Lemon Blueberry Cake
This Lemon Blueberry Cake is what happens when a muffin runs smack into the side of a cake! Featuring muffin-like layers of cake topped with lemon cream cheese frosting, this dessert is mighty tasty!
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Ah, lemons. I feel like I’ve always got a couple rogue lemons gallivanting around my fruit drawer…until I actually need one for a recipe. How does that always seem to happen? Clearly what I need is a Nine Pound Lemon from Epcot.
A lemon that weighs 9 pounds!? Say what? Sure enough, the plant scientists at Disney have created 9-pound lemon trees as part of the “Living with the Land” attraction. I know Florida and California are both known for their citrus fruits, but 9-pound lemons? That’ll make a lot of lemonade. Or in this case, a lot of Lemon Blueberry Cake. (The scientists at Disney recently had a lemon weigh in at 15 pounds!)
Unfortunately for me, those 9-pound lemons aren’t grown commercially. However, I do have an inquisitive side when it comes to both gardening and cooking, so maybe I’ll have to try my hand at growing one of those 9-pound lemon trees. Citrus trees don’t do so well in the upstate New York winters, so I’m thinking I should plant this tree indoors. I don’t think Laura will mind one bit if I plant a lemon tree in the middle of our living room.
Lemon Blueberry Cake
Lemon Blueberry CakeI used several ‘normal’ sized lemons to make this Lemon Blueberry Cake. And I’m here to tell ya – this cake is delicious! I used a white cake recipe with a softer crumb, and the texture was a bit like a muffin. If you love blueberry muffins, then this cake is for you! In fact, I could’ve walked off with one of the layers of this cake and a mug of coffee, and I would’ve been a happy camper. However, those layers were destined to be stacked up in cake form!
I went with a lemon cream cheese frosting for this cake to help balance the muffin-like texture of the cake. The lemony frosting combined with the blueberry-stuffed cake made for quite a special dessert. And since this cake has blueberries on it (and shares similarities to a muffin), that makes it totally acceptable to eat for breakfast, right? Just kidding…sorta!
I hope you enjoy this Lemon Blueberry Cake as much as we did. We saved out a couple of slices, and then I wrapped up the rest of the slices individually in plastic wrap. That way we can reach into the freezer and pull out just two slices for a weekend dessert. Yum!
Did you make this Lemon Blueberry Cake at home? Let me know what you think! Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). Cheers!
Looking for more cake ideas? Check out these other favorites:
Maple Walnut Cake
Southern Pecan Praline Cake
Charleston Coconut Cake
Black Forest Cake
Fresh Strawberry Cake
Lemon Blueberry Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 2½ cups fresh blueberries
- 6 large egg whites
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- {optional} additional blueberries for decorating
Instructions
For the Cake
- Grease and flour (3) 8” round cake pans; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest; set aside.
- Using a countertop mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (~3-4 minutes on medium-high speed).
- Add ~½ of the flour mixture to the bowl; mix on low speed until well combined.
- Add the milk mixture to the bowl. Mix on low until well combined.
- Add the remaining flour mixture; mix on low until well combined. (Tip: Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are fully mixed.)
- Fold the blueberries into the cake batter.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the egg whites into the cake batter until fully mixed.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 3 cake pans. Bake at 325°F for 38-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using a countertop mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter until well combined.
- Add vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest and powdered sugar (½ cup at a time) until frosting reaches desired consistency.
- Beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until fluffy.
To Frost Cake
- Place one layer of cake on large platter. Spread ~¾ cup of frosting on top. Repeat with 2nd and 3rd layers of cake. Use remaining frosting on top and sides of cake.
- {Optional} Garnish top of cake with fresh blueberries.
Quick update: A family friend made this cake for a luncheon with her aerobic swimming class, and it was a huge hit! She sent over a photo, and I just had to include it here. Thanks, Aunt Mary!
I was just about to click off for the day when your email popped in and I had to learn about this one. That’s some crash you made. Your Lemon Blueberry Cake looks wonderful and I’m sure tasted wonderful.
You know it’s all the rage to have a lemon or lime tree in your house over here. They supposedly represent sunshine and warmth. They just represent lemonade and a G&T to me.
We freeze lemon juice when the Spanish crop is at its peak. I juice the lemons and pour the juice in an ice cube tray. Freeze, then pop them out and into a freezer bag. I’ve never baked sweet with the frozen juice, but I’ve cooked a lot of savory dishes and it works well.
Hey, sometimes a crash works out for the best, right? I was rather pleased (ok, maybe overjoyed) with how this cake turned out! Looking back, I might take the photos differently, but that doesn’t affect the taste.
Wait…a lemon/lime tree in your house? That’s awesome! I wonder if I could grow one of those indoors here? Of course, that might make me want G&Ts more often! 🙂 Also, that’s a great idea about freezing lemon juice from fresh lemons. I’ll have to keep that kitchen hack in mind for sure. Thanks for the tip, my friend!
Yes, you can grow an indoor variety of lemons in your house!
Of course, they don’t produce a lot of lemons like outdoor trees, but nothing beats the flavors of homegrown fresh fruits! Do try it out.
Interesting! We have a tiny little lemon bush that I’ve diligently kept alive over the years. I bring it inside every winter and put it outside every summer. It grows well, but so far it’s only produced lemons one year…the first year. However, with that said, I see a couple of tiny fruits starting to grow on it this year. *Fingers crossed*
Whoa, talk about hugeeee lemons! A friend of mine has a lemon tree in her backyard in San Diego, and this tree makes MASSIVE lemons. Not quite 9 pounds, but still, the biggest lemons I’ve ever seen in real life!
I always nab a few lemons at the grocery store because I feel like I use them for random things. A little zest here, a bit of juice there!
Man, I would love to be able to grow citrus trees in our backyard! We planted a couple fruit trees at the old house, but we failed to calculate how long it takes fruit trees to mature. (Hint: It’s a long time…longer than we had at that house!) Lemons really are a great thing to always keep in the fridge! Thanks, Nicole!
Disney has scientists? I never knew! Do you think a 9-pound lemon tastes different than a regular one? Like more bitter or more lemony or something? I’m very curious. And I think I’d like a slice of this cake to munch on while I wonder about all the other fruits that could be made giant. Maybe a 30-pound blueberry? Think of all the delicious cakes you could make with that!
Yah, tell me about it! I wonder if I could go be a scientist at Disney. I also wonder if the scientists all wear Mickey ears? I feel like they should…you know, to help channel brilliance and such. 🙂 So I’d have to think that the 9-pound lemons taste different from the lemons we are used to in stores. I dunno though. Perhaps a research trip to Disney is in order!
Also, if we had a 9-pound lemon and a 30-pound blueberry…we’d only have one option, Kelsie: make a 126-pound Lemon Blueberry Cake, of course!
I can’t imagine a 9-pound lemon – lol! My mind immediately went to how on Earth you’d juice it and how big the seeds would be!
Love this cake meets blueberry muffin, especially with that tangy lemon. I love that you used both juice and zest!
Hah! I hadn’t thought about juicing that bad boy, Marissa. That would be a challenge indeed! Maybe just get a cinder block and drop it on the lemon? 🙂
9 pound lemon?! Say whaaaaaat??? That’s insane! I absolutely love blueberries + lemon together and this cake looks downright divine, my friend! Hubby and I would devour our fair share of this beauty, that’s for sure! Pinned. Hope your week is going great so far 🙂
We definitely devoured our share of this cake, but I think I still have some stashed in the freezer. (Hmmm…or did I send this one to Laura’s coworkers? I hope not!) Week is going well here, but I am SO ready for a glass of wine for Thirsty Thursday tonight. You going to join in? Cheers, Dawn!
Hi David! This cakes screams Spring to me! I love lemon and blueberry together. I will have to make this for my son. A nine pound lemon could make a lot of lemonade, but you wouldn’t have room for anything else in that drawer of the refrigerator!
As usual great cake, you are an amazing baker!
I hear ya, Dorothy! Spring just screams citrus desserts to me, and this Lemon Blueberry Cake fit the bill quite nicely. 🙂 You make an excellent point about that 9-pound lemon, too. How exactly would one go about storing something like that!? I’ll just stick to my normal-sized lemons I think…although seeing a lemon like that would be pretty darned cool! Thanks so much, my friend. And cheers to a great week ahead!
Oooh this cake looks fantastic, David! Indeed, when I saw the first photo, I thought it was a mousse cake – the sponge cake layers look light and airy. I also like that this recipe doesn’t require egg yolks which doesn’t give yellowish colour – these pale layers are just perfect match for the frosting and all this spring flavours. Beautiful!
I can totally see how you’d think mousse based on these photos, Ben. It’s a traditional cake, but the crumb totally reminds me of a muffin. Basically one giant muffin…with frosting. 🙂 This is my go-to white cake recipe so that’s why it calls for so many egg whites and no yolks. Thanks so much for the kind words, my friend!
hevaenly awesomeeee looking cake I must tell you. Literally feel like grabing straight from the pics 😉 And i am totally shocked with that 9-pound lemon- wohhhhhh
Haha! Thank you so much, Priya! Don’t you just wish monitors existed where you could just reach in and grab a slice of cake? Haha! I hope you had a great weekend, my friend!
Delicious! Lemon and blueberry is up there with some of my favourite combinations of all time! This cake is superb – and I love the colour the blueberries give it – so pretty!
I know your seasons are opposite, Alexandra, but this time of the year just screams citrus dessert to me! This lemon + blueberry cake is definitely a favorite of mine…the crumb of the cake reminds me of muffins, and the cream cheese frosting is nice and lemony. 🙂 Maybe save this idea for about 6 months from now? Haha!
Anything with lemon in I love. Especially some good home baking. The addition of the blueberries makes this cake look super moist and even tastier. I always have a bag of lemons in the house as I love my lemon green tea first thing in the morning so I’m eyeing up this recipe to use my spare lemons from there.
I’m sitting here sipping on a cup of tea as I type, Neil. I hear ya on lemons in tea! These lemons were leftover from a round of baking, though. I just love lemon desserts in the Spring! Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend!
Good Lord, David, this cake looks incredible. I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Lemon and blueberry individually are among my favorite flavors, and they go perfectly together. I’ve never had lemon cream cheese frosting, so that’ll be a first.
I’m not sure what I think about a nine-pound lemon.
I wish I could just drop this cake right onto your desk, Jeff. Or if you are using a laptop, then right into your lap. Wouldn’t that be cool? The lemon cream cheese frosting here is quite nice…perfect for Spring in my opinion. And I love how the crumb of the cake reminds me of a muffin. Happy Monday, my friend!
Duuuude – you should NEVER kid about cake for breakfast! Blueberries + lemon means it’s totally ok to have this for breakfast (and lunch and dinner)! Good gosh, it’s a good thing Robbie isn’t reading yet or he’d see this and try convincing y’all! Seriously this is phenomenal – I’ve been wanting to stop by and check this out and WOW! While that 15 lb lemon is fascinating… I’d rather have a 15 lb version of this cake!
Hoping y’all are having a wonderful weekend!
Haha…I broke the cardinal rule about cake for breakfast, huh? 🙂 Oh, Robbie is getting VERY good at conning stuff out of us. Normally it doesn’t work, but it’s just funny to see the wheels turning in his brain as he tries to convince us. Soon enough I’ll have to be more careful about what I’m writing in these posts or he might start getting some ideas. Hah! Thanks so much, my friend!
David, how I wish I had some of this stashed in the freezer! It’s such a treat to have a craving and there it is in the freezer waiting for you. The crumb on the cake looks so tender and the blueberries mixed in look so juicy and delicious. The lemon cream cheese frosting seals the deal. I’m going to send the link to my kids for Mother’s Day. If they don’t take the hint, I’ll make it for myself!
So I just had to reorganize the freezer this past weekend, Kelly. It was a little embarrassing how many slices of cake are stashed in there. Either I need to bake fewer cake…or I need to start eating more cake. Haha! Too bad you aren’t in the area, or you’d have slices of cake showing up on your doorstep!
And I think this would make a great Mother’s Day dessert! The lemon cream cheese frosting is quite tasty, and the cake itself reminds me of the texture of a muffin. I love this one! Thanks so much for the kind words…and I hope your kids get the hint here! Haha.
very nice cake recipe its looking so yummy thank you for shearing keep it up.
Thanks so much, Megha!! 🙂
Hi i want to make this cake tomorrow I was wondering how many ounces packs of blueberries I need to buy for cake and also to decorate it as in the picture.Thank You it looks amazing. .Can I make this on Sunday for party onMonday?
Hey Diane! So the cake calls for 2.5 cups of blueberries, and that’s ~8-9 oz. You can totally get away with using frozen blueberries in the cake, though. Fresh are great (that’s what I used), but frozen would be fine. I would definitely recommend fresh for garnishing/decorating, though. I can’t remember how many blueberries it took to go all the way around the top and bottom of the cake. I’d guess another 8 oz. package should do it, though!
Also, you can totally make this cake on Sunday for a party on Monday. Happy baking, and I hope you enjoy this cake as much as we do (did)! 🙂
Hello! Great looking cake 😋
I have a question, what if i decided to bake it all at once in the same pan and then divide it in two layers, would it take the same time and heat to bake?!
I only have one pan 🤷🏻♀️
Hey Hanan! I don’t recommend baking it all at once in the same pan for a couple of reasons: the batter will be too much and the outside of the cake will burn before the inside is finished. Instead, I would recommend just dividing the batter into 3 parts as recommended in the recipe – then just bake one at a time. I hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy this cake!! 🙂
Love the cake. The flavor is wonderful. I found the cake very dense. Anyway to make it lighter.
Hey Sally! Thanks so much for stopping by. I’m really glad you liked the flavors in this cake – they go so well together, right? I agree that the cake is on the denser side. I personally like that as I love (!!) pound cakes, but I get that it’s not for everyone. For a lighter version, you could try the one I used for this Chocolate Chip Cake – the egg yolks and additional milk would both contribute to a lighter cake. https://spicedblog.com/chocolate-chip-cake.html. I’ve also used King Arthur Flour’s tender white cake recipe before, and I found it quite tasty: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/tender-white-cake-recipe. Hope this helps…happy baking!! And if you do make it again, stop back by and let me know what you did differently! I’m always looking for ideas. 🙂
06/01/2022 5:33 pm
My daughter wants me to make this cake for her birthday! I will be happy to make it, but now my daughter can’t eat anything with regular flour. So my question is : can I substitute regular flour for gluten free one or almond flour? I would appreciate your response to this matter very much! Thank you in advance!!!
Hey Maria! I’ve had great success using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour. You literally use it in place of all-purpose flour. They sell it on Amazon, but it’s a lot cheaper if you can find it in a store near you: https://www.bobsredmill.com/gluten-free-1-to-1-baking-flour.html (Click on “Find Stores”) Good luck, and happy early birthday to your daughter!!