Lemon-Blueberry Cake

Blueberry and lemon are one of our favorite summer flavor duos (see our lemon-blueberry breakfast cake and lemon-blueberry cheesecake bars for proof) that we’ll celebrate any chance we can get. To truly showcase this flavor combination in a dessert showstopper, I created this layered lemon-blueberry cake for all of your summer BBQs or birthdays. It’s surprisingly simple to make (thanks to boxed cake mix), but will wow lemon-blueberry lovers every single time. Ready to celebrate big? Read on to learn the ins and outs of this simple but super delicious layered cake:

What People Are Saying:
“This cake is amazing! I'm making it for the 2nd time right now because everyone loved it so much.” - RedProcessor

“This is beyond delicious! So moist and the perfect summertime dessert.” - disner

How To Make Lemon-Blueberry Cake

INGREDIENTS

• Box Vanilla Cake: Boxed cake mix makes this recipe easier than ever. However, if you want to make this cake from scratch, you can! I’m partial to this yellow cake recipe, but you can also make vanilla or white cake.
• Lemons: I’m using lemon zest and juice in this recipe to really bring home that zingy citrus flavor. Make sure to save some zest and slices for the garnish!
• Blueberries: When in season, fresh blueberries are perfectly juicy and sweet in this cake. If you are making this out of season or can’t find fresh, frozen works too! They definitely won't look as pretty as the finishing garnish, but they'll do just fine in the batter.
• All-Purpose Flour: I toss the fresh berries with flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
• Buttercream Frosting: Unsalted butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt combine to create classic buttercream frosting. In this recipe, I’m adding the remaining lemon juice and zest to make sure there is lemony flavor in every bite.
  

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, preheat the oven to 350º, then grease three 9” cake pans with cooking spray and line with parchment (we want double-assurance that our cakes won’t stick). Then, prepare the cake mix according to the package directions, then stir in the juice and zest of 1 lemon until well combined.

In a separate small bowl, toss together 1 cup of blueberries with all-purpose flour until they are completely coated. This will prevent our blueberries from sinking to the bottom of our cake. Once well-coated, gently fold the blueberries into the batter.

Grab your prepared cake pans, and evenly divide the cake batter between them. Add to the oven and bake until a toothpick comes out clean (this should take around 18 to 20 minutes). Once baked, let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully invert them onto a wire rack and let them cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the buttercream frosting by beating together softened butter and 2 ½ cups of powdered sugar with a stand mixer using the whisk attachment in a large bowl. Add the remaining lemon juice and zest along with the heavy cream, and beat until combined. Once combined, beat in the vanilla and pinch of salt. Add the remaining ½ cup of powdered sugar if you want to modify the texture or flavor of your frosting.

Now we can assemble our cake! Place a dab of frosting on the cake plate (to keep the cake from moving), and place a strip of parchment on each side of the cake. Place the first cake layer, then top with a layer of the frosting, then repeat with the second and third cake layers and frosting. Once you’re done layering, smooth the frosting over the top and sides of the cake.

Garnish with the remaining blueberries, lemon slices, and zest, then serve in slices!

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Making your cake from scratch. If you do choose to make cake from scratch, make sure you’re keeping in mind how much your recipe will make, and halve it as needed (unless you want a 6-layer cake!).
• Can I use something instead of buttercream? If buttercream is a tad too rich for you, this cream cheese frosting recipe is one of my favorites. The tang of the cream cheese plays super well with the sweet berries.

Lemon-Blueberry Cake Variations

• Lemon-Blueberry Poke Cake: Poke cakes are what easy dessert dreams are made of, so if you're not feeling a layered version, this recipe is worth trying.
• Costco Lemon-Blueberry Pound Cake: This Costco copycat is just as great for breakfast as it is for dessert.
• Blueberry-Lemon Upside-Down Cake: Upside-down cakes go beyond pineapple, people! This jammy blueberry and lemon recipe is truly a summer stunner.

Make Ahead

You can make the cake up to a week in advance. When it has cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. As for the buttercream, it can be made up to two weeks in advance in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just give it a quick whip with your hand mixer to make it spreadable, and you're good to go.

Storage

Frosted (but not yet cut into), this cake can last about 4 days at room temperature. Be sure to cover it with a bowl or glass cake cover to prevent dust/air/anything that might be floating around in your kitchen from landing on it, and to prevent it from drying out.

Once you've cut into it, you've got two options. One, cover all cut areas with plastic wrap to tightly seal in the moisture. Two, if you've got any leftover frosting, you can frost over the cut sides of the cake. Not only will this prevent the cake from drying out, the lucky recipient of the next slice will be rewarded with extra frosting!