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

    • Julia
      June 7, 2018

      Hi Natasha,
      can I make this cake in the evening and serve the next day afternoon? I’m planning to make this cake for the birthday party of my daughter.
      This will be my 3d time making this cake, it’s delicious!!!
      Thank you!

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        June 8, 2018

        Hi Julie! Yes of course, it’s best to store it in the refrigerator if serving the next day.:)

        Reply

        • Julia
          June 18, 2018

          How many slices can I get from this size of cake?

          Reply

          • Natashas Kitchen
            June 18, 2018

            This recipe makes a 9″ cake. It all depends on how thin you plan on slicing it. Typically 9″ cakes serve 10-18 slices.

            Reply

    • Maria J
      May 15, 2018

      For The sponge… if i combine flour and sugar and all dry ingredientes and then fold to The eggs Will The result be The same?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        May 15, 2018

        Hi Maria, that method won’t work for this recipe since the eggs and sugar need to be whipped together.

        Reply

    • Jessica Bukhta
      May 12, 2018

      Hello Natasha,

      I wanted to make this cake for mother’s day however I hit a little obstacle last time making the poppy seed pistachio cake. I only have one round pan and the batter flattened out by the time I went to fill it for the second batch. Is there a solution besides the fact I need to get another pan lol. Would it be horrible if I just used boxed cake mix for the cake part? Ha

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        May 13, 2018

        Hi Jessica, this cake should be baked as soon as the batter is prepared. Since the cake relies on the volume of the eggs and sugar to rise, it is important not to let it sit on the counter. I haven’t tried a cake mix for this but I think you could make it work, although it would have a different flavor/texture.

        Reply

    • Jyothi
      May 7, 2018

      Hi Natasha,

      I love and follow the cake recipes you post. I have tried some of them. I was planning to make this blackberry cake. However I am making it for my brother in law. So how can I make it in a different color? Like blue or yellow or rather any color other than pink?

      Thank you again!

      Jyothi

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        May 7, 2018

        HI Jyothi, I’m not sure what fruit to recommend to achieve those colors since even blueberries turn a vibrant pinkish/purple when cooked. You could leave it white and tint with a food coloring but then it would not have the blackberry flavor except for the filling.

        Reply

    • Lena
      May 2, 2018

      I made this cake and the charlotte cake for my little girls third birthday and everyone loved it! The only thing I did different was add less powdered sugar to the frosting (personal preference) and I also added a cup of beaten heavy whipped cream to the frosting just because I feel like it helps soften the very strong buttery taste of the frosting. It was delicious!

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        May 2, 2018

        I’m happy to hear the recipes are a hit, just hearing about them gets me drooling! Thanks for sharing your excellent review Lena!

        Reply

    • Lauren Scott
      April 25, 2018

      Hi! Made this for my son’s first birthday yesterday – added blue sprinkles and did star bursts instead of roses on top. Turned out BEAUTIFULLY. One question – my syrup was more like lemon water… what could I have done wrong? Other than that, I loved this cake.

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        April 25, 2018

        I’m so glad you loved it and the decor sounds lovely! The simple “syrup” really is just that; sweetened lemon water. It isn’t supposed to be thick so the term “syrup” can be a little deceiving in simple syrup 🙂

        Reply

    • Rachel Eppling
      March 19, 2018

      Hi Natasha,

      LOOOOVE this cake, I made it last year for my sisters birthday and it was a huge hit. I did have a question, could you use gluten free flour instead of AP if someone had celiac?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        March 19, 2018

        Hi Rachel, I actually experimented with this over the weekend. I replaced the flour with gluten free flour in equal amounts and it worked really well. It didn’t rise as well so it would be more difficult to cut the cake layers in half but the flavor was excellent. I also tested with less GF flour and it didn’t make a difference in the rising of the cake. I used Namaste brand from Costco.

        Reply

    • Eva
      March 7, 2018

      Do you think regular cake pans would work, like 1.5” tall sides? I was watching your video and the sponge cakes seemed to poof up a lot, and I don’t want it to overflow.

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        March 7, 2018

        Hi Eva, yes that will work – those are the same size walls on my cake pan. Just make sure they are 9″ wide cake pans

        Reply

        • Eva
          March 8, 2018

          Okay. Thank you, this cake looks absolutely gorgeous, and I would hate to mess it up. Like you, I’m also making it for a birthday!

          Reply

    • Lily
      January 6, 2018

      Hi Natasha,
      The cake looks amazing!
      I was wondering if I can keep the frosted cake in the fridge – will it dry out the sponge cake? Thanks!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        January 6, 2018

        Hi Lily, This sponge cake refrigerates really well and as long as you are using the syrup per the recipe, it will not dry out :).

        Reply

        • Lily
          January 6, 2018

          Thanks Natasha… will give it a try and let you know how I go! 🙂

          Reply

        • Lily
          January 9, 2018

          Made this for a friend’s birthday and it turned out excellent! Thanks for the advice Natasha! Tagged you on instagram 🙂

          Reply

          • Natasha's Kitchen
            January 10, 2018

            You’re welcome Lily! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review!

            Reply

    • Tatyana S.
      December 5, 2017

      This cake looks beautiful.
      I want to give it a try for a gender reveal cake and I was wondering what do u think if I follow the cake recipe except for the top make white cream without the blackberry syrup added since I want to have white roses covering the whole cake?
      Is it going to ruin the cake if I don’t add the blackberry syrup to the cream frosting? If u have any other suggestions for a gender reveal cake what kind can I make? It can
      Be a sponge cake, between the layers I need to add frosting with gender color and the top white frosting so I can make roses

      Thank u:)

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        December 5, 2017

        Hi Tatyana, it should still work well without the blackberry syrup added but it will have a more pronounced cream cheese flavor – very similar to our carrot cake recipe. Another frosting I would recommend which pipes beautifully is our cupcake frosting and also our swiss meringue buttercream.

        Reply

    • Sasha
      October 5, 2017

      Tried this recipe and the results were phenomenal. My family finished it no time and kept raving about it. I wanted to try it again but with another type of berry. Do you think the frosting would work well with blueberries or even strawberries?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        October 5, 2017

        Hi Sasha, I am so happy to hear that!! Thank you for the amazing review :). I think you would have better luck with strawberries than blueberries if you wanted to substitute. You’ll want to use about the same amount of strawberries by volume and you don’t have to seed the strawberries since you can’t really feel their seeds in the frosting. Add strawberry puree to your desired consistency since strawberries tend to be a little juicier than blackberries.

        Reply

    • Pooja Lohiya
      September 21, 2017

      Hi, you have a great blog with detailed instructions and pictures. I tried this cake recipe for my daughter’s birthday, she loved it. She says this is the best cake I made so far. I used whipped cream frosting instead of butter and cream cheese, followed rest of the process. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us.

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        September 22, 2017

        My pleasure! I’m glad to hear how much you are enjoying my site and recipes! Thanks for following and sharing your excellent review!

        Reply

    • Lina krasovskiy
      August 22, 2017

      Can I use raspberries instead of blackberries ?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        August 22, 2017

        Hi Lina, I do think raspberries would work well in this cake.

        Reply

    • Jennifer Heinzerling
      August 19, 2017

      I was super excited to try this recipe and I thought your presentation was so beautiful I copied it exactly lol it was a wonderful recipe a super easy cake and oh so delicious!! My husband’s cousin from France was very impressed!! Thank you for sharing!!

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        August 19, 2017

        You’re welcome Jennifer! I’m happy to hear how much everyone enjoys the recipe! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!

        Reply

    • JEYA SUMATHI SANKAR PILLAY
      August 18, 2017

      Recipes that requires butter, is there any specific type that you use?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        August 19, 2017

        Hi Jeya, any unsalted butter will work. I typically use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.

        Reply

    • JEYA SUMATHI SANKAR PILLAY
      August 18, 2017

      Hi, if I want to cover the cake with fondant, is it advisable?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        August 19, 2017

        Hi Jeya, I haven’t tried that so I’m not 100% sure. It is a very soft cake so I’m not sure how it would slice with fondant over it.

        Reply

        • JEYA SUMATHI SANKAR PILLAY
          August 21, 2017

          Hi, thank you for the feedback, planning to bake it for my husband’s birthday in December as it’s his favorite kind of combinations will share it when I bake 🙂

          Reply

    • Steph
      July 27, 2017

      Hi Natasha – Would I be able to use cake flour instead of AP flour? Thank you!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        July 28, 2017

        Hi Steph, it will still work but I do prefer all purpose flour for this since it is an already pretty soft cake 🙂

        Reply

    • Sarah
      July 12, 2017

      Hi Natasha! I made this cake about a year ago and my husband still hasn’t stopped talking about it! Last time I made it the cake turned out quite dense (but still delicious), I figured it was because I was using a handmixer. Now I’m making it again and the cake still turned out with an odd texture, as well as rising on the sides. Do you have any idea what I am doing wrong? Thanks for the awesome recipe!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        July 12, 2017

        Hi Sarah, are you using a conventional electric oven? Also, problems with rising often have to do with not adequately beating the eggs and sugar. When the eggs and sugar are beaten together, and you lift up the whisk attachment, you should see a thick ribbon form with the batter that kind of sits on the surface of the batter and does not go right into it like a liquidy better would. I hope that makes sense! Aidans cake also typically means the eggs and sugar needed to be beaten longer to incorporate more air. The cake relies on the volume of the eggs and sugar as leavening to rise so that step is probably the most important.

        Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        July 12, 2017

        Also, make sure you are folding the flour in with a spatula and not using the egg beater.

        Reply

    • Olga
      June 13, 2017

      Does this work as a chocolate cake?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        June 13, 2017

        I haven’t tried it that way but I’m assuming it would work to use the cream on a chocolate cake.

        Reply

    • Zuzu Petals
      June 8, 2017

      The cake is beautiful. I love the color and design. I bought a 2D tip and I am going to attempt this. I only have a hand mixer, so I am going to take your tip of mixing a few minutes longer. Thank you!

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        June 8, 2017

        You’re welcome Zuzu! Please let me know what you think of the recipe!

        Reply

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