Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake Recipe

I baked a Blueberry Lemon Cake studded with fresh berries and frosted with homemade cream cheese frosting, and I used a pantry trick that keeps the blueberries evenly distributed.

I never expected a simple birthday cake could make me pause, but this Blueberry Lemon Cake did just that. Its part Lemon Sour Cream Cake and part unexpected summer treat, with sour cream keeping the crumbs tender while fresh blueberries burst in every bite.

The frosting balances the lemon without being too sweet, and somehow each layer sings a little different note, so you want to take another slice to figure it out. I dont promise it will be neat, but I do promise curiosity, a few messy forks, and one unforgettable dessert.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour: backbone of cake, mostly carbs, minimal fiber, gives structure and chew.
• Unsalted butter: adds richness, fat and flavor, tender crumb and satisfies sweet tooth.
• Granulated sugar: sweetens and browns the cake, simple carbs, no real nutrients.
• Eggs: provide protein, help bind and leaven, make crumb moist and stable.
• Sour cream: gives tang, extra moisture and tenderness, adds fat and slight acidity.
• Lemon zest and juice: bright citrus notes, adds acid for tang and flavor lift.
• Blueberries: juicy bursts, vitamins and fiber, add natural sweetness and pretty color.
• Cream cheese frosting: tangy sweet frosting, provides creamy texture, balances berry and lemon flavors.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 1/2 cups (312 g) all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs room temp
• 1 cup (240 g) sour cream room temp
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
• 2 tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh blueberries (about 225 to 300 g)
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour (for berries, optional)
• 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) powdered sugar sifted
• 1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (for frosting)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• extra blueberries and lemon zest for garnish (optional)

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and line two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with parchment and lightly flour them so the cakes come out easy.

2. Whisk together 2 1/2 cups (312 g) all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp fine salt in a bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl beat 1 cup (226 g) softened unsalted butter with 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 3 room temp eggs one at a time, mixing after each and scraping the bowl. Stir in 2 tbsp lemon zest and 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice.

4. Fold in 1 cup (240 g) sour cream and 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk until combined. Don’t over mix here or the cake will get tough.

5. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, gently folding until just combined. Tip: room temp ingredients help everything come together smooth.

6. Toss 1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh blueberries (about 225 to 300 g) with 1 tbsp flour (this helps stop them from sinking) then gently fold them into the batter.

7. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans, smooth tops and bake 25 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway if your oven runs hot. Let cakes cool 10 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

8. For the cream cheese frosting beat 8 oz (225 g) softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup (113 g) softened unsalted butter until silky. Gradually add 3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) sifted powdered sugar until you reach desired sweetness and thickness. Add 1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, taste and adjust. If it’s too soft chill it briefly.

9. Level the cake layers if needed, place one layer on your serving plate, spread a thick layer of frosting, top with second layer. Do a thin crumb coat of frosting over the whole cake, chill 15 to 30 minutes to set, then finish with a smooth final coat. Garnish with extra blueberries and lemon zest. Store in the fridge up to 3 to 4 days, bring to room temp before serving for best flavor.

Equipment Needed

1. Two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans
2. Parchment paper and butter or baking spray for greasing
3. Electric mixer (hand or stand)
4. Large mixing bowl and a medium bowl
5. Measuring cups, measuring spoons and kitchen scale
6. Rubber spatula and wooden spoon for folding
7. Whisk
8. Wire cooling rack and serrated knife for leveling
9. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for powdered sugar

FAQ

Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour: cake flour (makes a lighter crumb, or make your own by swapping out two tablespoons per cup of AP flour and adding two tablespoons cornstarch); a gluten free 1 to 1 baking blend (use same weight, check if it already has xanthan gum); whole wheat pastry flour (use up to half substitution or the cake will be a bit denser)
• Sour cream: full fat Greek yogurt (swap 1 to 1, same tang and texture); buttermilk (use in place but cut the milk in the recipe by about 1 quarter cup since buttermilk is thinner); dairy free option: blended silken tofu with a splash of lemon juice to mimic tang
• Unsalted butter: salted butter (use same amount but skip any added salt in the recipe); coconut oil, solid (measure it the same, expect a faint coconut note and slight textural change); vegetable shortening or margarine (works for structure, but less buttery flavor)
• Cream cheese (for the frosting): mascarpone (substitute 1 to 1 for a richer, silkier frosting); Neufchatel (lower fat, swap 1 to 1); thick strained full fat Greek yogurt mixed with powdered sugar to taste (lighter, but less stable so chill before piping)

Pro Tips

– Use frozen berries or dust them a little more than the recipe says, fold them in last minute. Frozen blueberries are less likely to sink and bleed into the batter, and if you do use fresh, toss them very gently with extra flour or a teaspoon of cornstarch so they stay suspended.

– Get everything truly at room temp, especially the eggs, butter and cream cheese, it makes the batter and frosting come together silky instead of lumpy. Quick tricks: stick eggs in warm water for 5–10 minutes, cube the butter so it softens faster, and microwave cream cheese in 5 second bursts if you must, but dont let it get melty.

– For a moist but tidy cake, brush each layer with a little lemon simple syrup before frosting, it keeps the crumb from drying without making it soggy. Also weigh your batter when you split pans, it gives perfectly even layers every time, no guessing.

– Don’t overbeat the frosting or it can turn runny and airy, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth then add powdered sugar slowly on low. If you need the frosting to hold up for transport or warm rooms, fold in a tablespoon of cornstarch or a teaspoon of meringue powder, or chill the bowl briefly before final piping.

Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake Recipe

Recipe by Tina Braven

0.0 from 0 votes

I baked a Blueberry Lemon Cake studded with fresh berries and frosted with homemade cream cheese frosting, and I used a pantry trick that keeps the blueberries evenly distributed.

Pin

Servings

12

servings

Calories

682

kcal

Equipment: 1. Two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans
2. Parchment paper and butter or baking spray for greasing
3. Electric mixer (hand or stand)
4. Large mixing bowl and a medium bowl
5. Measuring cups, measuring spoons and kitchen scale
6. Rubber spatula and wooden spoon for folding
7. Whisk
8. Wire cooling rack and serrated knife for leveling
9. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for powdered sugar

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (312 g) all purpose flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp fine salt

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs room temp

• 1 cup (240 g) sour cream room temp

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk

• 2 tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice

• 1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh blueberries (about 225 to 300 g)

• 1 tbsp all purpose flour (for berries, optional)

• 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened

• 3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) powdered sugar sifted

• 1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (for frosting)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• pinch of salt

• extra blueberries and lemon zest for garnish (optional)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and line two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with parchment and lightly flour them so the cakes come out easy.
• Whisk together 2 1/2 cups (312 g) all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp fine salt in a bowl and set aside.
• In a large bowl beat 1 cup (226 g) softened unsalted butter with 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 3 room temp eggs one at a time, mixing after each and scraping the bowl. Stir in 2 tbsp lemon zest and 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice.
• Fold in 1 cup (240 g) sour cream and 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk until combined. Don’t over mix here or the cake will get tough.
• Add the dry ingredients in two additions, gently folding until just combined. Tip: room temp ingredients help everything come together smooth.
• Toss 1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh blueberries (about 225 to 300 g) with 1 tbsp flour (this helps stop them from sinking) then gently fold them into the batter.
• Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans, smooth tops and bake 25 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway if your oven runs hot. Let cakes cool 10 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the cream cheese frosting beat 8 oz (225 g) softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup (113 g) softened unsalted butter until silky. Gradually add 3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) sifted powdered sugar until you reach desired sweetness and thickness. Add 1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, taste and adjust. If it’s too soft chill it briefly.
• Level the cake layers if needed, place one layer on your serving plate, spread a thick layer of frosting, top with second layer. Do a thin crumb coat of frosting over the whole cake, chill 15 to 30 minutes to set, then finish with a smooth final coat. Garnish with extra blueberries and lemon zest. Store in the fridge up to 3 to 4 days, bring to room temp before serving for best flavor.

Notes

• Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 176g
• Total number of serves: 12
• Calories: 682kcal
• Fat: 34.4g
• Saturated Fat: 21g
• Trans Fat: 1.08g
• Polyunsaturated: 2.5g
• Monounsaturated: 10g
• Cholesterol: 132mg
• Sodium: 284mg
• Potassium: 123mg
• Carbohydrates: 84.5g
• Fiber: 1.3g
• Sugar: 65.1g
• Protein: 6.4g
• Vitamin A: 329IU
• Vitamin C: 5mg
• Calcium: 50mg
• Iron: 0.5mg