Lusciously moist lemon cake speckled with juicy blueberries, layered with homemade lemon curd and frosted in a tangy cream cheese frosting!
Although it feels like summer just started, we are already halfway into August, people! Seriously, where does the time go, and why does this season always seem to speed by WAY too quickly??
I guess the good thing about summer coming to an end is the fact that my favorite season begins–AUTUMN. Mmmmm…I can already taste the pumpkin pies, caramel apples, and maple-infused sweets.
But BEFORE we dip our tastebuds into all of those delicious fall flavors, we first need to give one of my favorite summer flavor duos its day in the sun. So today, I’m sharing my Lemon Blueberry Cake with y’all!
Lemon and blueberry go together like Lucy and Ethel. The luscious tartness of the lemon pairs so perfectly with the floral sweetness of blueberries. And when those blueberries are baked into a delicious dessert or a yummy breakfast pastry, their flavor is like no other. The way they go from subtly sweet to incredibly juicy and succulent is almost magical, and this cake is absolutely no exception.
The cake is supremely moist and it’s infused with just the right amount of lemon flavor. There’s also a good amount of juicy blueberries baked into each layer, making for the most heavenly experience in every bite.
Both freshly-squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest are incorporated into the batter, which means no artificial flavorings or extracts. Not that there’s anything wrong with those. I just prefer to leave them out, if I can.
Buttermilk is added to ensure that moist crumb that we all expect in lemon cakes. It’s key to providing a tender bite and it’s the best when it comes to making cakes soft and moist. Since I rarely have buttermilk on hand, I usually just make my own by adding a little vinegar to milk. For this recipe, you’ll need to add 2 teaspoons of white distilled vinegar to a measuring cup, then pour in enough milk to equal 2/3 cup.
As for the blueberries, you can either use fresh or frozen. If using frozen berries, make sure NOT to thaw them out first since their juices will bleed into the batter as you fold them in. Regardless of whether you use frozen or fresh blueberries, you’ll need to toss them in a tablespoon of flour first to prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
It’s also important to note that this batter is thicker. When you have a thin batter, add-ins like fruit or chocolate chips have a tendency to sink to the bottom. Both the thickness of the batter and the added insurance of the flour-coated blueberries ensure that you don’t end up with sunken berries.
Of course, seeing as this is a LEMON blueberry cake, it only seemed fitting to fill the cake layers with some homemade lemon curd. Because as they say, when life hands you lemons…make lemon curd!
I think that’s how the saying goes…
Anywho, this lemon curd could NOT be any easier to make, and it adds so much more lemony flavor to this cake! Not only is it incredibly creamy and packed with the perfect balance of sweet and sour, but it’s also rather foolproof. Just combine your egg yolks, egg, and sugar. Stir in some lemon juice, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Add some butter, and cook the mixture until it thickens into a beautiful satiny lemon curd.
To up the tangy ante (What am I even saying?), this cake is cloaked in the most delicious cream cheese frosting. Not only does its lusciously sweet tanginess compliment the cake’s lemony sweetness, but its thick and creamy texture pairs perfectly with the cake’s velvety crumb. Plus, it couldn’t be any easier to make! Just beat together some cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, and you’re ready to frost!
To prevent the lemon curd from squishing/peeking out of the sides of the cake, I piped a border of cream cheese frosting along the top edges of the cake. Then I spread the lemon curd inside that border. I like to do this whenever I’m making a cake that’s layered with a filling that’s thinner than frosting.
Also, when it comes to taller/narrower cakes like this one, I like to insert a few skewers into the center of the cake. It keeps the cake layers in place, and you don’t have to worry about them sliding. Just don’t forget to remove them as you’re cutting into the cake.
This Lemon Blueberry Cake is perfect for spring, summer, and coming to terms with the fact that the summer is coming to an end!
Lemon Blueberry Cake
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅔ cup buttermilk*
- ⅓ cup lemon juice, freshly-squeezed
- 1 ½ Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 ¼ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen**
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
Lemon Curd:
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 ½ Tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into half-inch pieces
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- Fresh Blueberries, for decorating
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line four 6-inch pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together until combined; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed until lightened and creamy. Beat in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and almond extract on medium speed.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, toss the blueberries with the 1 Tablespoon of flour. Gently fold blueberries into the batter.
- Divide batter evenly among the pans. Bake for 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Lemon Curd:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar together until just combined. Whisk in the lemon juice, zest, and salt. Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened, about 4-8 minutes minutes.
- Immediately strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together on medium-high speed until smooth, 2-4 minutes. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and continue beating until creamy.
- Transfer about a cup of the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
Assemble the Cake:
- Place one cake layer onto a cake plate or pedestal. Spread a very thin layer of cream cheese frosting on top. Pipe a border of frosting along the top edges of the cake. Spread 1/4 of the lemon curd evenly on top, inside the frosting border. Top with another cake layer. Repeat these steps until you place the last cake layer on top. Do not frost the top or sides yet. Freeze cake until solid.
- Once solid, remove cake from freezer and frost the sides and top with a thin layer of frosting. This will act as the crumb coat. Return cake to freezer until frosting has hardened.
- Remove the cake from the freezer. Frost the sides and top with a final layer of frosting. Spread last quarter of lemon curd on top. Decorate with remaining frosting.