Quick and Easy Lemon Blueberry Cake
This post may contain affiliate links.
This Lemon Blueberry Cake recipe and easy cake to put together and it is great when you want to bake something with blueberries and lemon – a truly delicious combination.
This Lemon blueberry cake is one of those recipes I keep coming back to because it never lets me down. The combination of tangy lemon and juicy blueberries baked into a soft, tender cake is just so good. That warm lemon sugar drizzle soaks right in and makes every single slice incredibly moist and full of citrus flavor. If you love bright, fresh desserts,
This cake is a great choice any time of year, but it’s especially wonderful for spring and summer get-togethers, baby showers, or bridal showers. If you love fruity desserts, you might also want to check out my lemon blueberry pound cake – it’s another one that celebrates this same amazing flavor combination in a whole different way.
There is nothing like the sweet and tangy flavors of lemon and blueberry meshing together to make a tasty snack cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Great for brunch, dessert, or afternoon coffee
- Soft and moist texture
- Bright fresh lemon flavor
- Loaded with juicy blueberries
- Easy to make from scratch
It is one of our favorite cakes to make this time of year. Perfect as a breakfast or brunch bread, as a dessert or as a potluck dessert.
You can make it with frozen blueberries, but since I can usually get fresh ones, it use them.
Blueberry Lemon Cake Ingredients
Ingredients for Lemon Blueberry Cake
- This cake is made with fresh, wholesome ingredients for the best results. Here are a few worth noting before you get started.
- Fresh Blueberries – Fresh blueberries work best here. They hold their shape in the batter and give you those beautiful bursts of fruit in every bite. If you only have frozen, you can use them – just do not thaw them first. Toss them straight from the freezer into the batter to help prevent them from sinking or bleeding too much color.
- Lemon Zest and Lemon Extract – This recipe uses both, and that double lemon flavor is what makes this cake so bright and special. Use fresh lemons for the zest and the juice for the best flavor. Bottled lemon juice just won’t give you the same result.
- Cool Whip – This is the frosting for this cake and it keeps things simple and light. Make sure it is fully thawed before using so it spreads smoothly over the cooled cake.
- If you enjoy simple lemony bakes, my Starbucks lemon pound cake copycat is another one you’ll want to try. It has that same rich lemon flavor in a dense, buttery loaf.
Equipment & Kitchen Tools
- large bowl
- 8 or 9 inch loaf pan
- electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- wire rack
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cake
This is an overview of the step-by-step instructions. For the full list of ingredients and detailed directions, see the recipe card below
Step 1 – Preheat your oven to 375° F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. Cream butter in a large bowl.
Step 2 – Add 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs and extracts and mix until combined.
Step 3 – In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the milk.
Step 4 – Dust the blueberries in some flour.
.
Step 5 – Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture, mixing between each addition.
Step 6 – Gently fold in the fresh blueberries.
Step 7 – Gently fold in the fresh blueberries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. While the cake bakes, combine the remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
Step 8 – Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes all over the top using a toothpick or skewer. Drizzle the warm lemon sugar mixture evenly over the top. Let the cake cool completely before frosting
Step 9 – Spread the cool whip evenly over the cooled cake
Save The Recipe!
Add your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox+ you’ll receive all our newest recipes
Top each slice with extra fresh blueberries or lemon slices if you like. Slice and enjoy!
For even more cake recipes to browse and bake, I have a whole collection you’ll love.
Pro Tips and Timesaver Shortcuts to make the best lemon-blueberry pound cake recipe
- You can bake this ahead of time. Just wrap the loaf (after cooling) tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature up to 4 days or refrigerate up to 10 days.
- No fresh blueberries? No problem, you can use frozen too!
- I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice, but I highly recommend using real lemons if you can get them.
- Use softened butter for easy blending. Leave butter at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or place in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- For best results, let cake cool before cutting. Use a sharp serrated knife.
- Store pound cake with aluminum foil and then plastic wrap. Seal in an airtight container.
- To Bake ahead: Bake cake as directed. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap then wrap loosely in heavy-duty foil. Freeze up to 1 month.
Variations and Substitutions
- You can use frozen blueberries if fresh are not available. Do not thaw them before folding into the batter.
- Swap the lemon extract for more fresh lemon zest if you prefer to keep things all-natural.
- Any milk will work in this recipe – whole milk, 2%, or a plant-based barista-style milk all work well.
- No cool whip on hand? You can make a simple homemade whipped cream instead. Just whip heavy cream with a little powdered sugar (also known as confectioners’ sugar) until soft peaks form..
More Classic Dessert Cak Recipes
Recipe FAQS
Can I make this cake ahead of time? Yes! This cake is actually great to make a day ahead. Bake the cake, do the lemon sugar soak, and let it cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Add the cool whip frosting the next day before serving.
Can I use a lemon cake mix instead of making it from scratch? You can! If you want a shortcut, a boxed lemon cake mix works well as a base. You will still want to do the blueberry fold-in and the lemon sugar soak for the best flavor and moisture.
Why did my blueberries sink to the bottom? The best way to prevent this is to toss your blueberries in a tablespoon of flour before folding them into the batter. It helps them stay suspended while baking.
Can I use a different pan size? This recipe is written for a 9×13 inch pan. If you want to use round cake pans, divide the batter evenly between two 9-inch rounds and adjust the baking time – start checking around 22-25 minutes.
Do I have to use fresh lemon juice? Fresh is strongly recommended here. Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest give you a much brighter, more true lemon flavor than bottled juice
This cake is perfect for tea time too! If you love the lemon blueberry combination as much as I do, be sure to try this Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Butter Cake or these Simple Blueberry Scones.
Lemon Blueberry Cake
Equipment
- large mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar divided
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. lemon extract
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour + 1 tbsp.
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 8 ounces cool whip
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the 3/4 cup butter and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, until fluffy 1-2 min.
- Add the eggs and extracts, and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.
- Add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice to the milk, and alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture, mixing in between additions.
- Once the batter is combined, carefully fold in the blueberries.
- Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar to a medium saucepan. Heat until steamy, whisking until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat.
- Once the cake has finished baking, use a toothpick to poke holes throughout the top of the cake.
- Drizzle the lemon juice and sugar mixture over top.
- Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Use the 8 ounce of cool whip to frost the cake.
- Top each piece with extra fresh lemon slices or blueberries, optional.
Notes
- Don’t overmix the batter.
- Coat blueberries with flour before folding them into the batter.
- Use fresh lemon zest for the brightest flavor.
- Let the cake cool completely before glazing.
- Test for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center
Nutrition
If you are not yet subscribing to my CELEBRATE THE SEASON newsletter, you can subscribe here. I share easy recipes for the season that the entire family is sure to love and also a few things that I don’t share here.
This looks soooo yummy!! I love lemon anything! xx
Thank you Rose! Me too I love lemon!
Oh, that looks yummy! It would make a great gift… or breakfast 🙂
Yes, good idea – it would make a good gift too Ashley!
So fresh and reminds me of summer, which is a big plus. I really have gotten to love the tastes of blueberry and lemon together.
I’m afraid if I made this, I’d eat it all myself! This looks too delicious!
I know what you mean Christina! Happy Halloween!
This looks great Raquel!! This is exactly the kind of treat I like to enjoy when I get home from a day at work…. also a good morning bite 😉
Thanks Jamie! It does make a great after-work treat too!
Hi Raquel, I recently found your blog and love all the recipes I’ve seen so far. I DO HAVE A REQUEST though: The “print” function makes the recipe so tiny, I guess, for a recipe card; but many of us use full page recipes and it’s so much work to resize everything. Next time you do an upgrade, would you look into adding the printing widget that offer a full-page or 5×7 and 4×6 recipe card versions from which to choose? Thanks so much and cook on!
HI…. well, isn’t that embarrassing! I’m so sorry… I went back again to check settings and see if I did something wrong and the printer settings had been set to 60% scale, so my preview was skewing the results…. PLEASE REMOVE COMMENT! my apologies.
this recipe is so delicious and easy to make
This Lemon Blueberry Cake is soo mouthwatering!
Lemon and blueberry is one of my favorite summer flavor combinations! This cake is the absolute best way to enjoy it!