Lemon-Blueberry Cake

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We love this Lemon-Blueberry Cake with a moist, tender lemon layer cake and fresh blueberry filling topped off with our favorite cream cheese frosting. While this showstopper may look fancy, it’s very easy to assemble, and even easier to decorate.

A showstopper dessert perfect for all occasions!

I have a thing for lemon blueberry recipes and desserts. This combination of flavors inspires me to create all sorts of lusciousness!

From our favorite Lemon Blueberry Muffins with Crumble Topping, and these easy Blueberry Puff Pastry Tarts with Lemon Cream, to our all-time summer favorite – Blueberry-Lemon Icebox Cake, we just can’t get enough.

Overview of ingredients:

Cake batter:

• unsalted butter at room temperature
• granulated sugar
• large eggs
• cake flour for added tenderness or all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• full fat sour cream
• whole milk
• vanilla extract
• fresh lemon juice and lemon zest

Blueberry filling:

• wild blueberry jam
• fresh blueberries

Frosting:

• cream cheese at room temperature
• unsalted butter at room temperature
• lemon juice
• vanilla extract
• powdered sugar
• salt

Overview: How to make Lemon Blueberry Cake recipe

1. First prepare the cake batter

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three (8-inch) cake pans. Set aside.

• Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing just until the yolk disappears.

• In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

• In another small bowl blend the sour cream, milk and vanilla together. Set aside.

• Add half the sour cream mixture to the sugar mixture and blend on low until incorporated. Spoon in half the dry ingredients and blend on low until incorporated. Add the remaining sour cream then the remaining flour mixture. Blend on low just until combined.

• Using a spatula fold in the lemon juice and zest. Do not beat!

• Divide the batter equally between the three prepared can pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter, about 20 minutes.

• Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then turn the cakes out to cool completely on a wire rack.

2. Prepare the filling

• Warm the jam in a small bowl in the microwave at 50% power. Set aside 2 heaping tablespoons of the warm jam liquid to color the frosting, if using.

• Fold the fresh blueberries into the remaining warm jam. Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir and repeat until the blueberries are slightly soft but not ruptured. Set aside to cool while preparing the frosting.

3. Make the frosting

• Combine the cream cheese and butter and beat with an electric mixer until blended. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, powdered sugar and salt. Mix on medium-low until combined.

4. Assembling the cake

Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread 1/4 of the frosting on top leaving a slightly higher wall around the outside edge. Spoon half the cooled blueberry filling onto the frosted cake layer.

Repeat with another cake layer, one-third of the remaining frosting and then the remaining blueberry filling. Top with the last cake layer.

To make the ombre effect:

• Frost the top of the cake and around the outside of the top layer. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved blueberry jam liquid to the remaining frosting. Frost around the middle layer of the cake. Add the final tablespoon of jam to the remaining frosting.

• Spread around the bottom layer of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with additional blueberries or edible flowers as desired.

Moist and tender Lemon Cake

This moist lemon cake is sturdy enough to hold up under the weight of all three layers, but is still tender and light.

For the prettiest slices, refrigerate this cake overnight so it’s well chilled before serving. Wipe the knife clean between slices with paper towels or a damp cloth to remove steaks of blueberry jam.

Any leftover cake will keep for at about a week when stored in an airtight container.

The jam will color the frosting a little over time, but nothing drastic or off-putting. This is a delicious cake that keeps well, tastes fantastic and will make your lucky recipients very happy!

The filling is easy to make with Wild Blueberry Jam and fresh blueberries.

This filling starts with our favorite Stonewall Kitchen Wild Maine Blueberry Jam and 2-cups of fresh blueberries. Stonewall Kitchen’s jam has just the right amount of sugar so the filling is not overly sweet, and brings plenty of blueberry flavor.

Super sweet jam or jelly may be a little cloying when combined with the luscious frosting.

The jam is gently warmed and stirred then mixed with fresh blueberries. The mixture is microwaved at 50% power just until the blueberries are softened but not ruptured or burst. This method ensures the filling is not overly juicy or mushy and the blueberries stay intact.

I do not recommend using frozen blueberries for this recipe. The filling will end up wet and bleed into the cake and frosting creating a big soggy mess.

Our recipe for Lemon-Blueberry Cake was created with three layers in mind.

If you don’t have three 8-inch cake pans, feel free to use two 9-inch pans instead. However if you make just two layers, I recommend using half the amount of filling.

Or, feel free to top the cake with the remaining half for more blueberry flavor. If making this cake in two 9-inch pans watch your baking time carefully.

Tint the frosting with a little blueberry jam liquid to achieve the subtle ombre affect.

To create the graduated color, first spread the frosting between the layers, across the top, and around the sides of the top layer. Add 1-tablespoon of the jam liquid to the remaining frosting and blend well. Next, spread the tinted frosting around the sides of the middle cake layer.

Finally, add the remaining tablespoon of jam liquid to the last of the frosting. Spread the darkest frosting around the bottom layer of the cake. Don’t use too much jam as it will make the frosting loose. Feel free to use food color if you prefer.

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Lemon-Blueberry Cake

Prep Time: 45 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Yield: 12

Course: Dessert

Author: Tricia

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5 from 6 votes

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Celebrate the season with this deliciously tender lemon cake and fresh blueberry filling.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice strained of seeds and pulp
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

For the filling:

• 1 cup wild blueberry jam plus 2 heaping tablespoons
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

For the frosting:

• 12 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 24 ounces powdered sugar
• pinch of salt

Instructions

To prepare the cake:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 3 (8-inch) cake pans. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing just until the yolk disappears.
• In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In another small bowl, blend the sour cream, milk and vanilla together. Set aside.
• Add 1/2 of the sour cream mixture to the sugar mixture and blend on low until incorporated. Next add 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix on low until blended. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the remaining sour cream and blend, then all the remaining flour. Blend on low just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a spatula. Add the lemon juice and zest. Using the spatula, gently fold the lemon juice and zest into the batter. Do not beat!
• Divide the batter equally between the three prepared 8-inch cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes, rotating the pans after 15 minutes. Do not over bake!!! Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out and cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare the filling:

• Gently warm the blueberry jam in a small bowl in the microwave at 50% power for 20 seconds; stir and repeat until slightly melted. Set aside 2 heaping tablespoons of the warm jam liquid to color the frosting. Fold 2 cups of fresh blueberries into the remaining warm jam. Microwave the blueberry mixture at 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until the blueberries are slightly soft but not ruptured, about 2 minutes total. Set aside to cool while preparing the frosting.

To prepare the frosting:

• Combine the cream cheese and butter and beat until blended. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, powdered sugar and salt. Beat until fluffy.

To assemble the cake:

• Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread ¼ of the frosting on top of the cake leaving the icing higher all the way around the outside edge of the circle. This will help hold in the blueberry filling. Spoon half the cooled blueberry filling onto the frosted cake layer. Repeat with another layer of cake, ⅓ of the remaining frosting and then the remaining blueberry filling. Top with the last cake layer. Frost the top of the cake and then around the top layer. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved blueberry jam liquid to the remaining frosting. Frost around the middle layer of the cake. Add the final tablespoon of jam to the last of the frosting, then spread around the bottom layer of the cake to achieve a light ombre affect.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Garnish with additional blueberries, or edible flowers if desired.

Recipe Notes

• I DO NOT recommend using frozen blueberries in the filling.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 857kcal | Carbohydrates: 126g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 99g | Vitamin A: 1262IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1mg