This Lemon Blueberry Cake is tangy, sweet, super moist, and creamy. The soft lemon cake layers are filled with a blueberry sauce filling and an ultra-creamy lemon cream cheese frosting. I provide you with detailed step-by-step photos and a video to make sure you can successfully replicate this recipe every time. By the way, have you tried my cherry cake yet?
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Photo tutorial
Blueberry Filling
Combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring over medium-high heat to a simmer. Cook until the blueberries are soft and the sauce has thickened up and is reduced by â…“, about 5-10 minutes. Stir constantly. You can mash the blueberries, puree them, or let them how they are. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools.
Tip: You can use the filling for making homemade pop tarts!
Lemon Cake
In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat oil, butter, and sugar until creamy.
Then add one egg at a time and mix until combined.
Alternately the flour mixture, milk, and lemon juice. Then add vanilla and lemon zest and mix just until combined. You can see that the batter is creamy and holds a soft peak.
Divide the batter into two cake pans equally and spread evenly. Then bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Tip: I recommend measuring the weight of the batter and equally fill it into the baking pans. In this way, you can be sure that your cake layers are equal and baked through at the same time.
Let the cake cool down for about 10-15 minutes then remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Then cut each cake layer in half horizontally.
Lemon Frosting
Start with mixing the butter until it is creamy, about 2 minutes. Please make sure to use room temperature butter for the frosting because it incorporates much better than cold butter, and the texture of the frosting is creamier with room temperature butter. Then add cream cheese and mix until creamy and combined.
Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until creamy and fully combined. Then, add 1-2 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add 1 tablespoon at a time. The consistency should be creamy but firm enough to frost the cake. If the frosting is too soft, you can add more powdered sugar. If it is too firm, you can add more lemon juice.
Assembling
Place the first cake layer on a cake turntable, stand, or serving plate and spread ¼ of the frosting on top. The frosting should be higher around the edges that it holds the blueberry filling inside the cake as shown in the picture below.
Spread with â…“ of the blueberry filling (where the frosting is lower).
Then repeat two more times, place the last cake layer on top and lightly frost the outside and the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Chill 4 hours in the fridge before serving.
Expert tips for success
- Make sure that you cook the blueberry sauce until it has thickened up and is reduced by â…“, about 5-10 minutes. Otherwise the filling will be too watery.
- If your cake layers aren't flat after baking, slice off a thin layer from the top to create an even surface. This helps the cake to hold up, makes icing easier, and just looks better.
- You can use either brick-style cream cheese as it is available in the US or the spreadable one as it is available in the UK. The frosting works with both. Just make sure that the cream cheese is softened so that it incorporates well with the butter.
FAQs
If the cake layers didn't rise, it could be that the oven temperature was too low. Be sure to preheat the oven before placing the cake in the oven. It also can be that the baking powder has expired.
If your cake layers are dry and crumbly, it could be for two reasons. Too much flour or overbaking. If you use cups to measure the flour instead of a kitchen scale, please be careful to spoon and level the flour. A packed cup of flour is equivalent to 1.5 to 1.75 cups of spooned and leveled flour. To avoid overbaking, set a timer so you don't forget to take the cake out of the oven. Check with a toothpick after 28 minutes. The toothpick should come out clean with a few moist cake crumbs.
Aside from over-baking the batter and not measuring the flour correctly, it's also possible that you over-mixed the batter. Over-mixing can cause too much gluten to develop, causing the cake to rise high in the oven and collapse as soon as you remove it from the oven. This results in a dense and rubbery texture.
How do you decorate this cake?
Note: I want to point out that the frosting is just enough to make a naked cake. So if you don't want to make a naked cake as I did, you may need about 1.5x of the frosting. Here are my favorite decoration ideas:
- Candied lemons and berries. The sour, sticky candied lemons are SO good and fit the cake just perfectly. In my lemon cheesecake post, you find a recipe for candied lemons. These extra 10 minutes are well spent.
- Decorate the cake with edible flowers. I used chamomile.
- You could also whip up some meringue, top it with blueberry sauce, or decorate it with whipped cream.
How long does it last
I recommend storing the cake in an airtight container in the fridge so that it stays fresh for up to 4 days.
Make-ahead and freezing instructions
- Prepare the cake layers in advance and freeze: After baking the cake layers, remove the paper and let cool completely. Then tightly wrap each cake layer in plastic foil twice. Place in freezer bags and remove as much air as possible. Freeze up to 1 month. For thawing, unwrap the cake layers and let them sit on the counter for about 1-2 hours. Once it is room temperature, make the filling and the frosting and assemble the cake as described.
- Assembled and decorated cake: After chilling for 3 hours, place the Lemon Blueberry Cake in the freezer until it is firm, for about 2 hours. Remove the cake from the freezer and tightly wrap it in plastic foil twice. Make sure that everything is covered. Then wrap two layers of tin foil around until completely covered. It freezes well up to 2 months. Unwrap the cake and thaw in the fridge overnight. Eat within 2 days.
More layer cake recipes to try
If you are looking for showstopper cake recipes for birthdays, anniversaries, and celebrations, you will love the following recipes as well.
- S'mores Cake
- Strawberry Cake
- Blackberry Cake
- Black Forest Cake
- Chocolate Cake
- Galaxy Cake
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Blueberry filling
- 4 heaping cups blueberries, fresh or thawed
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- juice of 2 lemons
Lemon cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ¾ cups granulated white sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Lemon cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1-2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Make the blueberry filling: In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the blueberries are soft and the sauce has thickened up and is reduced by â…“, about 5-10 minutes. Stir constantly. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools.
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line the bottom and the sides of two 8" (20cm) baking pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make the lemon cake: In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt and stir to combine. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl with a stand or handheld mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat butter, oil, and sugar on medium speed until creamy for about 2 minutes. Add 1 egg at a time and mix until fully incorporated. Alternately add dry ingredients, milk, dry ingredients, lemon juice, and end with dry ingredients. Stir just until combined. Add vanilla and lemon zest and stir to combine. * Divide batter into the two prepared baking pans equally. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake or the cake will be dry. Let cool to room temperature.
- Make the lemon cream cheese frosting: In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whisk butter on medium speed until creamy. Add cream cheese and whisk until smooth and combined. Sift in powdered sugar and stir until well combined and creamy. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice at a time and stir until smooth and creamy. The frosting should be creamy but firm enough to frost the cake with an offset spatula. If the frosting is too soft, add more powdered sugar. If the frosting is too firm, add more lemon juice. Watch the video and the pictures above to see the consistency of the frosting.
- Assemble the cake: Cut a thin layer off the tops of your cakes to create a flat surface if needed. Then cut each cake in half horizontally. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread ¼ of the frosting over the cake. The frosting should be higher around the edges that it holds the blueberry filling inside the cake (watch the video and the step-by-step photos for better understanding). Layer with ⅓ of the blueberry filling (where the frosting is lower). Repeat two more times. Place last cake layer on top and lightly frost the outside and the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Chill 4 hours in the fridge. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
Notes
Video
You can find the video in the post above. If you don't see a video, please check your browser settings.
Imene
Are the calories per slice serving or the whole cake (sixteen servings)?