Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake (Printable Version)

Moist layers infused with fresh blueberries and lemon, topped with zesty cream cheese frosting for spring gatherings.

# What You Need:

→ Cake Batter

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
09 - 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
11 - 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
12 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for tossing

→ Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

13 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
14 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
15 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
17 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
18 - Pinch of salt

→ Decoration

19 - Fresh blueberries
20 - Lemon zest curls
21 - Edible flowers

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in lemon zest and lemon juice until fully combined.
05 - Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour to prevent sinking, then gently fold into the batter using a rubber spatula.
07 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula.
08 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
10 - Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until fluffy and spreadable.
11 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread with frosting. Repeat with remaining layers, then frost the top and sides of the assembled cake.
12 - Top with fresh blueberries, lemon zest curls, and edible flowers as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The lemon flavor is bright without being harsh, and the blueberries melt into pockets of tartness throughout the cake.
  • Three layers make it feel fancy enough for a party, but the actual baking time is honestly pretty forgiving.
  • That cream cheese frosting? It's tangy and smooth, and it somehow gets better the next day when the flavors settle together.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not optional—they're what separate a fluffy, tender cake from a dense, disappointing one, and I've had to learn this lesson more than once.
  • Don't skip the step of tossing your blueberries in flour before folding them in; it's the difference between a cake with berry pockets and a berry cake with cake around the edges.
  • If you're making this ahead, bake and cool the layers completely, wrap them tightly, and they'll keep for a day in the fridge or even a day in the freezer before assembly.
03 -
  • If your cream cheese frosting looks grainy or lumpy, your cream cheese or butter wasn't soft enough—next time, let them sit out for about an hour before you start, or cut them into small pieces so they soften faster.
  • Don't frost the cake until the layers are completely cool—warm cake will melt the frosting and it will slide right off the sides, which happened to me exactly once and was both funny and frustrating.
  • A bench scraper or offset spatula is your best friend when frosting the sides—dip it in hot water and wipe it clean between strokes to get smooth frosting instead of crumbs.
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