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 I 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 first published this 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! Cookies? You’ll love these lemon blueberry cookies.
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 I bake it in 2, 8 inch pans
Hi Ruhi, There will be too much batter for just two pans. You can either reduce the recipe by 1/3, or the easiest way would be to simply use the recipe as written and make a few cupcakes with the leftover batter.
Is there a different frosting you can recommend for this cake? My husband doesn’t eat cream cheese and he’s asked for a lemon cake for his birthday 🙂
Hi Lesley, we love this lemon buttercream!
This. Is. Amazing!!! Thank you for such an easy, straightforward recipe! I made it for the first time as a birthday cake for-me!! I’m the baker in our family so I knew I had to try something new and special for my birthday! It did not disappoint! Sally-you’re my go to on anything baking and desserts. Especially cake! I knew if this was on your website and it was one of the most popular, that making it for the first time for my little family party wouldn’t be an issue. I wasn’t concerned at all. In fact I may make it for a church bake sale we have this weekend!
My son, who is 20 years old, said he wants this for his birthday cake! It’s that good!! Thanks again for such a stellar cake recipe!!
Hi, I love this recipe and made it as a sheet cake last year. I’m going to make a layer cake this time, but wondering if this could be made in two 9″ cake pans instead of 3?
Hi Nicole, the layers will be quite thick and may bake unevenly if baked in two pans, but some bakers have reported success doing so. The bake time will be longer. Let us know if you try!
Hi Nicole! I made it in two 9” pans with no problems. It came out great!
Does the Buttermilk have to be room temperature?
Hi NHGIRL, yes, its important to have the buttermilk at room temperature so that the ingredients can incorporate properly without curdling. Here’s more on the importance of room temperature ingredients.
I loved this recipe. I made a single 9×13 cake. Came out moist and delicious. The cream cheese frosting is off the charts good. Those that were lucky enough to get a piece were blown away by the flavor.
Mahalo for the recipe
Joe
Hi Sally, cake is in the oven now, I turned down the temp to 325 as it’s getting brown but not done in middle. I wasn’t sure on the consistency of the batter, should it be thick or loose. Mine was a little thick so I added a bit more milk. Was this a good idea? Any advice on the final thickness and what to do if too thick? I just hope it turns out. Smells really good so far. Thankyou
Hi Sami, the batter will be quite thick, you can reference the photos in the post above and the video in the recipe card. Adding too much liquid will change the way the cake bakes, and it may not bake through properly. You can try tenting the pans with foil to prevent the tops from burning while the middles continue to bake.
I’m going to make this, this weekend for my birthday! It looks delicious. I plan to do a lemon curd filling and a light frost, more of a naked cake.
I am going to make this cake in a bundt pan (blossom pan) Do I need to adjust anything in the recipe?
Hi Tim, see recipe notes for Bundt cake details. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
This was a great recipe! I made it for my dad‘s 95th birthday party. I received wow compliments all around! Your recipes are always delicious, easy to follow, and straightforward. And most importantly they work! I’m not one to do a test run on a recipe before I present it to my guests, so I’m very grateful that your recipes just plain work the first time. Thank you for such a delicious recipe I can’t wait to make it again for my husband‘s birthday coming up.
Hi, comparing this frosting recipe here with the lemon and blueberry cupcakes frosting recipe, the amount of cream cheese is the same (226g). Should this be doubled in the cake recipe?
Hi Deborah, This frosting recipe is a bit more sturdy to hold up on a cake so the amounts listed are correct. Let us know if you give it a try.
Delicious, straight forward recipe.
I made two 8-in, in 200 degrees celsius without fan. They came out beautiful and almost flat topped in about 30 minutes. The frost was more than enough to add a thick layer, and frost the whole cake. And it was delicious (might add some lemon or lime zest next time).
As soon as I added the buttermilk and lemon juice, the baking powder went BAM and the batter became foam-like- do not over mix or you’ll kill all the bubbles.
I would prefer to use oil instead of butter, any advice?
Hi Kat, this recipe needs butter, we don’t recommend swapping in oil. So glad you loved it!
I love this recipe lemon blueberry cake. I made this cake often for cookouts and special occasions and people just love it.
My blueberries do fall the bottom , but it’s still good.
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! Thank you! I have made numerous wedding cakes with it and it’s always a crowd pleaser. I use all organic ingredients and make my own buttermilk with 1/2 & 1/2.
Horrendous recipe. Too much sugar, too much fat
I can’t wait to try this one and looking forward to more moist cake recipes
I’m really excited to try this recipe for my daughter’s 6th birthday as she has requested blueberry cake! I’m going to use 6 inch pans so I figure I’ll just need to cut down on the baking time. My main question is due to a busy week I’d like to bake the cake Thursday for her party Saturday. Should I refrigerate it after it’s baked? I’m not sure if I’ll be frosting it Friday or Saturday and I plan to use buttercream as she would prefer that even though I love cream cheese frosting!
Thanks!
Hi Janel, this is much too much batter for 6 inch cake pans. Our lemon blueberry cupcakes recipe makes the perfect amount of batter for a three layer 6 inch cake. More on using cupcake recipes to make 6 inch cakes here. If making a cake more than 1 day in advance, we suggest freezing the cake layers, then assembling the day of serving. Refrigerating a cake will dry it out. Hope this helps and happy baking!
Looking forward to making this cake!! Would I be able to bake this into a 10inch round pan? Any suggestions on how to multiply the recipe for a 2 layer 10inch round?
Hi Janvi, We haven’t tested that size, but you can reference this guide to determine how much batter you’ll need for your 10 inch pans.
I have made this recipe countless times and every single time it is the BEST cake I’ve ever had! It’s my go to when I want to impress a crowd and my family loves the results every time. Thank you for sharing this recipe. My all time favorite!
What a gorgeous cake! Sorry a novice question: in the video, when you were assembling the cakes, did you turn the second and third layer so that the bottom was on top? seemed like it was upside down? thanks so much
Hi KV, we did turn them upside down just so we have an extra flat surface to stack the cake on, but either way works if you are leveling your cake layers.
I’ve made the lemon blueberry cupcakes and they are heavenly. I was wondering if I could rim the inside cake layers with the frosting and put some lemon curd in the centers?
Hi Esther, lemon curd would be lovely between the layers.
Hi Sally! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I made this cake for our 10th wedding anniversary, and it tastes so good. My husband loves it! I just reduced the powdered sugar to 3 cups, and it’s still delicious.
This recipe is incredible. Really easy and came out great. I really appreciated all of the notes about things to consider. Thank you!
Made this today and it came out perfect! Did two 9inch pans instead of 3 and baked for just over 30 mins until the toothpick came out clear. Cake was super moist and had lots of lemon flavor. I beat my milk and lemon juice in for about a minute and came was super moist and fluffy.
Loved this recipe! Is it possible to substitute the blueberries for strawberries? If so, any extra steps or things I should keep in mind?
My little one is asking for a strawberry lemon cake for her birthday and thought this would be a great recipe.
Hi Joann, you can certainly use chopped strawberries in this batter instead.
This recipe is amazing! I have had many people say they don’t like lemon blueberry cake, but rave about this one. I will add strawberries to the top for the Fourth of July for added holiday flare!
Hello…I love your chocolate cake. I wanted to make it, but I saw that it does not have baking soda. Does this make a difference in the recipe?
Hi Jessica! All recipes are different. Here’s more information on baking soda vs. baking powder in baking.
This is an amazing recipe. The flavor of the lemon and blue berries is a perfect combination. The cake is moist and the cream cheese frosting marries up to the flavors perfectly.
Hi Stephanie, yes, you can bake the layers one at a time. Leave the remaining batter covered at room temperature while waiting for the current layer to bake. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Curious if it would be ok to use cake flour for this recipe? I have some I need to use!
Hi Shawna, 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!