This recipe for Lemon Blueberry Cake makes a wonderfully flavorful lemon cake packed with fruity goodness. It’s sunshine on a plate!
I love making this cake at the start of spring when the weather starts getting warmer and you feel winter departing. This sunshiny cake lifts the spirits and looks as good as it tastes!
JUMP TO RECIPEWhy This Recipe Works
- Fresh Lemon Juice and lemon zest create a delicious cake packed with flavor in every bite.
- Using sturdy all-purpose flour makes the batter strong enough to hold up the berries and wet ingredients.
- Cream Cheese & Sour Cream adds moisture tangy flavor and helps the batter stay thick enough to keep the blueberries from sinking.
Bundt cakes tend to dry out because they’re so large, but not this one! I used great ingredients for maximum moisture, flavor, and texture. Read on for my recommendations.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour to offer the strength needed for this substantial cake.
- Baking Soda: ¾ of a teaspoon of baking soda is more than typically used in cake, but it’s needed for this substantial cake. Be sure to check the date on your baking soda as out-of-date rising agents may not work.
- Butter: This is a very buttery cake, so there’s lots of butter. I have used both salted and unsalted, but use unsalted if you’re worried about salt levels.
- Lemon Juice & Zest: You can’t achieve an excellent lemon blueberry cake without flavor from real lemons. I use both lemon zest and juice for added flavor and moisture. I don’t recommend bottled juice because it can be bitter and lacks a natural flavor.
- Eggs: Use large or jumbo eggs.
- Cream Cheese – Use whole fat cream cheese from a block, not the spreadable kind you find in tubs.
- Sour Cream: Use full-fat sour cream as reduced-fat liquifies and thins out the batter. You can use any milk you have on hand.
- Blueberries: Use fresh or frozen– I tested the cake with both. If using frozen, be sure not to thaw them out first.
- Yellow Food Coloring: I added a bit of yellow gel food coloring to make the color pop in photos, but this is optional.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and generously grease a 10-inch (12-cup) bundt pan, being sure to coat all of the nooks and crannies. I suggest using a non-stick baking spray that has flour in it.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a small heat-safe bowl, soften the butter and cream cheese together in the microwave until very soft but not completely melted (don’t worry if some of the butter melts). Add to a mixing bowl and beat to combine.
Add all the wet ingredients and sugar into the bowl. Mix into the cream cheese mixture until combined.
Add half the flour mixture to the bowl.
Mix until combined, and then mix the remaining dry ingredients by hand until incorporated. The batter will be thick.
Add the blueberries to the bowl.
Then gently fold the blueberries and spread the mixture evenly into your prepared pan.
Bake for 55-70 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean with just a couple of lightly moist crumbs. This is a large cake, so don’t be alarmed if it takes a little longer in the oven.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 20 minutes. Then invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely.
Prepare the icing and drizzle over the cooled cake and allow the icing to set before serving.
Serve and enjoy!
Erren’s Top Tips
- When baking with sour cream, it’s essential to use full-fat sour cream as reduced-fat, and fat-free sour cream liquefies when heated and turns watery.
- Be careful not to over mix the batter: Once the flour is added to the batter, try mixing by hand. Over mixing will result in a dense or rubbery cake.
- You can substitute sour cream in this recipe with buttermilk.
- This cake batter will be very thick, so be gentle when you fold in the blueberries to avoid damaging them.
- Use foil to avoid over-browning the cake. Halfway through the baking time, check to see if the cake is getting too brown (you should never open the oven before halfway through the baking process). If so, carefully cover the cake with foil and return to the oven to finish baking.
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions ❄
Make-Ahead: This lemon blueberry cake can be made a day before serving. Store without the icing covered at room temperature and ice before serving.
Freezing: Freeze (without the icing) well wrapped or in an airtight container for up to three months—thaw overnight and ice before serving.
Stay Updated
Receive new recipes & dinner ideas straight to your inbox!
Let’s Make Lemon Blueberry Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1½ cup sugar
- 6 oz butter (¾ cup/1½ stick) softened
- ⅓ cup cream cheese (about 2.5 oz) softened
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest finely grated
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups blueberries washed and dried
For the Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 to 4 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and generously grease a 10-inch (12-cup) bundt pan, being sure to coat all of the nooks and crannies. I suggest using a non-stick baking spray that has flour in it.
- In a small heat-safe bowl, soften the butter and cream cheese together in the microwave until very soft but not completely melted (don’t worry if some of the butter melts).
- Add to a mixing bowl and beat to combine.
- Mix all the wet ingredients (including the food coloring if using) and sugar to the cream cheese mixture until combined. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients by hand.
- Fold in the blueberries (reserving some of them for after the batter is added to the pan).
- Add the batter evenly into the pan.
- Bake for 55-70 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean with just a couple of lightly moist crumbs. This is a large, heavy cake, so don’t be alarmed if it takes a little longer in the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 20 minutes. Then invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely.
For the Icing
- Make sure cream cheese and butter are at room temperature, or the icing will be lumpy. Blend the cream cheese and butter in a medium mixing bowl until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, blending after each addition.
- Add the lemon juice and hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is the desired consistency and can be poured (I like mine quite thick).
- Pour the icing over the cooled cake and use the cake crumbs to decorate by sprinkling them over the icing.
Tips + Notes
- When baking with sour cream, it’s essential to use full-fat sour cream as reduced fat and fat-free sour cream liquefies when heated and turns watery.
- Be careful not to over mix the batter: Once the flour is added to the batter, try mixing by hand instead of with a mixer. Over mixing will result in a tough, dense cake.
- You can substitute sour cream in this recipe with buttermilk.
- This cake batter will be very thick, so be gentle when you fold in the blueberries to avoid damaging them.
- Use foil to avoid over-browning the cake. Halfway through the baking time, check to see if the cake is getting too brown (you should never open the oven before halfway through the baking process). If so, carefully cover the cake with foil and return to the oven to finish baking.
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2017, but was republished with a new recipe, tips, and photos in March of 2022.
anglemoine says
I absolutely LOVE the flavor combinations going on in these cakes!!! Beautiful recipe and photos!
Erren says
Thanks so much! 🙂
Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says
What gorgeous little cakes! Anything with blueberries always a fav of mine!
ForkandForage says
Beautiful photos…they look so mouthwatering!
peter @feedyoursoultoo says
Just beautiful. I can taste the lemon!
Nicole Neverman says
These cakes are both gorgeous and delicious! What beautiful flavors 🙂
taranoland says
These are gorgeous, plus I love lemon and blueberry together!
Culinary Ginger says
What delicious cakes with bright flavors just in time for Spring. Lovely recipe.
Amanda says
Hi Erren, Made these yesterday using a muffin pan – AMAZING! Thanks so much!
Erren says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Mariah @ Mariah's Pleasing Plates says
Erren* Apparently I can’t type today!
Mariah @ Mariah's Pleasing Plates says
So beautiful Erred! A perfect spring dessert! Pinned!
Erren says
Thanks so much for the Pin Mariah! Love your blog!