This Blueberry Lemon Cake is loaded with 1 pound of blueberries and every bite has sweet pops of juicy blueberry and fresh lemon flavor. It’s not too sweet and not too tangy, but just right. This is my favorite tea or coffee blueberry cake and it’s easy, easy, easy!
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Why we Love this Blueberry Cake:
I love having recipes like this or our easy Strawberry Cake that come together quickly and are perfect for unplanned company and my evening sweet-tooth cravings. Bite into this while it’s still a little warm and you’ll have no words, only sound effects… mmm!
It is moist, fluffy, and tastes like a decadent Blueberry Muffin from a fancy bakery. Seriously though, it’s really really good! Watch the blueberry lemon cake video tutorial to see just how easy it is!
Watch How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cake:
Mmm… fluffy, moist, and delicious. I hope you love every bite of this lemon blueberry cake. You’ll make this cake again and again.
Ingredients for Blueberry Lemon Cake:
This lemon blueberry cake is so quick and easy to make. It is our go-to for unexpected company and it always disappears fast! P.S. This homemade vanilla extract makes it even better!
Important Tips for Success:
Measuring Ingredients – Click here for an easy video tutorial on how to measure dry and wet ingredients correctly.
Do Not Overmix – overmixing the batter can make the cake dense.
Substituting Yogurt – Reader Polina wrote that she “used the Stonefield whole milk yogurt for the recipe – turned out perfectly soft and very moist.”
Baking in a Tube Pan – Reader, Kelly, writes: “I did this in a tube pan and upped all the ingredients by half. I was feeding 2 families :). I used the “Baking Happy” Pam nonstick spray with flour and it popped out beautifully. It baked for 55 mins, and was perfect! Since the pan is larger, upping the ingredients by half was a perfect fit for the pan- once baked, the cake right to the top. I sprinkled with powdered sugar. Delicious recipe…everyone loved it! Thanks so much!”
Can I Substitute Frozen Blueberries for Baking?
If using frozen blueberries, thaw in refrigerator and drain any excess juice then in step #4: toss with a full 1 Tbsp of starch and do not add lemon juice to blueberries. Do not add more than 16 oz blueberries or they start to weigh the cake down.
How To Make Lemon Blueberry Cake:
Prep: Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan**** and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat Oven to 375˚F.
1. Beat 2 eggs and 1 cup sugar with the whisk attachment on high speed 5 minutes or until lightened in color and thick.
2. Add 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt and whisk on low speed until well combined.
3. Whisk together the 2 cups flour with 2 tsp baking powder then add to batter 1/3 at a time, whisking to incorporate between each addition (DO NOT OVERMIX or the cake will be dense). Finally, add 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest. (I really like to use this lemon zester).
4. Rinse blueberries and drain well. Transfer to a medium bowl add 1/2 Tbsp corn starch and 1 tsp lemon juice. Stir until well combined and no dry white cornstarch remains. If using frozen blueberries, see note above.
5. Pour half of the batter into the prepared springform pan and even out the top with a spatula. Top with half of the blueberries. Spread with remaining batter then sprinkle the rest of the blueberries evenly over the top, pushing them about halfway into the batter. Bake at 375˚F for 45 to 55 minutes (mine was perfect at 55 min). Let cake rest in the pan for 15-20 minutes then remove the springform ring and cool until room temp or just warm.
To Test the Cake for Doneness: bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
How to Serve Blueberry Cake:
This blueberry lemon cake is perfectly satisfying on its own without any kind of frosting. A generous dusting of powdered sugar is all you need. It does pair well with vanilla ice cream.
Does this Blueberry Cake Work for Muffins?
Because so many of you have asked, we (finally!) have a recipe for blueberry muffins.
P.S. If you are looking for more easy cake ideas, be sure to try our fresh strawberry cake and this loaded peach cake!
More Blueberry Desserts:
There’s something about cooking with blueberries which makes them so juicy and brings out their best flavor. If you haven’t tried making Blueberry Pierogi, you should put them on your list. Here are our favorite blueberry desserts:
- Blueberry Pie Recipe – bursting with sweet juicy blueberries
- Blueberry Crumble – loaded with berries under a crisp topping
- Ricotta Cake with Blueberries – the texture here is amazing!
- Cheesecake Danishes – topped with berries and glaze
- Berry Crumble – soft, moist and studded with blueberries
Go ahead and print a few extra copies of the recipe since you will likely get some recipe requests for this blueberry lemon cake :).
Lemon Blueberry Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sour cream, (8oz)
- 1/2 cup light olive oil , or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, *
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 medium lemon, zest and juice, divided
- 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
- 16 oz fresh blueberries, **
- Powdered sugar to dust the top, optional
Instructions
Prep:
- Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment. Preheat Oven to 375˚F.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cake:
- Beat 2 eggs and 1 cup sugar with whisk attachment on high speed 5 min, or until light in color and thick.
- Add 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt and whisk on low speed until well combined.
- Whisk together the 2 cups flour with 2 tsp baking powder then add to batter 1/3 at a time, whisking to incorporate with each addition (DO NOT OVERMIX). Finally, add 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 Tbsp zest.
- Rinse blueberries and drain well. In a medium bowl, toss blueberries with 1/2 Tbsp corn starch and 1 tsp lemon juice, stirring until well combined and no dry white cornstarch remains.
- Pour half of batter into prepared springform pan and spread evenly. Top with half of the blueberries. Spread with remaining batter then sprinkle the rest of the blueberries evenly over the top, pushing them slightly into the batter (about halfway). Bake at 375˚F for 45 to 55 min (mine was perfect at 55 min), or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake rest in the pan 15-20 min then remove ring and cool until room temp or just warm. Serve dusted with powdered sugar.
Notes
or they weigh down the cake.
*measure flour by spooning into measuring cup then scraping off the top.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
For Easter, my son and I just made both a gluten-free and a vegan version of this cake using Pamela’s Artisan Gluten Free Flour (we have lots of allergies in our family) We did a test batch first with a half recipe where we followed the recipe as closely as possible with the alternatives we needed to use and then made the final product with the changes I’ve noted below.
The gf version came out beautifully with the following changes:
-We used melted butter rather than oil
-Doubled the zest and juice
-Only used 1 1/2 cups of flour
For the vegan version, we used vegan alternatives for the dairy products, added a 1/4 cup of chia seeds, doubled the lemon, and used 1 1/2 cups flour. It never really set well in the center of the cake but the rest was delicious. We had some batter left over that we used for muffins. These were perfect and probably how we’ll use the recipe in the future for a dairy free alternative.
Thanks for sharing your review! I’m sure it will be helpful to many! 🙂
Hi Natasha, can this cake be made Friday afternoon to be served Saturday evening? Do I need to refrigerate it? Or just keep it covered (airtight container?) at room temp? I want to make sure it stays soft and fluffy the following day. Thanks in advance! 🙂
Hi Anna, you could leave it at room temperature for a day; let it come to room temp then cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.
LOVE at first bit! This cake was awesome!! Like a fluffy blueberry muffin. Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
YES!! I’m so happy you loved it! Thanks Victoria. I hope you had a happy Easter!
We all voted and settled on “ok”. I was so excited to make it for Easter. Very pretty cake. However, it was dense, dry, and a little on the bitter side. We all thought it would be better with a lemon custard inside.
Hi Sharon, I’m sorry to hear that – this recipe has gotten so many great reader reviews. I’m always happy to help troubleshoot. Are you certain you didn’t accidentally use baking soda instead of baking powder? I’ve never noticed any bitterness in this cake. Did you make nay other substitutions without deviating from the recipe?
I’ve had that happen when I flipped soda and powder.
Made this today for my first Easter with my boyfriends family. Everyone loved it, except his dad said he could really taste the sour cream. I saw the note about yogurt but wanted to clarify – that’s in place of the sour cream, correct? And still 8 oz?
Ashley, thank you for the wonderful review 😬. Replace sour cream with yogurt, using the same proportions.
This was our Easter dessert (followed the recipe exactly) and it was fabulous! Thank you!
Detelina, thank you for taking the time to write in and for such a nice review 😬
HI Natasha!!!! Happy Easter! Hristos Voskrese!!! Thank you so so so much for this easy and absolutely delicious recipe!!! Made it today few hours ago and it’s already gone! my family asked me to make it again! What a compliment! Thank you once again!
You’re welcome Alina! I’m happy to hear that everyone enjoys the recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Delicious! I ended up adding 3 tbsp of lemon juice into the batter because I really like lemon and it was definitely a good idea!
I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe Kim! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Natasha!!! Happy Easter!!! Hristos Voskrese!!! Thank you soooo much for this easy and absolutely delicious recipe! Made it today, few hours ago and it’s already gone! My family asked me to make it again! What a compliment!
Voistinu Voskres!!! Alina thank you for such a glowing review and you are very welcome 😬
Well, first the good news….it is scrumptious! But….I need some help with changing amounts of ingredients because it did not rise and although the toothpick came out clean the whole thing fell once out of oven and is more like a blueberry cake crumble at this point. So, I used Almond flour (did as you recommended in scooping and scraping and used cup for cup equal measures. I also used xylitol instead of sugar. Otherwise, I followed the instructions. What would you suggest? More flour? Mix almond flour and coconut flour which soaks up liquid more than almond flour? I could try using coconut flour but I don’t know what that would do to the taste with blueberries and lemon. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Hi Jackie, I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor! I haven’t tried those substitutions so I really can’t advise. I also haven’t had anyone report good results with a sugar substitute so it may be that or it may be a combination of the zylitol and the different kinds of flour. I really can’t say without doing those tests myself…
I would truly love to hear more on that myself! I’ve changed to a low carb lifestyle and I too would use either the coconut or almond flour and Splenda as my sweetener.
Yes! Those are great substitutes!
I made this for Easter desert today!!… I looks wonderful and smells amazing!!… I can’t wait for me and my family to try this!!… Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Steffanie, I’m so glad you like the recipe and you very welcome 😬
I made this cake last night to take to my mom’s, and I’m making another this morning!! The only difference in the second one, I substituted lemon extract instead of vanilla because me and my mother in law LOVE lemon!! I know it will be perfect. I will post a pic when done! Love this recipe. It’s perfect for spring! ☺️
Tanya, looks like you had a very busy weekend of baking 😬. Thank you for the great review!
I would like to give you a GIANT thumbs up, I recently found your website and am thankful for your researched beautiful recipes. lol Annette
Anette, welcome to the site and thank you for the compliment 😊. I hope you’ll find many favorites here.
Just put this in the oven for Easter dinner tomorrow – I can’t wait to try it !
Let me know how it turns out Sue and have a great Easter! 😬
Me again with a post-Easter report on this cake. Everyone LOVED it – including me! SO good! Thank you again for sharing it. The middle collapsed a little bit after it was out of the oven and cooking – I was afraid it wasn’t baked enough. But it was fine. I *think* that I may have added a bit too many berries (which were huge by the way). I could only find them in 6oz packs – so I added 2 packs and then just eyeballed some more (instead of weighing them) anyway – no one cared because it was so delicious. This one is a keeper! PS – the cake actually raised a bit higher than I expected and the cake was fluffy, but with substance (if that makes sense) I’m in love with this cake! Thanks!
My pleasure Sue! I’m happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Please let me know what you think of the recipe!
My first attempt at this lovely cake hasn’t worked as well as hoped 🙂 The flavor is outstanding but batter was way too thick. I’ve measured carefully…any thoughts to what I’ve done wrong? I baked it anyway to see and as suspected it’s become a very delicious but super-dense cake. Planning to try again tomorrow! ❤️
Hi Katie, I’m so glad you liked the flavor – it should be fluffier than you are describing though and I’m always happy to help troubleshoot. Did you measure the way I suggested – spooning it into the measuring cup and scraping off the top for an accurate measure? Also, did you substitute anything or use a different kind of flour? Was your batter as thick or thicker than mine in the video? Did you use large eggs? I hope those ideas help for next time! Have a wonderful Easter!!
I don’t have a springfoam pan can I use something other than that? I see a bundt pan was also used
Hi Betty, I have had several readers report great results with a bundt pan! Check out some of the reader comment, like the one from Kate, who shared her suggestions and tips! 🙂
Hi! I made this recipe again for Easter lunch dessert at my friend’s house. Discovered this morning that my cake pans are 7″ and 8″! Oh well, thanks to other reviewers I tried it in a bundt pan. It took 50 mins in my convection oven for the toothpick to come out clean. I then gave it an extra 2.5 mins just to brown it a tiny bit more.
One thing I forgot, though, when you make a bundt cake normally you turn it upside down and display like that but with the order of batter, then berries, then batter, and lastly berries when you invert the cake it doesn’t look nearly as pretty because all the berries aren’t really visible! I turned it back right-side up and it looks lovely! I carefully buttered the pan, didn’t flour it, but did take a small spoon to break the seal of any blueberries that had oozed onto the side of the pan just to be sure before removing to a rack to cool. I cooled in the pan for 10 mins before removing to the rack.
I added a bit more zest and lemon juice that last time I made it because I wanted a really lemony flavour.
I’m going to serve it with vanilla whipped cream, yum!
Thank again for this wonderful recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing your advice on making it in a bundt pan! That’s awesome!! 🙂
I’ve made this BB cake twice using Bob’s GF baking flour. No one knows the difference and it is super moist , light and delish! I’m making it to serve Easter Sunday lunch.
Thank you so much for sharing that!! Have a wonderful Easter!!
Can I use whole wheat flour in this cake?
Hi Kathy, I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure but I’m guessing it will be too dense using whole wheat flour. Maybe someone else has tried?
Well, I just made this wonderful cake yet again. Third time in two weeks. Awesome!!
Sounds like you have a new favorite Sue! I’m happy you love the recipe! 😀