Fresh, moist, and bursting with juicy blueberries, this lemon blueberry layer cake is filled with real citrus flavor. Tender lemon cake layers are stacked high and finished with tangy lemon cream cheese frosting.

A slice of lemon blueberry layer cake on a plate garnished with fresh lemon wedges and blueberries.

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Moist Lemon Blueberry Layered Cake

Spring is certainly in the air with this vibrant lemon blueberry layer cake! A moist layered lemon cake studded with fresh juicy blueberries and a homemade lemon cream cheese frosting is the perfect summer dessert for Easter and all of your special occasions.

If you love lemon and blueberry as much as I do, you’re going to want to try my lemon blueberry cupcakes next.

Ingredients Notes

Lemon, blueberries, eggs, sugar, flour, sour cream, buttermilk and butter on counter.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Unsalted butter, cream cheese, and eggs: Bring everything to room temperature before starting. Softened butter creams more smoothly with sugar, and room temperature eggs blend evenly for a lighter, more tender cake.
  • Buttermilk and sour cream: This combination creates a moist crumb and adds richness while keeping the cake soft and balanced. If you don’t have buttermilk, stir a little lemon juice or vinegar into milk and let it sit for a few minutes before using.
  • Fresh lemons: Use both the zest and juice for the best citrus flavor. Zest the lemon before juicing and avoid the white pith, which can taste bitter.
  • Blueberries: Fresh blueberries work best and help keep the batter from becoming too wet. If using frozen, do not thaw first and toss with flour before folding in to prevent bleeding and sinking.
  • Cream cheese frosting: Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese for the best texture. Beat the butter first until smooth, then blend with the cream cheese before adding powdered sugar, lemon zest, juice, and cream for a light and fluffy finish.

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake

Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Then, beat in the vanilla and eggs followed by the lemon juice, sour cream, and buttermilk.

Alternate adding 1/3 of dry ingredients with 1/3 of the wet ingredients into another bowl, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.

Butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla being mixed together to make lemon cake batter before adding blueberries.
Wet ingredients being poured into lemon cake batter while mixing for lemon blueberry layer cake.

Gently fold in the flour-coated blueberries and pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Fresh blueberries tossed in flour and folded into lemon cake batter for lemon blueberry layer cake.
Lemon blueberry layer cake layers stacked with lemon cream cheese frosting between them.

Beat the softened butter until smooth, then add the cream cheese and mix until fully blended and creamy. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and a splash of cream, then beat until light and fluffy

Spread between the cake layers and over the top and sides of the cooled cake.

Lemon cream cheese frosting being whipped smooth with a hand mixer for lemon blueberry layer cake.
Lemon blueberry layer cake layers stacked with lemon cream cheese frosting between them.

Recipe Tips

  • To make this a single layer blueberry lemon cake, use a 9×13 pan and bake for 25-35 minutes.
  • Use 6″ pans for a thicker cake and 8″ pans for a thinner cake.
  • Make sure to grease and line your pans with parchment paper for easy removal.
  • Toss the blueberries with a tablespoon of flour before folding them into the batter. This helps keep them evenly distributed instead of sinking to the bottom as the cake bakes.
  • If you don’t have a cake slicer, use a serrated knife across the top to level it.
  • Cool the cake completely before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt!
  • Use an offset spatula, if you have one, to frost the cake. If you prefer more frosting, this recipe can be doubled.
Top down of frosted lemon blueberry layer cake to show creamy lemon cream cheese frosting and lemon with blueberry garnish.

More blueberry and lemon recipes include lemon blueberry muffins, lemon blueberry Dutch baby and lemon blueberry zucchini bread!

More Lemon Recipes

A slice of lemon blueberry layer cake on a plate garnished with fresh lemon wedges and blueberries.

Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Servings: 12
Moist lemon blueberry layer cake with soft citrus flavor and tangy lemon cream cheese frosting. Fresh blueberries in every bite make this an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert.
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Ingredients 

Lemon Blueberry Cake

  • 260 grams all-purpose flour (or 2 cups) plus 1 Tablespoon for the blueberries
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter , softened
  • 300 grams granulated sugar , or 1 1/2 cups
  • 1 lemon , zested
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs , at room temp
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 ½ cups blueberries

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ½ cup unsalted butter , softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Tablespoon cream
  • 1 lemon , zested

Instructions

Lemon Blueberry Cake

  • Preheat and prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of (2) round pans with non-cooking spray, add parchment paper, and spray again. Use 6" pans for a thicker cake, 8" for a thinner cake.
  • Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 260 grams flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  • Beat butter, sugar and lemon zest: In a large mixing bowl, beat together 3/4 cup softened butter, 300 grams sugar, and the zest of one lemon until light and fluffy.
  • Add vanilla and eggs: Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and 3 eggs. Beat well.
  • Add lemon juice and sour cream to buttermilk: Add 3 Tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 cup sour cream to 1/2 cup buttermilk. Stir.
  • Alternate adding wet and dry ingredients: Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Add 1/3 wet ingredients. Alternate back and forth until all ingredients are added and it's just combined. Don't over mix.
  • Fold in blueberries: Add remaining 1 Tablespoon flour to the blueberries and stir. Fold into the cake batter gently.
  • Cook: Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Check with a toothpick. The cake is done when the toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool: Leave cakes in pans for 5 minutes, then move cakes to cooling rack until completely cooled.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Beat butter and cream cheese: In a medium sized bowl, beat the 1/2 cup softened butter for 1 minute. Add the 8 ounces of cream cheese and beat until blended well.
  • Add lemon juice, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, lemon zest and whipping cream: Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 pinch salt, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, the zest of 1 lemon, 1 Tablespoon whipping cream and 3 cups of powdered sugar. Beat until combined.
  • Frost: Add frosting between the two layers, on the top and around the sides.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Cake pan: You can use a 9×13 pan, and cook for 25-30 minutes.
Store: Keep leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Because of the cream cheese frosting, it shouldn’t be kept out at room temperature for too long.
Freeze: You can freeze the unfrosted cake up to 3 months. Wrap each cooled cake layer in plastic wrap then place in a Ziploc bag. Thaw in the refrigerator then proceed with frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 587kcal, Carbohydrates: 77g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 119mg, Sodium: 190mg, Potassium: 168mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 58g, Vitamin A: 1010IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 80mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.