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a slice of a blueberry lemon layer cake
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Lemon Blueberry Cake Recipe

Lemon Blueberry Cake is a simple layer cake recipe made with fresh lemon juice, zest, and lots of blueberries.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Lemon Blueberry Cake
Prep Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chill: 8 hours
Total Time 10 hours
Servings 12 slices
Calories 775kcal
Author Catalina Castravet

Ingredients

Cake layers:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice from about 3 lemons
  • 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen - if frozen do NOT Thaw
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or cornstarch

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 12 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 4 1/2 - 5 cups confectioners sugar or more if needed
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Grease three 9-inch or 8-inch round cake pans with butter or baking spray. Next, line the bottom with parchment paper, and grease the parchment paper. This will help to easily remove the cakes from the pans.

Make the cake layers:

  • In a large bowl, using an electric mixer beat the butter on medium-high until creamy, this will take about 1 minute.
  • Next, add granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, and after that add the vanilla. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Now, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, with the mixture on low speed. Finally, beat in the buttermilk, lemon zest, and lemon juice just until combined.
  • Using a spatula, in a medium bowl toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch and gently fold them into the batter.
  • The cake batter will be very thick, make sure to not over-mix it.

Bake:

  • Spoon batter evenly into the prepared cake pans, and level the tops with a spatula.
  • Bake for about 21-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • After that, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in pans before assembling.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • Add cream cheese and butter to a large bowl and using an electric mixer beat together on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 3-5minutes.
  • Next, add 4 cups of confectioners sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, lemon extract, and salt, and beat with the mixer running on low. After that, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until creamy, 3-4 minutes.
  • Now, check the consistency, if needed add more confectioners sugar to thicken it, or the remaining milk to thin it out.
  • Also, I like to chill the frosting for 30 minutes before assembling the cake.

Assemble:

  • First, using a large serrated knife, trim the tops off the cake layers, and ensure that they are flat.
  • Place about two tablespoons of frosting into the center of the cake stand and add the first cake layer on top of it.
  • Cover it evenly with the cream cheese frosting.
  • Add the 2nd layer on top, more frosting, then the third layer, and after that spread the frosting on top and on the sides of the cake
  • Garnish the top with fresh blueberries and lemon slices.
  • Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving, but better to chill it for 8 hours or overnight.
  • Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. See the post for detailed instructions on how to store or freeze it.

Nutrition

Calories: 775kcal | Carbohydrates: 152g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 597mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 123g | Vitamin A: 1695IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 2mg