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
Made this cake last year as the base tier for my four tier 8th anniversary in the military and it was amazing. The cake was so moist and flavorful and literally everyone raved about it. I loved it so much, I’m making it for one of the tiers of my wedding cake on the 29th! It’s fresh, has great texture, and I couldn’t recommend it enough. I love it enough to put it in my wedding even, lol.
I made this over the weekend.
Easy to follow and good flavor.
Very dense – which isn’t what I was looking for. I wanted something light, airy almost summer feeling.
The flavor was good. I added more lemon zest and then extra lemon zest to the icing.
I might would try again but looking for something light if you have a different recommendation.
Thanks!
Hi Ashley, Be careful not to overmeasure your flour. This will result in a heavy cake. For a lighter crumb, you can use the same amount of sifted cake flour instead.
Would there be a way to add a layer of blueberry curd to this cake??
Hi Sally,
i made this cake, followed your recipe EXACTLY. Even followed the timings and speeds very religiously. It turned out to be GREAT. Everyone really liked the cake.It looked really good, wish i could attach the picture here. I’m based in Dubai and its 18-19 degrees temperature here so working with butter cream was a little tough. Also almost everyone who ate the cake mentioned that the frosting was extra sweet. Would you recommend any edit in the frosting recipe?
Hi Sally,
Thank you for a wonderful site and recipes. I’ve made the Lemon Blueberry cake three times. The first time was perfect. The second and third time, while tasting great…was way too dense. I have no idea what I have done wrong. And I really don’t know the meaning of “over-mixing,” as this sounds subjective to the individual. Anyway, I will read your article on making the perfect cake and see if I can figure out what went wrong. Everybody loves the cake!
Absolutely.
Hi Sally. Firstly, let me tell you I love your site & your recipes. You thought me how to make buttermilk & my own cake flour, thank you. I’m writing to tell you that I made your lemon & blueberry layer cake this weekend & I followed the recipe to the T. I even added my own homage cake flour & butter milk for extra lift & softness.
But it turned out heavy & slightly rubbery. I Was so disappointed as this was my birthday cake & I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out what went wrong, when it occurred to me, I used the whisk attachment instead of the paddle (I just got
a kitchen aid for Xmas & am still learning my way around it) I certainly didn’t over beat it & kept to your time line. But could the whisk instead of the paddle really be the cause of the heavy slightly rubbery texture or could it be something else?
I only have one cake tin that was suitable so I had to cook one, leave it to cool, remove it, clean it, regressed & line it, before I could pour the rest of the batter in. Could leaving it to sit there for 40 mins make the batter heavier, relaxing too much gluten?
Hi Chris! Thank you so much for the kind comment and message, it was so lovely to read! The dense, almost rubbery texture could be a result of each of those things, notably letting the batter sit until ready to bake. It’s best to bake all the batter at once. Baking powder is initially activated once it’s wet, so I always recommend baking cake batter right away. I have plenty more tips and ideas that will help you for next time, too– I actually wrote two very in depth posts that I know you’ll appreciate for this (and all) cake baking! 10 Baking Tips for Perfect Cakes and How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake.
This cake looks delicious! Can it be covered in fondant? How far in advance could it be made?
Hi Lisa, Yes this cake would hold up to fondant. However I don’t recommend using cream cheese frosting with fondant as cream cheese frosting should always be refrigerated. If you use buttercream and fondant this cake should be ok to make a day or two in advance and store covered at room temperature.
Hi Sally, I am making this cake for a birthday party. It’s my first time baking a cake (wish me luck) and I will need to transport it. I bought the baking pans via your link on Amazon and realized I also will need to buy something to transport the cake. I found a cake box 10x10x5 and also 10 inch cake board on Amazon. Not sure if this is the size or even what I will need to transport the cake safely from one location to another. Any suggestions? Thank you
Hi Carmen! Is the cake box only 5 inches tall? That wouldn’t be tall enough. I recommend a cake carrier. I link to my favorite in #10 on my 10 Baking Tips for Perfect Cakes post. I love cake carriers for storing and transporting cakes. The frosting is never ruined!
Hi Sally, Looks amazing! Is there a buttercream recipe without cream cheese that you’d recommend to go with this cake?
Hi Jenna, You can use my vanilla buttercream or if you love lemon you can use my lemon buttercream. Enjoy!
I followed this recipe to a t for my sons birthday party and used frozen blueberries. They didn’t rise at all 🙁 I think the coldness of the berries brought the temp too low and messed with the consistency. What a mess.
Hi!
I’m planning to make this for my son’s first birthday. I’m planning to do a tiered cake. A 9” layer topped with a 6” layer. I’m wondering how I could adjust the cake recipe and the frosting recipe for making three 6” cake layers? (I’m planning to make two separate batches, one for the 9” cakes and one for the 6” cakes). Thanks in advance!
Hi Leanne! I actually have a post dedicated to 6 inch cakes which you’ll find very helpful for this. Give that a read and use my lemon blueberry cupcakes batter for the 6 inch cake. When assembling, use cake boards and cake dowels for support for the top tier.
I’ve tried your lemon cupcake recipe and it was delicious!! My kids won’t stop asking me to make them again.. can I ask why this recipe ie for lemon cake is a little bit different? I dont buy buttermilk and was wondering what the different ingredients do for the end product… thank you for your delicious recipes!
Hi Sunnie! Buttermilk simply adds a bit of flavor and extra moisture. You can use whole milk in this cake if needed.
I used frozen blueberries and weighed them rather than just using a cup measurement, as instructed in the recipe. It turned out perfectly! It’s one of the most delicious cakes I’ve tasted .
Hi Sally,
I have 5 (7 x1.25 inch tins ) how long would I need to bake this cake and at what temp? I am making this for my best friends birthday.
Hi, Arusha! You can bake at the same temperature. I’m unsure of exact baking time, but likely just a little less than recommended in the recipe. I would keep an eye on it!
I made this cake as a test cake for my nephews wedding and it was spectacular! I used fresh blueberries and followed the directions and I was told by multiple people that it was the best cake they’ve ever had. I am definitely making this as their wedding cake.
This cake is amazing! I made it last summer when my son was home from college. When he came home for Christmas, he requested this cake! It is moist, delicious, and something that I dream about. Thank you, Sally, for this delicious recipe!
Thank you Sally for all the amazing recipes and I apologise if you have already answered this I cant find your answer. Can I omit the blueberry I want this recipe with out them thank you
Yes, you can leave the blueberry out for a lemon cake. I do have a separate post about my Lemon Layer Cake that was inspired by this recipe without the blueberries!
I made this cake this past summer (perfect summer cake!)and my family requested it for Christmas this year! So instead of something chocolatey we are having this amazing cake for Christmas! Thank you!!
I just have to say: I’ve made this cake several times, usually for birthdays. I forgot HOW GOOD it is, until I made it again a couple of days ago. If it were *safe* I could just eat the batter with a spoon!
Thanks for sharing it. I always have great success with your recipes!
Yes, three 8 inch pans will work! Your layers will be slightly taller but the bake time should remain around the same. Enjoy!
Favorite cake – I first made this for my daughters 1 rst birthday four years ago. It is the most requested cake I make. I love lemon so much and my daughter loves blueberries – this cake perfectly showcases them both in a perfect moist cake
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes and the special tips. I made this for my family and decorated with edible flowers…. it was absolutely divine and enjoyed by all!! I made 2 cakes and froze the other with half the another occasion. Thank you so much again!!!
Hi! I make this cake quite often but was wondering if I could possibly use milk or half & half instead of buttermilk? My dad loves this cake for his birthday but would like it not as dense and more fluffy this time,would changing the buttermilk help or something else like changing the flour or something? Thank you! Delicious recipe btw 🙂
Hi Cassandra, I recommend sticking with full fat buttermilk for the best texture. For a lighter crumb, you can use 3 + 1/4 cups (about 325g) sifted cake flour instead of all purpose. Enjoy!
Very good if you plan on eating it immediately after frosting. Day 2 the cake was a lot more heavy, the lemon flavor was overpowered by the flavor of flour. Had to double to frosting to have enough to frost the cake. The frosting was the most delicious part. I added a tablespoon of lemon juice to the frosting.
Hi Sally, just a quick question, would it be TOO MUCH lemon if I add lemon curd between the cake layers and omit the bluberries?
Not at all! It would be a supremely lemon cake. Delicious if you love lemon desserts. Here is my suggested lemon curd recipe.
Baking my way through your recipes and this one stole the show. I have never had any luck baking homemade cakes in the past. This was just delicious and turned out just as I had hoped. Thanks for sharing your recipe and your talent!
Sally, I wanted to let you know that I made your cake last week and it turned out better than any cake I have ever made in my life (I am 60). I love lemon and blueberry and so often recipes never have enough lemon flavor for me. This cake was very lemony and super moist and light. I also added the zest and juice of one lemon to my frosting, omitting the cream. My husband took about half the cake to his workplace and everyone there said it was the best cake they had ever had. Thanks again for this wonderful recipe, I will be using it again and again.
I’ve made this cake at least 5 times (always with cake flour and frozen blueberries) and every time it’s perfection. Most recently I had a relative describe it as “heavenly.” Everyone who’s had it has always told me that it’s not just delicious but unique too. Thanks Sally for an A++++ recipe!
I’ve made this twice and love it! I also added lemon pie filling between the layers, along with the frosting