Soft and moist blackberry cake with fluffy blackberry lemon buttercream frosting. This blackberry lemon cake is sweet and tart with plenty of juicy berries!

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This Blackberry cake is soft and moist and has a fluffy lemon blackberry buttercream frosting. The lemon juice cuts the sweetness and brightens up the whole cake. You’ll enjoy every bite as it hits your taste buds; sweet, tart and tangy. And of course the fresh blackberries were plump, juicy and wonderful!

I made this blackberry cake for my niece’s birthday and it was…good and so pretty (with decor inspiration from Allie)! Then I kept working on the cake, adding more lemon and the results were fantastic. Thankfully another niece was having a birthday the following weekend so it became her birthday cake.

This was much safer than leaving the cake at home with me, alone – with just the cake and I – and a fork. No one even noticed that I had taken out a slice to photograph it and then carefully replaced it and patched the frosting #smooth. My family was completely smitten with this cake!

Soft and moist blackberry cake with fluffy blackberry lemon buttercream frosting. This blackberry lemon cake is sweet and tart with plenty of juicy berries!

Blackberry Cake Ingredients:

6 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1/2 tsp baking powder

Simple Lemon Syrup:

3/4 cup warm water
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
4 Tbsp Lemon Juice (from 1 large lemon)

Blackberry Frosting Ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz Cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 tsp salt (I used fine sea salt)
2 packages (6 ounces each) blackberries, divided (1 cup for frosting, 1 cup sliced for layers, 6 berries for decor).
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice from 1 medium lemon
Crystal sprinkles, optional

Soft and moist blackberry cake with fluffy blackberry lemon buttercream frosting. This blackberry lemon cake is sweet and tart with plenty of juicy berries!

How to Make the Blackberry Cake:

Watch the video before you get started:


Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line bottoms of two 9″ cake pans with parchment paper (do not grease the sides).
1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment (this is the one I have), beat 6 large eggs for 1 minute on high speed. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating 8-10 minutes until thick and fluffy.

Blackberry Cake Recipe-8

Blackberry Cake Recipe-2

2. Whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder then sift this mixture into fluffy egg mixture one third at a time. Fold with a spatula with each addition just until incorporated. Scrape spatula from the bottom to catch any pockets of flour and stop mixing when no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.

Blackberry Cake Recipe-9

3. Divide evenly between prepared cake pans (it helps if you have a kitchen scale to weight the pans). Bake at 350˚F for 23-28 minutes (my oven took 25 min), or until top is golden brown. Remove from pan by sliding a thin spatula (here’s the one I love for cakes) around the edges then transfer to a wire rack and remove parchment backing. Cool cakes to room temperature then slice layers equally in half with a serrated knife.

Soft and moist blackberry cake with fluffy blackberry lemon buttercream frosting. This blackberry lemon cake is sweet and tart with plenty of juicy berries!

How to Make Lemon Blackberry Frosting:

1. Combine 2 Tbsp lemon juice with 1 cup blackberries in small saucepan. Simmer 6-7 minutes or until berries easily mash up with a fork then turn off heat. Strain through a fine mesh Strainer, pushing the blackberries through with a spatula until only seeds are left in strainer. Discard seeds and set the puree aside to cool completely to room temp (you should get 5 Tbsp puree).

Blackberry Cake Recipe-15

Blackberry Cake Recipe-3

2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, cream together 3 sticks butter, 3 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp salt on low speed until combined, scraping as necessary. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until white and fluffy (2 to 3 min).

3. Add cream cheese 1-piece at a time and mix until combined then continue to beat 2 min until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on, drizzle in blackberry syrup 1 Tbsp at a time then beat another minute.

Soft and moist blackberry cake with fluffy blackberry lemon buttercream frosting. This blackberry lemon cake is sweet and tart with plenty of juicy berries!

How to Assemble Blackberry Cake:

1. Slice 1 cup blackberries and set aside. Make your lemon syrup by combining 3/4 cup warm water, 1 Tbsp granulated sugar and 4 Tbsp Lemon Juice.

Blackberry Cake Recipe-14

2. Place first cake layer on serving platter cut-side up. Brush with 1/4 of the lemon syrup. Spread frosting over the top and layer with 1/3 sliced berries. Repeat with remaining layers placing the final layer cut-side-down, then frost the top and sides. (Tip: For the smoothest results, reserve flattest cake-layer for the top)

Soft and moist blackberry cake with fluffy blackberry lemon buttercream frosting. This blackberry lemon cake is sweet and tart with plenty of juicy berries!

3. Pipe remaining frosting onto cake. For the roses, I used a closed star Wilton 2D tip (here’s a tutorial I created awhile back for how to pipe frosting roses). Decorate with remaining blackberries. I sprinkled with sugar crystals since it was my niece’s princess party birthday cake :).

Soft and moist blackberry cake with fluffy blackberry lemon buttercream frosting. This blackberry lemon cake is sweet and tart with plenty of juicy berries!

Blackberry Cake Recipe

4.82 from 95 votes
This blackberry cake is soft and moist and has a fluffy lemon blackberry buttercream frosting. The lemon juice cuts the sweetness and brightens up the whole cake.
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 32 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 2 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 12 slices

Cake Ingredients:

Simple Lemon Syrup:

Blackberry Frosting Ingredients:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 sticks, 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 8 oz Cream cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp salt, I used fine sea salt
  • 12 oz blackberries
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice from 1 medium lemon
  • Crystal sprinkles, optional

Instructions

Prep: Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line bottoms of two 9" cake pans with parchment paper (do not grease the sides).

    How to Make the Cake:

    • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat 6 large eggs 1 min on high speed. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating 8-10 min until thick and fluffy.
    • Whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder then sift this mixture into fluffy egg mixture one third at a time. Fold with a spatula with each addition just until incorporated. Scrape spatula from the bottom to catch any pockets of flour and stop mixing when no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
    • Divide evenly between prepared cake pans and bake at 350˚F for 23-28 minutes (my oven took 25 min), or until top is golden brown. Remove from pan by sliding a thin spatula around the edges then transfer to a wire rack and remove parchment backing. Cool cakes to room temp then slice layers equally in half with a serrated knife.

    How to Make Lemon Blackberry Frosting:

    • Combine 2 Tbsp lemon juice with 1 cup blackberries in small saucepan. Simmer 6-7 minutes or until berries easily mash up with a fork then turn off heat. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pushing the blackberries through with a spatula until only seeds are left in strainer. Discard seeds and set the puree aside to cool completely to room temp (you should get 5 Tbsp puree).
    • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, cream together 3 sticks butter, 3 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp salt on low speed until combined, scraping as necessary. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until white and fluffy (2 to 3 min).
    • Add cream cheese 1-piece at a time and mix until combined then continue to beat 2 min until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on, drizzle in blackberry syrup 1 Tbsp at a time then beat another minute.

    How to Assemble Blackberry Cake:

    • Slice 1 cup blackberries and set aside. Make your lemon syrup by combining 3/4 cup warm water, 1 Tbsp granulated sugar and 4 Tbsp Lemon Juice.
    • Place first cake layer on serving platter cut-side up **. Brush with 1/4 of the lemon syrup. Spread frosting over the top and layer with 1/3 sliced berries. Repeat with remaining layers placing the final layer cut-side-down, then frost the top and sides.
    • Pipe remaining frosting onto cake. For the roses, use a closed star Wilton 2D tip. Decorate with remaining blackberries and sprinkle sugar crystals if desired.

    Notes

    *Divide berries as follows: 1 cup for frosting, 1 cup sliced for layers, 6 berries for decor
    **Tip: For the smoothest results, reserve flattest cake-layer for the top)

    Nutrition Per Serving

    334kcal Calories60g Carbs5g Protein9g Fat5g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat3g Monounsaturated Fat0.01g Trans Fat101mg Cholesterol191mg Sodium141mg Potassium2g Fiber49g Sugar438IU Vitamin A9mg Vitamin C49mg Calcium1mg Iron
    Nutrition Facts
    Blackberry Cake Recipe
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    334
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    9
    g
    14
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    31
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    0.01
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    101
    mg
    34
    %
    Sodium
     
    191
    mg
    8
    %
    Potassium
     
    141
    mg
    4
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    60
    g
    20
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    49
    g
    54
    %
    Protein
     
    5
    g
    10
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    438
    IU
    9
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    9
    mg
    11
    %
    Calcium
     
    49
    mg
    5
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Russian
    Keyword: blackberry cake
    Skill Level: Medium
    Cost to Make: $$
    Calories: 334
    Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

    If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

    Soft and moist blackberry cake with fluffy blackberry lemon buttercream frosting. This blackberry lemon cake is sweet and tart with plenty of juicy berries!

    Soft and moist blackberry cake with fluffy blackberry lemon buttercream frosting. This blackberry lemon cake is sweet and tart with plenty of juicy berries!
    4.82 from 95 votes (24 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Comment

    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    • Erica
      May 4, 2016

      Agh got everything to make it except parchment paper.. what can I do instead?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        May 4, 2016

        Hi Erica, it is best to have parchment paper with this sponge cake otherwise it will be very difficult to remove from the pan and it’s not recommended to grease the sides because the cake will pull away from the sides and you won’t achieve as flat of a cake layer. I’ve used wax paper before but with wax paper you have to remove it from the cake right away after it’s out of the oven or it will stick to the bottom like crazy.

        Reply

        • Erica
          May 5, 2016

          Thanks I actually greased some foil with butter and it turned out good! Also used raspberries instead everybody loved it!!

          Reply

    • Amy
      May 4, 2016

      Looks beautiful! I would like to try it as cupcakes. Any idea on bake time/temp to do that? Thanks!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        May 4, 2016

        Hi Amy, This cake is not ideal for cupcakes. Since it does not have any fat in it, it will stick to the cupcake liners badly and will be difficult to pry off. I recommend trying this cupcake base instead.

        Reply

    • Алсу
      May 1, 2016

      Oh thank you natasha for this beautiful and delicious cake! I made it last night and not even one piece was left(: the blackberries and lemon accent did wonders for this cake. Was not overly sweet .. It was perfect. God bless your hard work and am waiting for more always (;

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        May 1, 2016

        I’m so happy you loved it. Thank you for the wonderful review and your sweet comment. God bless you also! 🙂

        Reply

    • Natasha
      May 1, 2016

      Natashenka,
      Thank you so very much for all the recipes they really help me out especially since I’m still getting used to cooking/ baking in marriage lol. This cake looks amazing I can’t wait to try it!!! By the way I’m in love with the shop 🙂 so much stuff I don’t want to go look for at the store, it’s so nice to find them right here!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        May 1, 2016

        Awesome!! I’m so happy to hear you like it and find it useful :). My husband has spent many hours on it also putting in the items one by one as we think of them. I’ll be sure to share your comment with him 🙂

        Reply

    • Aigul
      April 30, 2016

      Just wanted to share I used mascarpone instead if cream cheese and skipped the butter… Oh my! It was so good! Attached is the pic of my cake, it doesn’t look fancy but is so yummy , thanks a lot!
      P s I can’t download my picture

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 30, 2016

        Thank you so much for sharing that with me! How much mascarpone did you use for the recipe? Did everything else stay the same? I love that idea – and it’s even healthier than buttercream! Unfortunately there’s no way to attach pictures on my site. Do you have a facebook account, maybe you could share a picture on my Facebook page? I’d love to see it!

        Reply

    • Stella
      April 30, 2016

      re: blackberry cake, can I used frozen blackberries to make this cake?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 30, 2016

        Hi Stella, I think fresh is best but thawed frozen blackberries would probably work.

        Reply

    • Irene
      April 29, 2016

      I am so excited to make this!! I always wait for new cake recipes. Hope my decor looks just as nice

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 29, 2016

        Let me know how it turns out Irene 😀. Have a great weekend.

        Reply

    • Melissa
      April 29, 2016

      I can’t wait to make this for Mothers’ Day! Quick question, though, since there is cream cheese, does the cake need to be stored in the refrigerator?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 29, 2016

        Yes, it’s best to store it in the refrigerator. The cream cheese also keeps the frosting from becoming hard after refrigeration like most butter creams do and it complements the blackberry flavor nicely.

        Reply

    • Lana
      April 29, 2016

      Natasha, your cake looks delicious! I’m a big fan of yours! Wanted to ask, what size of pans did you use for this cake? Is it 9-inch? Thank you.

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 29, 2016

        Hi Lana, yes it is a 9-inch pan.

        Reply

    • lily
      April 28, 2016

      hi i was wondering of you have a marinated eggplant recipe or maybe post one in the near future? i can’t find good directions on how to make them. =) i just love your website, bookmarked it too & thought maybe i should ask.

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 29, 2016

        Hi Lily, Some folks haven’t seen it before so I figured its worth mentioning 🙂 On my recipe index page, if you click ingredient (or scroll down to ingredient section), you will find a listing of all the ingredients used on my blog. If you click on eggplant you get this (all of the recipes with eggplant). I don’t know if these are anything you are looking for. I hope that helps for the future! 🙂

        Reply

        • lily
          April 29, 2016

          hi thank you for the response but i was looking for a recipe in a jar. one of your recipes with the eggplants looks good so i will try that. =)

          Reply

    • Tzivia
      April 28, 2016

      Wow Natasha another beautiful cake creation must try on my to bake list after Passover totally perfect for mothers day a lot of times I usual make her a nice hearty delish brunch and I think this cake would definitely go well btw love the video tutorial on how to make rose creations thanx lots for the tip will probably watch again just to get the hang of it oh my word ur son was so little then love how u guys say prayers before eating just like this Jewish chica beautiful blessings to you and your whole family tho I do have a question with the lemon syrup would I be able to add some alcohol like rum or brandy

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 28, 2016

        Hi Tzivia! I know it! He was so little in that video. I love watching that video just to see him in it. It makes me so glad that I included him :). I haven’t tried it with alcohol since the lemon juice provides a great contrast to the sweetness. I’m not sure if the fruit, lemon juice and alcohol would meld well together. Are you thinking about using it just in the soaking syrup? If so, I would omit the lemon juice from the soaking syrup.

        Reply

        • Tzivia
          April 30, 2016

          Yea that’s how it goes gurl these kiddies they r lil munchkins and then b4 ya know it they grow so very fast I still can’t believe that my g-d daughter is 13 and in a few years she will be six feet she’s already taller than me yup videos can be gr8 memories too I’ll probably watch the tutorial again just to get my drink on lol ok so I I’ll leave out the alcohol and stick with the lemon juice I love lemons and so does my mom gotta remember to print this cake recipein general your recipes have been such a major big time saver healthwise and time wise too keep them coming luv cheers

          Reply

          • Natasha
            natashaskitchen
            April 30, 2016

            I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes. Thanks Tzivia! 🙂

            Reply

    • Aigul
      April 28, 2016

      Hello Natasha, thank you for this recipe! Looks delicious and I have to try it. Do you think if I can substitute cream cheese for mascarpone ? And use 2 butter sticks instead of 3? Thank you!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 28, 2016

        I haven’t tried those substitutions but my guess is that the frosting won’t be as easy to pipe – it will be more loose with mascarpone since it is a softer product than cream cheese. I have tried with 2 sticks butter and it doesn’t stay as firm as when using 3. Keep in mind you need to add blackberry syrup which softens the frosting so if you are starting with a base that is loose, it will just be difficult to pipe. It could work but I haven’t tested it that way to say how well it would work.

        Reply

    • Alyona
      April 27, 2016

      Natasha,
      The cake looks amazing! I love the coarse sugar detailing. Your frosting reminded me of her cup of joy’s fresh raspberry buttercream using fresh raspberries instead. How does fresh berry cream hold up? Just beautiful.

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 27, 2016

        Ofcourse now I have to go check out her recipe… mmm that sounds lovely! It looks like she doesn’t use cream cheese, but cream cheese compliments the flavor of blackberries nicely. Thank you for the compliment! 🙂

        Reply

    • LIliana
      April 27, 2016

      Beautiful cake. Looks divine! Perfect for the upcoming Mother’s Day gift! Thank you!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 27, 2016

        Thank you so much :). It would be lovely for Mother’s Day! 🙂

        Reply

    • Estera Carp
      April 27, 2016

      The cake looks delicious!!! I really like how you made the roses different sizes and only one side. Very modern and elegant. I pinned it, can’t wait to try it.

      Do you think it Would work with other berries as well? Any changes you would recommend?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 27, 2016

        Hi Estera, I think it would work really well with raspberries too. If using raspberries, you might tone down the lemon juice slightly since raspberries are naturally a little more tart than blackberries.

        Reply

    • Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking
      April 26, 2016

      This cake looks sensational! Love the color and the beautiful decorations on top! You do classically beautiful better than anyone!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 27, 2016

        You’re so nice! Thank you 🙂 that’s quite a compliment!

        Reply

    • Kate @ Babaganosh.org
      April 26, 2016

      What a gorgeous cake!! I love blackberries and always get excited when there are fruit tarts or cheesecakes topped with blackberries. That frosting must be so good. 🙂

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 27, 2016

        I do love blackberries on dessert also! They are so striking both in how they look and taste. Thanks Kate! 🙂

        Reply

    • Natasha Tsipan
      April 26, 2016

      That looks so pretty and I’m sure it is delicious! Wonderful job! 🙂

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 27, 2016

        Thank you so much! 🙂

        Reply

    • Esther Inzhirov
      April 26, 2016

      Hi Natasha, the cake looks delicious! Do you know how tall the cake stands?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 26, 2016

        I didn’t measure it, but I believe it was between 3″ to 3 1/2″

        Reply

    • Valentina @Valentina's Corner
      April 26, 2016

      How beautiful does this cake look!. I’m a tellin ya, the photography gets better with each recipe. Love it.
      Great cake for Mother’s Day! 🙂
      Pinned!!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 26, 2016

        Thank you so much Valentina! That’s quite a compliment 🙂 and thank you so much for pinning! I agree, it would be a good one for Mother’s Day! 🙂

        Reply

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