Blueberry Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting – Moist and Flavorful Recipe

Blueberry Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a from scratch blueberry cake that is filled and frosted with lemon cream cheese frosting. It is a moist layer cake with real blueberry flavor in every bite, made with pantry basics, fresh berries, and a lemon.

Blueberry flavor arrives in two ways. First, blueberry puree is cooked down and stirred into the batter, so the fruit flavor reaches every crumb. Second, whole blueberries are folded in at the end of mixing, so slices show whole berries along with a soft purple blue crumb.

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The frosting is a lemon cream cheese buttercream, a cross between a traditional buttercream and a cream cheese frosting. It pipes well, spreads evenly, and gives the cake the bright lemon note that blueberry loves.

The batter yields about 7 1/2 cups, enough for three 8 inch by 2 inch round cake pans. This recipe is adapted from the original blueberry cake with lemon cream cheese frosting, and the amounts below follow that source.

What Pairs Well with Blueberry Cake?

Blueberry and lemon are a classic pairing, and once the blueberry cake layers are tasted, a lemon frosting is the natural next step.

The source site also shares a separate Lemon Blueberry Cake, which is a lemon sour cream cake with blueberries folded into the batter. This blueberry cake is described as having even more blueberry flavor, because the fruit shows up twice in the batter.

The frosting here is a Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream. It is a cross between a traditional buttercream and the usual lemon cream cheese frosting, which means it pipes cleanly, holds a shape, and still covers the cake evenly.

Other frostings that would also work on this blueberry layer cake:

• Classic lemon cream cheese frosting
• Blueberry buttercream
• Lemon buttercream
• Vanilla buttercream
• Cream cheese frosting

For the Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream you will need:

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened (339g)
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened (226g), brick style rather than tub
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, about the amount from one lemon, adjusted to your liking (57g)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract (4g), adjusted to your liking
• 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted then measured or weighed (863g)
• Milk, optional, if you need to thin the consistency

Even without the extract you still get a light lemon flavor from the juice and the zest. The frosting makes about 5 cups, which is enough to fill and cover this cake.

How to Make Blueberry Cake

The special quality of this cake comes from using both pureed blueberries and whole blueberries in the batter, which builds a strong blueberry flavor instead of a faint one. The source describes it as the best blueberry cake and notes that it is the only blueberry cake recipe they have made.

Here is what goes into the cake layers:

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (170g)
• 2 cups white sugar (400g)
• 3 large eggs, room temperature, and if you are in a hurry place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes
• 3 cups cake flour (342g), see the substitution note below
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (8g)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (3g)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (3g)
• 1 cup sour cream (227g)
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries (198g), pureed and cooked down with 1/4 cup water until reduced to 3/4 cup (181g), then cooled
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (54g), canola oil works well
• Pink coloring gel, optional, a small amount to bring out the blue color of the berries
• 1/2 cup whole blueberries (66g), folded into the batter at the end of mixing

The recipe makes approximately 7 1/2 cups of batter, which divides evenly among the three pans.

No cake flour on hand? For 3 cups of cake flour, remove 6 tablespoons of all purpose flour and replace them with 6 tablespoons of cornstarch, then whisk to blend.

Cooking Down the Blueberries

The blueberry reduction is made to deliver maximum blueberry flavor without adding too much extra liquid to the cake batter. It is the first step in the recipe, and it can be made ahead.

Measure 1 1/2 cups (198g) blueberries. If you use frozen berries, let them thaw before pureeing. Puree the berries in a blender, then add the puree to a saucepan with 1/4 cup water.

Cook over medium high heat until the mixture reduces to 3/4 cup (181g). If you reduce it too far, add water to reach the 3/4 cup mark. Cool the reduction before using it, and refrigerate it if you make it in advance.

Preparing the Blueberry Layer Cake Batter and Baking

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour three 8 inch by 2 inch round cake pans. Lining the pans with parchment paper circles is optional.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl for 30 seconds, then set it aside. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, the cooled blueberry puree, and the oil with a fork.

In the mixer bowl, mix the butter until smooth, then gradually add the sugar and mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture is lighter in color and fluffy. A hand mixer may need a little longer. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.

Add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. That means three additions of dry ingredients and two additions of wet ingredients.

Add the optional pink coloring gel now and mix until combined and smooth, but do not mix above medium speed or mix too long. Fold in the 1/2 cup of whole blueberries.

Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.

Bake time can vary from oven to oven, so keep an eye on the layers in the final minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 to 10 minutes, then turn them out.

Decorating the Blueberry Layer Cake

Once the layers have cooled, place the first layer on a cake pedestal, add frosting, and stack the layers. Fill and frost the cake, then rotate it on a turntable while smoothing the sides with a metal bench scraper.

Even if you plan to texture the sides, aim for a fairly smooth base first so the frosting is even all the way around. These cake layers are dark, so the frosting may need to go on a little thicker than usual for full coverage.

Cream cheese frosting is softer than typical buttercream, so the frosting bowl may need several minutes in the refrigerator before you start, and again if it becomes too soft to work with.

If the frosting on the cake ever seems too soft, chill the whole cake in the freezer or the refrigerator for about 10 to 15 minutes to firm it up.

Texturing and Final Details

After the final coat of frosting is smoothed on the sides and top with a bench scraper and a spatula, use a small offset spatula to texture the frosting. Short, light strokes build the ridges.

Around the top edge of the cake, add blueberries, small lemon wedges, and frosting stars piped with a 6B French tip and a star tip 21. The berries and lemon bring the two main flavors back to the surface, and the piped stars frame the top of the cake.

Is it necessary to add coloring gel to the batter?

Coloring gel is not often added to cake batter, but in this blueberry cake it makes a noticeable difference. Cooked down blueberries naturally tint the batter a light greyish blue, which tastes good but looks a little muted.

A small amount of pink coloring gel, such as Wilton Rose, brightens the batter to the purple blue shade people expect from blueberries. You are not trying to make the cake pink. The tiny amount of pink simply shifts the greyish blue toward a warmer, more vivid berry color.

The gel is optional. Without it, the cake still shows blueberry flecks and whole blueberries in every slice. With it, the crumb looks more like the fruit it came from.

If you skip the gel, the taste and texture stay the same. If you use it, add it after the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture are combined, then mix until the batter is smooth and evenly colored.

More Fruity Cakes to Share

If you enjoy this blueberry cake, there are more fruit forward cakes to bake next. Among the blueberry options shared by the source are Blueberry Coconut Pound Cake and Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake, both of which keep berry flavor at the center of the cake.

For a cold and creamy take on the same flavor pairing, try Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. If you want berries with a streusel style crumb for breakfast or brunch, Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake is a good place to start.

Popular spring and summer cakes in the source collection include Lemon Cake, Orange Dreamsicle Cake, and Strawberry Cake, along with a Peaches & Cream Cake and a Blueberry Bundt Cake. All of them are gathered in the cake recipes section.

With three layers to fill and stack, this cake has plenty of frosting between the layers and a generous coating outside. Whether you bake it for a celebration or a simple weekend bake, the blueberry and lemon combination is the reason it works.

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Blueberry Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

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Blueberry Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting This is a from scratch blueberry cake that is filled and frosted with lemon cream cheese frosting. It is a moist layer cake with real blueberry flavor in every bite, made with pantry basics, fresh berries, and a lemon.

• Yield: 7 ½ cups of batter 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Blueberry Cake
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (170g)
2 cups white sugar, (400g)
3 large eggs, room temperature (If in a hurry, place eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5–10 minutes)
3 cups cake flour, (342g) See notes for substitution
2 teaspoons baking powder, (8g)
½ teaspoon baking soda, (3g)
½ teaspoon salt, (3g)
1 cup sour cream, (227g)
1 ½ cups blueberries, pureed in a blender, then cook in ¼ cup water over medium heat until reduced to ¾ cup (181g) Cool before using.
¼ cup vegetable oil, ( I use canola oil) (54g)
Pink Coloring Gel, Optional. We used a small amount to bring out the blue color of the berries
½ cup whole blueberries, (fold in the batter at the end of mixing) (66g)

For the Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream
3 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened (339g)
8 oz cream cheese, softened (226g) cream cheese (brick rather than tub)
¼ cup lemon juice, – Approximate amount of one lemon. (Adjust to your liking) (57g)
1 lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon extract, (4g) *Adjust amount to your liking. Even without the extract, you’ll have a light lemon flavor from the lemon juice & zest.
7 ½ cups powdered sugar, (sift then measure/weigh) (863g)
milk, *If you need to thin the consistency you can add milk in small amounts.

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Instructions

For the Blueberry Cake
1-It is good to prepare the blueberries: It is good to prepare the blueberries first. Measure out 1 ½ cups (198g) blueberries. If using frozen blueberries it is best to allow them to thaw before they are pureed. In a saucepan add the pureed blueberries and ¼ cup water. Cook over medium high heat until they are reduced to ¾ cup (181g). If you happen to reduce too much, just add water to reach the ¾ cup mark.
2-Cool the reduced blueberries until cool: Cool the reduced blueberries until cool. Can be made in advance and refrigerated.
3-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour three 8 inch x 2 inch round cake pans.
4-In a medium sized bowl, add flour,: In a medium sized bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to blend for 30 seconds. Set aside.
5-In another bowl, combine the sour cream,: In another bowl, combine the sour cream, blueberry puree and oil. Blend with fork and set aside.
6-In the bowl of your mixer, mix: In the bowl of your mixer, mix the butter until smooth, Gradually add the sugar and mix on medium speed 3 to 5 minutes or until lightened in color and fluffy. If using a hand mixer, you may need to mix a bit longer.
7-Add the eggs 1 at a time: Add the eggs 1 at a time mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
8-Add the flour mixture and the sour: Add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (3 additions of dry ingredients, 2 additions of wet ingredients).
9-Add pink coloring gel at this time: Add pink coloring gel at this time. I added just a small amount to brighten the color. Mix until combined and smooth. Do not mix above medium speed or mix too long.
10-Fold in ½ cup blueberries: Fold in ½ cup blueberries
11-Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to: Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Keep an eye on it, ovens can bake differently.
12-Let cool in pans 5 to 10: Let cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes, then turn out.

Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream
13-Add the slightly softened butter in the: Add the slightly softened butter in the bowl of your mixer and mix until smooth
14-Add pieces of cream cheese to the: Add pieces of cream cheese to the mixing bowl. The cream cheese should be soft enough that it combines easily into the butter mixture.
15-Gradually add the powdered sugar: Gradually add the powdered sugar. Add the lemon juice, lemon extract and zest. Do not over mix. The longer it is mixed the softer it becomes. If it becomes too soft, refrigerate 10 minutes or so and it will firm up.
16-Makes about 5 cups of frosting: Makes about 5 cups of frosting.

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• Method: bake