This better-than-ever lemon blueberry layer cake is bursting with sunshine-sweet flavor and filled with juicy berries in every bite. Its tender, moist crumb is perfectly balanced with a bright, zesty lemon flavor. Finished with a rich and creamy cream cheese frosting, this is a delightfully fresh and luscious dessert that’s perfect for spring and summertime.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have made a few small updates to produce a lighter, softer cake with just as much incredible flavor.
This cake has become one of my favorite spring dessert recipes and Easter dessert recipesโand for good reasons. It boasts a bright, superior lemon flavor; bursts with blueberries in every single bite; has a perfectly tender crumb; and is finished with a tangy cream cheese frosting that ties it all together.
I originally published the recipe in 2014, but after receiving mixed feedback over the years, I knew it wasn’t quite perfect yet. While many readers loved the flavor and appreciated the denser-style crumb, others simply found it too heavy.
When I see a pattern of reviews with concerns over the same thing, I will revisit the recipe and try making various tweaks until I’m confident I’ve fixed the issues. After experimenting several variations of today’s cake, my team and I discovered 3 small tweaks that made a big difference in the cake’s texture. The result? A softer, lighter crumb while keeping all of the same sunshine-sweet flavor.
The updated recipe is below, with the earlier version in the Notesโjust in case you loved the original!
One reader, Jen, commented: “Love the updated recipe! I’ve been making this cake for a few years now. It was a bit dense but still a great cake. It’s usually what people request from me for their birthdays. The update has a lighter and softer texture with the same perfect flavor. Thank you for the improved recipe just in time for my husband’s 40th birthday! โ โ โ โ โ ”
3 Small Recipe Updates = Impressive Changes
- Sub in some oil: The recipe originally called for 1 cup of butter. While creaming butter with sugar produces a soft, airy base for cakes and cupcakes, if the other ingredients in the batter are also heavy (buttermilk, flour, eggs), too much butter will simply weigh everything down. I removed half of the butter (1/2 cup), and subbed in 6 Tablespoons of oil. Not a 1:1 swap because we didn’t want too much liquid in the batter.
- Sub in some baking soda: The cake called for 1 Tablespoon of baking powder, which wasn’t the ideal amount for its heavy crumb. Instead of increasing the baking powder, which could leave us with a chemical aftertaste, I subbed in some baking soda. Combining baking powder and baking soda enhances both the rise AND the flavor of the cake.
- Slightly reduce the buttermilk: Scale the buttermilk down to 3/4 cup, instead of 1 cup. The cake is still extremely moist without tasting heavy and wet.
Key Ingredients in Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Granulated & Brown Sugar: Use a mix of sugars. Brown sugar provides moisture and a little extra flavor. White granulated sugar adds sweetness without weighing the cake down.
- Eggs: You need 4 eggs, which provide structure, enhance the cake’s rise, and create a richer, more flavorful bite.
- Buttermilk: Known for providing exceptional moisture in baked goods, buttermilk leaves each bite tender. If you don’t have buttermilk, there’s no need to make a buttermilk substitute. You can use whole milk with no other changes to the recipe because there is enough acid in the lemon juice and brown sugar. (For the baking soda to react.)
- Fresh Lemons: Use fresh lemon juice and lemon zest in the cake batter. A citrus juicer and citrus zester are equally helpful here!
- All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is ideal in this batter; skip cake flour because it’s simply too light to hold up to the heavy butter, oil, buttermilk, and blueberries.
- Fresh Blueberries: I strongly recommend using fresh blueberries. Frozen blueberries often let off too much moisture, which will weigh down the cake’s crumb.
I love this lemon blueberry cake because the blueberries DO NOT sink to the bottom of the cake. Why not? The batter is thick. When you have a thin batter, heavy fruit or add-ins will sink to the bottom. Still, toss the blueberries in a little flour… for extra insurance!
I recommend using 8-inch round cake pans, which produce thick, lofty cake layers. 9-inch pans can work in a pinch, but expect thinner layers.
Use Parchment Paper Rounds for Cakes
Line your cake pans with parchment paper rounds. I do this every single time I bake a round cake, whether I’m making a 1-layer sprinkle cake, a 9-layer Smith Island cake, or today’s lemon blueberry layer cake. Store-bought pre-cut parchment rounds are convenient, but it’s really easy to trace your pan on parchment and cut it out. You can cut the exact pan size you need, whether you’re making a 6-inch cake, an 8-inch cake, or a 9-inch cake.
Very lightly grease the cake pan with butter or nonstick spray. Place the parchment paper round inside, and then grease the parchment, too. Yes, you grease the pan and then also grease the parchment. This creates an ultra-nonstick environment for your cake. The cake won’t stick to the pan, and the parchment round won’t stick to the cake.
Once the cakes have baked and cooled, trim the tops using a cake leveler or a large serrated knife to create an even surface. A flat top ensures a sturdier and more stable layered cake. Here’s my how to assemble and decorate a layer cake video and tutorial if you want extra help.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Silky cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch on this soft lemony cakeโit tastes like spreadable cheesecake!
It’s light and creamy, so it glides onto the cake pretty effortlessly. I use a large flat icing spatula to frost the layers and exterior of the cake.
Crumb coat? While you can certainly add one, there’s no need for a crumb coat; the cake isn’t super crumbly and the frosting is ultra soft and creamy.
Decorate with blueberries, lemon zest, lemon slices, florals, coconut, and/or whatever you like!
You need 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons of lemon zest. To extract that much juice, 3 or 4 medium to large lemons is usually enough. For the zest, you’ll only need about 2. Zest the lemons first, and then cut open to juice them.
I recommend using 8-inch round cake pans, which produce thick, tall cake layers like you see in the photos. 9-inch pans can work in a pinch, but the cake layers will be thinner than what is pictured, and the cake will be shorter.
Yes, absolutely! Same amount. Toss them in flour before using, just as you do with the blueberries.
Need cupcakes instead? Use my recipe for lemon blueberry cupcakes. Or perhaps breakfast? Try my lemon blueberry muffins. How about pie? My lemony blueberry galette will hit the spot!
More Lemon Recipes For You
- Lemon Bars
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Blueberry Lemon Icebox Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Homemade Lemon Cupcakes & Lemon Raspberry Jam Cupcakes
- Lemon Blueberry Babka
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This better-than-ever lemon blueberry layer cake is bursting with sunshine-sweet flavor and filled with juicy berries in every bite. Its tender, moist crumb is perfectly balanced with a bright, zesty lemon flavor. Finished with a rich and creamy cream cheese frosting, this is a delightfully fresh and luscious dessert that’s perfect for spring and summertime.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (90ml) vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (180ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/2 cup (120ml) lemon juice (3โ4 lemons), at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (210g) fresh blueberries (I do not recommend frozen)
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature*
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Grease threeย 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake:ย Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars and beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Hereโs a helpful tutorial if you need guidance onย how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the oil and beat until combined and light and creamy, about 3 more minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until everything is completely combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed for a few seconds, then beat in the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice *just* until combined. Toss the blueberries with 1 Tablespoon of flour and gently fold into the batter. Batter is thick. Do not over-mix.
- Spoon batter evenly into prepared cake pans. Bake for about 22โ26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before assembling and frosting.
- Make the frosting:ย Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 3 full minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Turn mixer up to high speed and beat for 3 minutes.
- Assemble and frost: (Note: See my how to assemble and decorate a layer cake video & tutorial if you want extra help with this step.) First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Place 1 layer on your cake stand. Evenly cover the top with cream cheese frosting. Top with 2nd layer, more frosting, then the third layer. Top with frosting and spread around the sides. The recipe doesn’t make a ton of frosting, just enough for a light frost. Top with blueberries or lemon garnish if desired. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before cutting or else the cake may fall apart as you cut.ย
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cakes and frosting 1 day in advance. Keep cakes at room temperature, covered tightly. Refrigerate prepared frosting in an airtight container until ready to use. Bring frosting to room temperature before spreading as it will be quite stiff after refrigerating. (Add a splash of cream or milk to thin out, if needed.) Frosted or unfrosted cakes may be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Round Cake Pans | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) |ย Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cake Turntable, Cake Stand, or Large Serving Plate | Straight Icing Spatula | Offset Icing Spatula | Cake Carrier (for storage) | Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester
- Sheet Cake: The batter makes a perfect sheet cake! Simply spread into aย 12×17-inch half sheet/jelly roll pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.ย It also fits nicely into a 9ร13-inch cake pan. Bake for about 30โ35 minutes or until cooked through.
- Bundt Cake: I recommend making my lemon poppy seed Bundt cake recipe. You can leave out the poppy seeds and add 1 and 1/2 cups (210g) fresh blueberries. I also have a lemon berry yogurt cake recipe. You can use all blueberries.
- Cupcakes: Here are my lemon blueberry cupcakes topped withย cream cheese frosting.
- 6-Inch Cake: Use my lemon blueberry cupcakes batter and follow my 6-inch cake baking instructions.
- Eggs: Room-temperature eggs are recommended because they mix easily and quickly into the cake batter, reducing the risk of over-mixing. Place eggs into a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes before using or set the eggs out when you set out your cream cheese and butter for the recipe.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk helps produce a supremely moist cake. If you don’t have buttermilk, use whole milk instead. No need for a buttermilk substitute. You can use lower-fat or nondairy milks in a pinch, but the cake won’t taste nearly as rich and moist.
- Cream Cheese: Use brick-style cream cheese, not cream cheese spread.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream with 30% or more milk fat gives the frosting the creamiest texture. Milk will work in a pinch!
- Updated in 2025: Based on reader feedback about the cake baking up flat and tasting too heavy, I made 3 small tweaks. The updated recipe is what you see above. To make the original recipe, leave out the oil and baking soda. Increase 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 the same.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Thank you for updating this recipe. I had printed it out before the update and wondered how it was going to turn out with no baking soda to neutralize some of the acidity of the buttermilk and lemon juice. I made it with the adjustments and it came out perfect in flavor, texture and appearance. Well done!
Also, we in the US appreciate the inclusion of metric measurements as well.
Hi Sally! I love all your recipes and first want to thank you for all you do.
I plan to make this cake this week. My family tends to prefer moderately sweet cakes, so I tend to err on the side of reducing sugar when baking. What would you recommend I reduce the sugar to in this recipe to avoid an overly sweet cake? I typically reduce by 10-20%.
Thanks!
I made two batches of this and baked a seven-layer, two-tiered cake. No regrets. This was a hit! I was a little afraid the cake would be too dense to lend itself to many layers, but I was wrong. The flavor was on point, the texture was soft, and it was just magical. Thanks for this one, Sally!
My creamed mixture is rather gritty and yellow even after 10 minutes of mixing. Any sugesstions?
Hi Stuart, are you using a handheld or stand mixer? Are you beating on medium-high speed? Is your butter room temperature? We have a whole post on how to cream butter and sugar with a video tutorial which might be a helpful resource for you! Hope it helps for next time.
Itโs ok it creamed ok and it doesnโt seem to matter my cakes look and taste awesome!
Delicious! I really love lemon so I made a lemon cream cheese frosting instead of vanilla. Substituted lemon juice for cream and added even more juice, plus lemon zest. Omitted vanilla. Added a pinch of salt. Lemon curd between layers. Turned out amazing!
Is there a way to add a few more components to make it tastier? i.e a different frosting or a lemon version of this cream cheese frosting? Would a lemon curd or blueberry jam taste good in this cake? Would they taste good together? Would love any thoughts you could share. Thanks so much!
Hi Deirdre! You absolutely could add any of those elements. I’ll also recommend lemon curd as a nice addition between layers.
Thanks so much for the prompt reply! Last question sorry to annoy you but I have a big family gathering tomorrow . Can I use your lightly sweetened whipped frosting in place of the cream cheese frosting? Thanks so much for your help!
Yes, absolutely!
Hi not sure if I should make this cake or the strawberry one for a large family gathering(11 people). I’m in Ireland. I was wondering which cake you thought you be best and most impressive or just delicious. Would love any opinions you could give. Thank you for the amazing recipes!
You can’t go wrong with either, Deidre! Just depends on which flavor you would prefer. Both are favorites!
Hi Sally
When it says 8 inch cake tin what depth do you recommend please?
Liz
Hi Liz, Our pans are 2 inches high.
I made this as a sheet cake and eliminated frosting all together. It’s so moist and delicious it really doesn’t need any additions. My grandchildren may disagree…
Hi Sally. Thanks for this recipe. I’m planning to make this and take it a barbecue party. Will the frosting be stable enough even if it’s at room temperature for a while (4+ hrs)?
Hi Jane, we do recommend that you refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before cutting or else the cake may fall apart as you cut.
Horrible typo before
The cake was amazing. The only thing I changed was coconut oil . It came out beautiful thank you!
I have used the old recipe with great success for wedding and birthday cakes, and am now going to try the โ renovatedโ one. Thanks, Sally, from all of your non-USA followers for including metric measurements with each ingredient.
Hi Sally, I made your lemon blueberry cake (swapped out the blueberries for raspberries) for my friendโs birthday cake this weekend. It went down so well! This was such a great recipe. Thanks! :)))
Do you have a gluten free flour substitute recommendation? I would like to make this for a dinner party but need to make it gluten free.
Just made this cake, and it was a hit! Your recipes are also written so well! It will be a go to recipe of mine now for sure! Love this website!
He nearly hope this is the recipe I used last time. It was amazing
Also, what’s your opinion on coconut oil vs the others?
Hi, can you recommend a whipped cream topping instead of cream cheese
Hi Lina, you could make this not-so-sweet whipped frosting, but there is still some cream cheese in that, or you could do a lemon buttercream instead. Or you could make something like this fresh berry cream cake.
I love this cake so much I am making it for my sisterโs 75th birthday! It is a 7 hour drive to my sisterโs so I plan on freezing the layers individually and then frosting it when I arrive. What is the best way to freeze the layers? Should I wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper?
Hi Jennifer, we have a tutorial (with video) on how to freeze cakes you can use as a guide. Enjoy!
I would love to make this as 6 inch 3 layer cake for my sisterโs birthday. How would I adjust the bake time and will this work well for that size cake? I know I will have extra batter. Could I use it for cupcakes? This looks so delicious I canโt wait to make it!
Hi Jeannie, you can follow the baking instructions from this post on 6-inch cakes. You could also use the amounts in this recipe for lemon blueberry cupcakes for the amount of batter you’d need for a 3-layer 6-inch cake. Hope it turns out great!
I would love to make this for a gender reveal, to be a bit more clear on the ‘blue’ (since blueberries are more purple), I’m thinking about adding some food coloring to the cake. Which type of food coloring can I best use for this cake?
Hi Marinda, adding coloring is no issue at all. We recommend gel food coloring which is more color concentrated than liquid and wonโt risk altering the texture of the cake.
Happy with the updated recipe, Sally! We always loved it before but you’re right that it does rise better now. It doesn’t taste as dense. The flavor is excellent, as always! Love your recipes.
Hi!!!!! Can I substitute cherries for the blueberries, and if so can I use frozen after I thaw them out?
Thanks for the help!!!
Hi Tauriel, fresh fruit is really best for this cake. Fresh diced cherries should work wonderfully in place of the blueberries!
Sally, I am making a lemon cake for a friendโs wedding next month and canโt decide between trying this recipe (I might add blueberries) or your lemon layer cake, which I have baked as a sample. Which do you think will hold up better to the extra handling, freezing, frosting, layering, etc?
Hi Karen, either lemon cake would be great! A cake with fresh berries in it won’t hold up *quite* as well to the freezing a thawing process, because of the extra moisture in the berries.
Can this be made in a loaf pan?
Hi Maria! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes. You could also add blueberries to our lemon pound cake recipe.
This always turns out amazing and so moist!
I love blue berry lemon cake itโs the best recipe great outcomes to enjoy well done sally
I love blue berry lemon cake itโs the best recipe great outcomes to enjoy
Made this again today for my daughter’s birthday. I’d made it two years ago and it was her favorite. I had trouble keeping the layers from sliding around on each other while frosting and then thought about using a bamboo skewer like a toothpick. Worked like a charm. Now my cake is perfectly upright.
Hi Sally. I’m reaching out to cancel my comments about this cake. Today it tasted MUCH better: I tasted the lemon and the blueberries. My guess is that my cake that I had refrigerated needed more time to reach room temperature when I ate it.
Can I replace the all purpose flour with cake flour? I have a ton of cake flour that is about to expire!
Hi Marisol, For a lighter texture you can use the same amount of cake flour. The batter is thinner with cake flour, be sure to toss the blueberries with 1 Tablespoon of flour before gently folding into the batter to help them not sink. Let us know how it turns out!