Lemon Blueberry Spring Cake (Printable)

Moist layered cake bursting with fresh blueberries and zesty lemon, topped with a creamy lemon frosting.

# What You Need:

→ Cake Batter

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
09 - 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
11 - 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
12 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for tossing

→ Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

13 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
14 - 1/2 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 for garnish
21 - Edible flowers for garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms 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 combined.
05 - Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour to prevent sinking, then gently fold into batter with a rubber spatula.
07 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth tops with a spatula.
08 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
09 - Allow cakes to 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 serving plate, spread with frosting, and repeat with remaining layers. Frost top and sides of assembled cake.
12 - Top cake with fresh blueberries, lemon zest curls, and edible flowers as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The tartness of fresh lemon cuts through the sweetness in a way that makes every bite feel refreshing, not heavy.
  • Blueberries scattered throughout give you little bursts of flavor, and somehow they stay moist even after a day or two.
  • The cream cheese frosting has just enough tang to balance the cake—it's not overly sweet or cloying.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients (especially eggs, milk, and butter) are non-negotiable—they emulsify and combine smoothly, giving you a silky batter instead of a grainy one.
  • Don't skip the parchment paper on the bottom of the pans, no matter how much you think greasing alone is enough—it's the difference between a cake that comes out whole and one that breaks apart.
  • The lemon juice might look like it's curdling the batter when you first add it, but this is normal and won't affect the final result.
03 -
  • Let all your ingredients come to room temperature before you start—this one change will make your batter smoother and your cake more tender than anything else you do.
  • Invest in a microplane zester if you don't have one; it gives you fluffy, fine lemon zest instead of the heavy strips you get from a box grater, and the difference shows in the final cake.
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