- As you start mixing on low speed, the butter will start to break apart into small pea-sized pieces.
- Next, you can add all the eggs, fresh lemon zest, milk and vanilla. Start mixing on low speed and slowly turn the mixer up to a medium speed. The cake batter will come together and be thick and creamy.
- Finally, add the fresh lemon juice and blueberries. I recommend using fresh lemon juice for this recipe for maximum flavour.
- Divide the cake batter into two 8-inch cake pans and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes. The cake will be golden brown when it’s ready and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean.
- Leave the cakes to cool completely before frosting and decorating.
HOW TO MAKE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- You will need a hand mixer or stand mixer to make this frosting. Make sure you use a full fat block of cream cheese – not a light version or the spreadable kind.
- For seriously creamy frosting, make sure both your butter and your cream cheese is at room temperature.
- Once you beat together the butter and cream cheese, you need to add 2 cups of icing sugar, along with 1 tablespoon of milk.
- Next, add a tablespoon of lemon juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice is best – and then the final cup of icing sugar.
- The frosting should be smooth, creamy and taste creamy and lemony.
MORE CAKE RECIPES TO TRY
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Let’s Bake
Lemon Blueberry Cake
Two layers of lemon blueberry cake covered in cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
Lemon blueberry cake
- 315 grams (2 and 1/4 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 250 grams (1 and 1/4 cups) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 230 grams (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, roughly chopped
- Zest of two lemons
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 240 ml (1 cup) full fat or whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 155 grams (1 and 1/4 cups) fresh blueberries
Cream cheese frosting
- 60 grams (1/4 cup) butter, softened
- 250 grams (1 and 1/4 cup) full fat cream cheese, softened, roughly chopped
- 375 grams (3 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Extra blueberries, to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with baking or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk briefly. Add butter and beat with an electric mixer on low speed, until butter is broken into small pieces.
- Next, add lemon zest, eggs, milk and vanilla. Start to beat on low speed and then turn up to medium speed. Add lemon juice and continue to beat. Mixture should be creamy and smooth. Lastly, stir through the blueberries.
- Divide cake batter between your two prepared pans. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Carefully transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, add butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add 2 cups of sugar, and continue to beat. Add remaining cup of sugar and lemon juice and beat briefly until smooth.
- Spread frosting on one cake layer, add the remaining cake layer on top. Cover top and sides with frosting. Decorate with fresh blueberries.
Nutrition Information
Sofia says
Hi there, I only have 6 inch tins, Will the recipe yield ?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sofia, you could make a three layer 6-inch cake with this recipe.
Susie says
what is the best way to store the cake?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Susie, the cakes themselves can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container. But once you frost it, it’s best to keep it in the fridge.
Sara says
Can I use frozen berries?
I have searched all the grocery stores in my area and absolutely no fresh blueberries around.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sara, yes you can! Just add them frozen and don’t stir the batter too much or the blueberries will bleed.
Kiara says
Wow!!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe Jessica.
This is without a doubt the best cake I have ever baked! Simple instructions to read and do, with a phenomenal result! And you’re right-, this delectable cream cheese frosting is the perfect paring with the cake.
I made this cake for my mother’s birthday yesterday and everyone can’t stop talking about it!
Keep up the good work Jessica 💜
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Aw thank you so much Kiara! I’m so pleased you enjoyed it!
Aisha says
Hi, is it ok to use self raising flour instead of plain flour?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Aisha, no I recommend sticking with plain flour if you can.
Rish says
I came across this recipe online and it had ingredients such as blueberry and lemon, which I love. I must say This is the first time I am baking a cake in my life and I am no cook! Always had my mum do the cooking in the house.
I really felt like baking , and as my birthday was coming up and we are in lockdown as we can’t buy cakes from outside , I thought there’s nothing to lose but to try.
I tried this receipe out, I followed it the best I could, and the results were amazing. The cake was so lovely, everyone in my family loved it. The sponge came out soft, the butter cream tasted so nice and everyone was saying it tasted like an M&S cake! Which it truly did. I am not one to leave reviews, but I thought it would be unfair to justify how great this receipe was!
Thank you sooo much. You gave me so much confidence to try baking out again! If I could post pics on this website I would to prove the results!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Wow Rish! Thank you so much for the lovely review. I’m so pleased you and your family enjoyed the cake!
Mimi says
HI Jessica, can I use granulated sugar instead of custar sugar?
Can I use one pan but pour half mix since I have one pan? Then wait till cooked and pour second or it can’t stay mix for too long?
Does butter have to be melted?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Mimi, yes you can use granulated sugar instead of caster sugar! I usually recommend baking cakes straight away if possible – so I can’t really say if leaving the batter for 1/2 hour or so would make a difference. And the butter should not be melted but at room temperature. I hope that helps!
Elena says
Very simple yet delicious. Super clear instructins. Loved it!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Aw so happy to hear that Elena! Thank you for the kind feedback!
Mike says
Recipe sounded delicious and gave me something to use my fresh lemons off our tree on so i decided to try it on a few friends today..
Meticulously followed the instructions and both cakes did not rise at all when baked and were dense and still wet in the middle after 35 minutes at 320 degrees as the recipe stated. I wound up throwing them in the trash.
Any idea what may have went wrong?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Mike, oh I’m sorry to hear that. If the cakes didn’t rise, perhaps your baking powder was expired. Also, it sounds like the cakes just needed longer in the oven. I always recommend using oven times as a guide only as every oven is different. You’ll know your cake is ready when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Hope that helps!
Darshana says
Heyy
I have only 9.5 inch trays. Would that be okay for this recipe??
Jessica Holmes says
yes that should be fine!
Jennifer Aguilar says
Mine did the same thing. I have no idea what went wrong. Had I baked then any longer, the edges would’ve have been completely burnt. I still ate them though 😊 Absolutely delicious.
Jessica Holmes says
Sorry to hear that Jennifer. Perhaps try turning your oven temperature down next time. You might also want to get hold of an oven thermometer to see if your oven is running hot.
Bincy says
Can i use oil instead of butter?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Bincy, I haven’t tested this cake with oil so I can’t guarantee the results. Let me know if you try it!
Christine says
Hi Jessica,
When you say plain flour, do you mean all purpose or cake flour?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Christine, yes plain flour is the same as all purpose flour. Hope that helps!
Sanjana says
Is there any substitute for eggs in this recipe?
Jessica Holmes says
I’m sorry I haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes.
Afz says
Wanted to know instead of making this cake into two equal parts can bake the cake in one and then slice it in middle , and then frost it…… Will the temperature for it be the same for baking the whole cake ?
Thank you for such an wonderful looking cake.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Afz, it will be quite a lot of cake batter so it will take a long time to cook. I do recommend baking it in two pans if you can!
Tahira says
Hi, is it 160 gas or Electric oven?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Tahira, I have an electric oven.
Sarah says
Hello can I substitute the butter with oil?? Will it make a difference ????
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tested the cake with oil but recommend following the recipe as is if you can.
Hazel says
What is a good cream cheese to use? Is cheese like mascarpone or Philadelphia okay?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Hazel, yes I usually use a block of full fat Philadelphia cream cheese (not the spreadable kind). Hope that helps!
María Alejandra rincón says
Hey! I want to know if for do this recipe ibcan use a rice flour
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Maria, no sorry I don’t recommend this. The recipe has been specifically written and tested with regular flour.
Josh says
This was delicious! I loved the frosting!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Josh!