Lemon Blueberry Spring Cake (Printable Version)

Moist layer cake featuring fresh blueberries and zesty lemon, finished with a creamy lemon frosting.

# What You Need:

→ Cake Batter

01 - 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1.75 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
09 - 0.33 cup fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
11 - 1.5 cups fresh blueberries
12 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for tossing

→ Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

13 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
14 - 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
15 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
17 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
18 - Pinch of salt

→ Decoration

19 - Fresh blueberries for garnish
20 - Lemon zest curls
21 - Edible flowers

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in lemon zest and lemon juice until fully combined.
05 - Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour to prevent sinking, then gently fold into the batter.
07 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Smooth tops with a rubber spatula.
08 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
09 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
10 - Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until fluffy and spreadable.
11 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with frosting. Repeat with remaining layers and frost the top and sides.
12 - Decorate with fresh blueberries, lemon zest curls, and edible flowers as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The tartness of fresh lemon keeps this cake from ever feeling cloying, which is honestly the dream when you're eating more than one slice.
  • Those pockets of blueberries burst with jammy sweetness, making every bite feel a little different from the last.
  • The cream cheese frosting is tangy enough to balance the sweetness, and it pipes beautifully if you're feeling fancy.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable—cold eggs and butter won't emulsify properly, and you'll end up with a heavy, dense cake that rises unevenly.
  • Tossing the blueberries in flour genuinely prevents them from sinking to the bottom; I learned this the hard way after making a cake where all the berries huddled at the base like they were avoiding the frosting.
  • Don't skip sifting the powdered sugar for the frosting, or you'll bite into little pockets of grittiness that feel oddly chalky.
03 -
  • If your kitchen is warm, chill your mixing bowl and beaters for a minute before creaming the butter and sugar—this helps your batter stay stable and prevents the frosting from becoming greasy later.
  • Use a bench scraper or offset spatula when frosting the layers to get clean, even applications; it's such a small thing, but it makes the cake look professional and intentional.
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