An iconic duo: lemon and blueberry. I think high tea, scones and cakes. I made this lemon blueberry cake with the common baker in mind: I kept it easy. One layer, super moist and really easy to serve. This cake tastes great alone without frosting but I served this up with fresh whipped cream dolloped on top.

This cake is super fresh and flavorful, both zesty from the lemon and tart from the blueberries. Even though it’s one layer, we use buttermilk for this recipe which makes this single-layer cake fluffy with a good rise.

What you need to make lemon blueberry cake

Unsalted butter – I usually recommend unsalted butter for baking because it’s hard to ascertain how much salt is added in each stick. If you HAVE to use it, omit extra salt added.
Buttermilk – If you didn’t know, buttermilk is fermented milk. That sounds putrid, I know, so don’t pour yourself a glass to drink on the side. However, it is the KEY to making fluffy pancakes, muffins and cakes. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can actually make it yourself. You can add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of regular daily milk and let it sit for 10 minutes. You could also substitute one cup of plain Greek yogurt.
Blueberries – I used fresh berries, but you can also use frozen!

Kitchen equipment needed for lemon blueberry cake

Stand mixer of electric mixer – I used my beloved KitchenAid mixer (here), but you can certainly use a hand mixer for this!

Large mixing bowls – for both dry ingredients and wet ingredients.

9 inch round springform cake pan – Springform cake pans are game-changers. However, you can certainly use a standard cake pan, just be sure to line it with parchment paper so you can actually get it out.

Small saucepan – to make our blueberry sauce that will be swirled into the cake.

How to make lemon blueberry cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line your cake pan with parchment paper and grease your pan with butter or oil.
Make the blueberry sauce. In a small saucepan, add the blueberries, water and sugar. Heat over medium-low heat. After 2 minutes, the blueberries will begin to bleed. With a spatula or spoon, stir the mixture occasionally for about 5 minutes. The sauce should thicken and become very dark in color.

Start the lemon cake. In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy, which may take 2-4 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed until well incorporated.
Add in the lemon juice and lemon zest and mix on low until combined. The batter might curdle a bit. This is okay. NOTE: I needed about 2 medium lemons for this recipe.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
Pour ½ of the dry ingredients into the batter and mix together on low speed. Then add ½ of the buttermilk and mix on low. Repeat this process until all dry ingredients and buttermilk are combined into the batter.
Pour the lemon batter into the cake pan and spread evenly. Dollop the blueberry sauce onto the top of the cake (in multiple areas). Take a butter knife and gently swirl the surface to create a pretty look.

Pop the cake into the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool.
While the cake is baking, make your whipped cream. Beat the cream on high with a stand mixer or electric mixer for about 5 minutes, or until the cream creates stiff peaks. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat for 20 more seconds. Beware of beating your cream for too long – you’ll make butter on accident!
Slice and serve the cake with a dollop of whipped cream.

How to avoid an undercooked cake

The cake should feel spongy in the middle and it won’t become very golden brown (except the perimeter) so keep that in mind. The center of the cake should be light to the touch but not gooey, so if your knife sinks into it too easily, it will need a couple more minutes in the oven.

Do blueberries sink in a cake?

Yes, they do, which is why I made a blueberry sauce. However, the sauce will sink in some places while some of it stays on the surface. I don’t mind this because the sauce is distributed throughout the cake, and not all on the bottom. You could theoretically just dump fresh blueberries onto the cake, but I recommend coating them in flour first, which helps with sinking.

Can I frost the cake with the whipped cream?

You could, but then you will have to refrigerate the cake immediately to avoid the whipped cream from melting off. For best taste, I keep the whipped cream separate until I’m ready to serve a slice. Keep the cake at room temperature in a sealed cake stand or some kind of Tupperware, and leave the whipped cream in the fridge. Otherwise, your cake will dry out a lot faster!

Other recipes to try

If you enjoyed this lemon blueberry cake, I have other easy cake recipes that you will want to check out:

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