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 recipes—and 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 Notes—just 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! ★★★★★”
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 cake—it 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 flour (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 (3–4 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 350°F (177°C). Grease three 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: 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. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on 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 22–26 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: 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.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to use a cake carrier for storing and transporting.
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) | 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 a 12×17-inch half sheet/jelly roll pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. It also fits nicely into a 9×13-inch cake pan. Bake for about 30–35 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 with 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
Can you use 2 – 9″ cake pans instead of 3- 8″ pans?
Hi Faith, you can use 2 9-inch pans, filling your pans just about halfway and then using any remaining batter for a few cupcakes on the side.
Can you substitute gluten free flour for regular flour in the lemon blueberry cake?
Hi Faith, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but let us know if you try it!
Made this with GF flour and used Monks Fruit for the brown sugar. Only changes that I made and it was a hit!
I made this cake for a friend’s birthday celebration and she said it was better than the fancy cake she’d ordered for her actual birthday. It was absolutely delicious and easy!
Delicious! Very light crumb. Bright lemon flavor… can I substitute fresh raspberries in all the recipes that call for blueberries?
Made this for the first time and it turned out delicious! My friends loved it. I decreased the powdered sugar by 100g for the frosting and added a strawberry compote for the filling. Will be making this again!
I’m hunting a lemon cake to bake for the GF’s birthday next month. She loves lemon, especially lemon curd. (1) Could I use lemon curd as a filling for this cake? and (2) Could I use a cake flour like Softasilk as a 1:1 for AP flour? Thanks!
Hi Jobba, lemon curd would be lovely between the layers! We like to put down a thin layer of buttercream and then thicker ring around the outer edge of the cake to keep the curd in and stop the layers from slipping – then frost the outside as normal. 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!
I add a tablespoon of corn starch to my lemon curd to make it more stable. My experience is that straight lemon curd makes the cake unstable.
This lemon-blueberry cake was absolutely fantastic. My container of blueberries was a little heavier than the recommended amount, so I just scattered the extras in the bottom of the pans before I added the batter. When I turned the cakes over to ice them, all the berries had miraculously risen to the top (!). Also, I used regular milk, since the recipe contained so much lemon juice. And rather than adding vanilla to the icing, I added some of the extra lemon zest for an extra boost of citrus. It was divine!
Thank you so much for sharing such an mouthwatering recipe with us!!
Hi, I’m planning to make this for a birthday coming sunday. Cream cheese in a brick is not a thing where I live however; we only have the spreadable stuff. Could I maybe swap it out for mascarpone, so you think?
Thanks!
Hi Indy! We haven’t tested mascarpone here, but it should work just fine. It may be a little more loose.
Hi. Looking for a blueberry filling recipe for this cake in between the layers, like a compote, if you have any suggestions. Thanks!
Hi John, this blueberry sauce will work nicely, especially if you reduce it down a little longer so it’s thicker.
Thank you!
Can I reduce the sugar in the cake?
Hi Kieu, sugar is used for moisture and texture in baked goods as well as taste. You can certainly try reducing the sugar, but the resulting texture will be different than intended.
This cake is absolutely delicious, I made it in a 9×13 sheet and used greek yogurt instead of the buttermilk as that’s what I had on hand.
It was for an event and there wasn’t a crumb left on the plate
Hi Sally! My toddler has requested a blueberry cake for his birthday and I love all your recipes. Do you think I can leave out the lemon for this recipe? Would I need to substitute the 1/2 cup of lemon juice with something else?
Hi Sam! We’d recommend using our vanilla cake and add about 1 and 1/2 cups of blueberries to that cake batter. Hope it’s a hit!
Will the vanilla cake stand up to the cream cheese frosting in place of the buttercream? Thanks!!
Absolutely!
Hi Sally, will a cup-for-cup gluten free flour work for this recipe?
Also, could you suggest a frosting other than a cream cheese one that would work?
Hi Sophie, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but let us know if you try it! You could use this lemon buttercream frosting instead of the cream cheese. We’d recommend doubling or 1.5x this recipe for a 3-layer cake, depending on how much frosting you’d like for covering and decorating the cake. Hope this helps!
I made it using a bundt cake pan. I put on a light lemon glaze and made a syrup with lemon juice, sugar and Cointreau. Love it!
Hello! Your recipes (and directions) are always super helpful! Everything I’ve made from you has turned out phenomenal, except this one. I tried to follow everything but somehow the cake came out so dense. I’m not sure what happened. Maybe I didnt bake it long enough? but the toothpick test came out clean. Maybe I overmixed the batter? But how do I know its overmixed and how would I fix that? What could I have done wrong? But regardless, everyone still loved the cake!!! Thank you!!
Hi Hilary! This is a more dense cake by nature, but should still be soft. You can not fix an over-mixed batter, just make sure to mix until the batter is just combined so you don’t over-develop the gluten in the flour. Here’s more tips for preventing dense cake!
Do you think I could substitue orange zest/juice for the lemon ingredients and leave out the blueberries?
I found other orange cake recipes on the internet, but your recipes are so reliable for me that I’d rather use yours!
Hi Rachel! Yes, you can use orange instead and leave out the blueberries. Enjoy!
Can you freeze the sponges before assembly?
Yes! See Notes after the recipe or our guide to freezing cakes for details.
This cake was the first I’ve made from this site. It did not disappoint. Made it for my fiancés bday.. my children were frothing at the mouth lol.. I’ll be trying more recipes now.. thankyou so much
EVERY recipe I’ve made from this site is 5 stars.
Would you suggest using the older version if you were going to be making a cake layered with 6 inch rounds on top of 9 inch?
Hi Trish, Yes, either version of this cake should work well as a tiered cake. These posts on cake pan sizes and conversions and homemade wedding cake may be helpful resources for you. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Best cake I have ever made. Family loved it
Did this for my daughter’s birthday and it was a big hit with kids and adults alike! Perfect recipe, very well described step-by-step. I’m a convert to this website ❤️
Hello
Can I switch all purpose flour for Cake Flour instead?
Hi Ashley, 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!
Is there nutrition facts for this cake?
Hi Steve, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
How long can you leave the ready made cake batter out for without affecting the bake do you think? I have a small oven so would only be able to do 1 layer at a time.
Hi Julia, that’s fine to leave the cake batter while the current layer is baking. Just keep the bowl of batter at room temperature, lightly covered with a kitchen towel.
Hi Sally,
Thanks for the detailed recipe!
Would love to make this.
Can the blueberries be substituted by blackberries?
Hi Angela, many readers have reported success doing so. Let us know if you give it a try!
Loved it, made this for my neighbours birthday and it was a big hit. So quick and easy to make as well. I did make another half batch of frosting though as I didn’t feel it was quite enough to get good coverage on the outside.