Lemon Blueberry Cake (Printable)
Moist cake with fresh blueberries and zesty lemon, finished with creamy lemon-flavored frosting.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - Zest of 1 lemon
10 - ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
11 - ½ cup whole milk
12 - 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries, tossed with 1 tablespoon flour
→ Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
13 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
14 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
15 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
17 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
18 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
03 - Beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Incorporate eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in vanilla extract and lemon zest.
05 - Mix in half the dry ingredients, followed by lemon juice and milk, then gently fold in the remaining dry ingredients until just combined.
06 - Toss blueberries with one tablespoon of flour, then gently fold them into the batter.
07 - Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the surface, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, then gradually add powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt, beating until light and fluffy.
10 - Once cooled, spread the frosting evenly over the entire cake, optionally garnishing with additional blueberries and lemon zest.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It's tender and moist without being heavy, so you can actually eat two slices without feeling guilty.
- The tartness of fresh lemon balances the sweetness perfectly, making it taste bright instead of cloying.
- The frosting is silky and tangy, not overly sugary, so it doesn't compete with the cake itself.
02 -
- Don't overmix the batter once you add the flour—stir just until you don't see dry streaks, or the cake will be tough and rubbery.
- Room temperature ingredients are essential; cold cream cheese and butter will create a lumpy, sad frosting that no amount of beating will fix.
- If your blueberries are frozen, thaw and pat them completely dry, otherwise they'll bleed purple into the batter.
03 -
- Use fresh lemon juice from a real lemon, not the bottled stuff; the flavor difference is genuinely noticeable and worth the thirty seconds of squeezing.
- If your frosting breaks or looks grainy, warm it very gently with a hair dryer or set it over warm water for a few seconds, then beat it again—this usually fixes the problem.