Moist Lemon Blueberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Lemon Blueberry Cake is soft, bright, and packed with fresh lemon flavor and juicy blueberries in every bite. The layers bake up moist and tender with a creamy lemon cream cheese frosting that makes this cake perfect for spring, summer, birthdays, brunch, or holidays. If you love classic lemon desserts, this homemade blueberry cake is one of those recipes people immediately ask for again.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Soft, moist cake layers with fresh lemon flavor.
- Juicy blueberries baked into every slice.
- Cream cheese frosting adds a tangy, creamy finish.
- Perfect for spring, summer, birthdays, brunch, Easter, or Mother’s Day.
- Can be made ahead before frosting and assembling.
Ingredients Needed To Make Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Butter – Room temperature butter creates a rich cake with a soft crumb.
- Sugar – Sweetens the cake while helping create a light texture.
- Eggs – Help bind the batter and give structure to the cake layers.
- Lemon zest – Adds strong fresh lemon flavor throughout the cake.
- Lemon juice – Brightens the flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Plain yogurt – Keeps the cake moist and tender.
- Milk – Helps loosen the batter for an even texture.
- All-purpose flour – Gives the cake structure while keeping it soft.
- Baking powder and baking soda – Help the cake rise properly.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the lemon flavor.
- Fresh blueberries – Add juicy bursts of flavor throughout the cake.
- Cream cheese – Creates a tangy frosting that pairs perfectly with lemon.
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
How To Make Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8-inch round pans with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, lemon zest, and sugar on high for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. This helps give the cake a softer texture.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in the milk, lemon juice, and yogurt until combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dry ingredients are mostly incorporated.
- Gently fold in the fresh blueberries with a spatula. Try not to overmix here so the blueberries do not break apart too much.
- Add dry ingredients, then fold in fresh blueberries.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 28–33 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting and assembling.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the lemon juice and 4 cups of powdered sugar, then mix until creamy. Add more powdered sugar if you want a thicker frosting.
- Frost the first cake layer, add the second layer, then frost the top and sides. Slice and serve.
Variations & Substitutions
- Add a layer of lemon curd between the cake layers for extra flavor.
- Experiment with different berry combinations, like raspberry and lemon.
Why Cream Cheese Frosting Works So Well
The tanginess of cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness of the blueberries and enhances the bright lemon flavor without making the cake overly sweet.
More Lemon Blueberry Recipes
- Lemon Blueberry Poke Sheet Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Olive Oil Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake
- Blueberry Lemon Delight
This Lemon Blueberry Cake has soft lemon layers, juicy blueberries, and a tangy cream cheese frosting that works for birthdays, spring gatherings, brunch, or summer desserts.
Lemon Blueberry Cake
Equipment
- Two 8-inch round pans
Video
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup butter (room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup unsweetened plain yogurt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 14 ounces cream cheese
- 1 1/4 cups butter
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 4-6 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch round pans with nonstick baking spray.
- In a bowl, mix butter, zest, and sugar on high for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, milk, lemon juice, and yogurt; mix well.
- Add dry ingredients, partially mix, then fold in fresh blueberries with a spatula.
- Divide the batter into the two pans.
- Bake for 28-33 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before assembling.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the lemon juice and 4 cups of powdered sugar, then mix until creamy. Add more powdered sugar if you want a thicker frosting.
Assemble the Cake:
- Place the first cake on a cake stand or plate.
- Frost the top and add the second cake layer.
- Frost the tops and sides of the cake. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature butter, eggs, and cream cheese for the smoothest batter and frosting.
- Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour before folding them into the batter to help prevent sinking.
- Do not overmix once the dry ingredients are added.
- Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting.
- Add the final cup of powdered sugar only if the frosting needs to be thicker.
- Store frosted cake in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Toss the blueberries lightly in flour before folding them into the batter. This helps suspend them throughout the cake while baking instead of sinking toward the bottom.
Yes. Frozen blueberries work well, but do not thaw them before adding to the batter. Adding them frozen helps prevent excess moisture and streaking.
Store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days because of the cream cheese frosting. Let slices sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Yes. The cake layers can be wrapped tightly and frozen before frosting for up to 2 months.
The combination of yogurt, butter, and lemon juice helps create a soft, moist cake with a tender crumb.
Absolutely delicious! Incredibally moist, cream cheese icing is light and fluffy… was not difficult to make even with the 4 layers. So nice to make a recipe that tastes as good as it looks! Highly recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love this!! So happy you loved it!
Hi, do you slice the two 8 inch cakes in half to make 4 layers?
Maybe I missed that in the recipe…
Hi Randi: Danielle likes to cut the cakes down the middle horizontally to create 4 layers.
Can I use regular flour?
absolutely!
My whole family loved this cake it was so moist and tasted amazing!
Thank you for your feedback!! Love hearing this!
This recipe is PHENOMENAL! My boyfriend and I love baking together and I’m gluten-free, so this was perfect. Lemon and blueberry is our favorite flavor combo. We replaced one cup of regular sugar with monk fruit sugar, as my partner is diabetic. We did use real powdered sugar in the frosting. It turned out incredible – moist and filled with delicious lemon flavor and fresh blueberries. You will not regret making this!
Thank you Sandra for your review!! This makes Danielle so happy!
Big if you’re gluten free what type of flour did u substitute? Ty
Hello, This is a GF and DF recipe. My go to flour is Bob’s Red Mill 1.1 Gluten Free Flour.
Delicious! The perfect taste of Spring. Highly recommend.
Thank you Lana!
Made this cake for Easter and it was a HIT! I used cake flour because I had some on hand and only used 3 cups of the powdered sugar in the icing. Absolutely will be making again!!
Love hearing this! Thank you Samantha
This the most amazing cake. I made it for Easter and it was absolutely amazing and everthing I thought it would be. My guests raved about it. I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you!
Thank you Daniel! We are so happy you loved it!
Making it for Mothers Day. Along with probably 5 more desserts. 🫶🫶🫶🩷
Makes us so happy!!
Can you make this in a 9 by 13 pan?
Yes, you can. I would adjust the time accordingly
Could you use Greek yogurt?
Yes, This can be used as a substitute
How does this cake need to be stored? If I ice the cake do I need to keep it in the fridge until ready to serve?
I like to store by cakes in a cake container on the counter but if you live in a hotter or humid environment then in the refrigerator would be best
I made mine with huckleberries and then did the suggested modification and added lemon curd in between the layers. It was eaten so quickly at work! And so many people asked for the recipe. The only challenge I had was stacking the layers. I used 2 rectangle bread tins because I didn’t have rounds and so stacking the 4 layers was like dealing with the leaning tower of Pisa. I just put skewers in to hold it all together and after leaving it in the fridge for a few hours, it was good to go!
We are so happy to hear this!!
This cake was amazing. I will be making it over and over again. One of my and my sisters favorite flavor combinations. I made it for my sister’s birthday and it was a hit. It was so easy to make. If you’re thinking about making it, don’t hesitate.
Thank you so much!!
Blueberry lemon cake video
YUMMY! Thanks.
made the lemon blueberry Cake for coffee hour after church several weeks ago and it was absolutely loved by everyone. Such wonderful dessert recipes tried and true. I can’t thank the salty cooker enough for such wonderful recipes.❤️
Awe!! Thank you for your kind words!
Can I make the layers ahead of time and freeze before frosting? I don’t always have great success freezing gf desserts and am hoping this is an exception.
Hello, With this having fresh fruit in it, I dont feel this would be best to freeze due to the moisture.
This is the absolutely delicious!!!! I can’t say enough other than you have to try it for yourself!!!❤️🙌🫶
Absolutely delicious!!!! I can’t say enough about this recipe except you have to try it for yourself!!!!! ❤️🙌🫶
THANK YOU!
How is this dairy free? Maybe I missed something in comments before the recipe, but the description says gluten snd dairy free but has butter, cream cheese etc.
Hello,
Danielle uses dairy free butter and cream cheese. For butter, she likes I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Skick and Kite Hill Cream Cheese.
Is there a dairy free option for plain yogurt (ie, coconut yogurt) for the cake recipe?
Danielle prefers kite hill 🙂
I don’t understand how this cake is listed under gluten free and dairy free cake recipes when it includes butter and yogurt.
Hello, this recipe includes dairy free and gluten free ingredients.
Butter: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Sticks
Flour: 1.1 Gluten Free Flour
Yogurt: Kite Hill Dairy Free Yogurt
Can this cake be made in an alternate pan instead of the 8 inch rounds?
You can do a 9×13- it will be more like a sheet style cake
Eh don’t understand how this recipe is gluten and dairy free??
The ingredients are GF and DF
Flour: 1.1 GF flour
Dairy: oat milk or ripple
Butter: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Sticks
Hello! Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes, you can 🙂
This cake is amazing. I had to add a touch more milk. It was so moist that when I tried to cut the layers it fell apart. I only tried on one so I was able to salvage it and just ended up frosting two layers. I will know next time. Wonderful recipe.