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Lemon Blueberry Cake

A bright lemon sponge cake studded with juicy blueberries, topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting - perfect for spring and summer gatherings.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake batter
  • 3 cups 3 cups cake flour (about 360 grams) Sift before measuring for light texture.
  • 2 teaspoons 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • ¾ cup 3/4 cup buttermilk (180 ml) Warmed or at room temperature.
  • ⅓ cup 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 80 ml)
  • 1 cup 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams) Softened to room temperature.
  • 1 ¾ cups 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (about 350 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons lemon zest From about 2 large lemons.
  • 2 teaspoons 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 large 4 large eggs At room temperature.
For the blueberries
  • 2 cups 2 cups fresh blueberries (about 300 grams) Thaw and drain if using frozen.
  • 2 teaspoons 2 teaspoons cake flour or all-purpose flour To coat the berries.
Light Cream Cheese Frosting
  • ½ cup 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams) Softened.
  • 8 ounces 8 ounces brick-style cream cheese (226 grams) Full-fat, softened.
  • 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3-4 cups 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar (sifted) (about 330–440 grams) To taste.
  • 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon whipping cream As needed for consistency.
Rich Cream Cheese Frosting
  • ¾ cup 3/4 cup unsalted butter (168 grams) Softened.
  • 12 ounces 12 ounces brick-style cream cheese (340 grams) Full-fat, softened.
  • 1 ½ teaspoons 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 1/2-5 ½ cups 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted) (about 495–605 grams) To taste.
  • 1-2 tablespoons 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream As needed for spreading.

Method
 

Preheat and prepare pans
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease and lightly flour a 9x13-inch cake pan.
Combine dry ingredients
  1. In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
Make the lemon-buttermilk mix
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and lemon juice and set aside.
Cream butter, sugar, and lemon zest
  1. In a large bowl, beat softened butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest together until pale and fluffy.
Add vanilla and eggs
  1. Mix in vanilla extract and then add eggs one at a time, mixing briefly after each addition.
Alternate dry and wet additions
  1. With the mixer on low, alternately add the dry flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, mixing until just combined.
Prepare the blueberries
  1. Toss fresh blueberries with flour in a small bowl until coated.
Fold in the blueberries
  1. Gently fold the floured blueberries into the batter.
Bake
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30–35 minutes.
Cool the cake
  1. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan on a cooling rack.
Make the frosting
  1. Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth for your chosen frosting, adding lemon juice and sugar to your desired consistency.
Frost and decorate
  1. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and garnish as desired.

Notes

Store unfrosted cake layers tightly wrapped in plastic and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting.