Fresh Lemon Blueberry Cake for a Taste of Sunshine

Summer can seem endless with the taste of the freshly made lemon blueberry cake. When made right, it offers a burst of sunlight with every bite. If you are craving for some floral and sunshine, to beat the early coolness of fall or the chill of winter, then this is your best bet. After all, nothing tastes as summery than lemon and blueberry. 

Whenever making a lemon cake, make sure that you use fresh lemon and none of those lemon extract nor those bottled lemon juice. When choosing lemons at the store, choose lemons that have smooth skin and heavy for their size. This is a good way to make sure that they are extra juicy. To get the most from your lemon, you can use Priority Chef Stainless Steel Citrus Squeezer. You will basically get the very last drop from your lemon. 

The recipe also calls for buttermilk. The good thing about buttermilk is that it adds extra moisture to your cake leaving you with lush and tender bites. Lemon cakes are prone to be dry and gritty. But with buttermilk, you will have that extra moisture and softness. If you don’t have any buttermilk. You can simply add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice in a 1 cup measuring glass and then fill it up with milk until you reach a full cup. Stir it around and leave it to sit for about 5 minutes. And, you will have fresh buttermilk for your cake.  

For the blueberries, you can use either fresh or frozen. When using frozen blueberries, you don’t need to thaw it nor worry that it’ll sink since the cake batter is extra thick. Make sure to toss the berries with a touch of flour to prevent it from staining your cake purple and so that they won’t burst inside.

lemon blueberry cakeIngredients:

Cake:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ¼ cup sugar, granulated
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 tbsp. baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3 medium lemons
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (don’t thaw) 

Cream Cheese Frosting 

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 1/2 powdered sugar
  • 1 to 2 tbsp. heavy cream
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • a pinch of salt 

Preheat the oven to 177°C (350°F). Grease and lightly flour 3 9x2 inch cake pans with a nonstick spray and then set aside. 

With a hand-held or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy for about 1 minute. Add both granulated and brown sugar to the butter and then cream on medium-high speed for about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time and then add the vanilla. Scrape the bottom and the sides, as needed. Beat on medium speed until everything is just combined. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat at low speed for 5 seconds and then remove from the mixer. Zest the lemon and then extract the juice. Add the zest, juice, and buttermilk to the batter and the stir lightly until everything is just combined. 

Add 1 tbsp. of flour to the blueberries and toss around in a small bowl. Fold the floured blueberries into the thick batter. Never over mix the batter since it will give you a dry and dense cake. Equally, divide the batter into 3 prepared pans and bake for 21 to 26 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely. 

As for the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter using a mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed until no lumps can be found. Add the 1 tbsp. cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix everything on low speed and gradually increasing to high speed and continue to beat for 3 minutes. If the frosting is too thick for your taste, add 1 more tbsp. of cream.  

Using a large serrated knife, trim the top of the cake to create a flat surface and place the 1st layer on your cake stand. Evenly cover it with your frosting and then top the 2nd layer and add more frosting and lastly add the 3rd layer. Add the remaining frosting to the top and then spread around the sides. Garnish the cake with lemon or blueberries if desired. Make sure to refrigerate for about 45 minutes before cutting.