This Lemon Blueberry Cake is bursting with bright lemon flavors and fresh juicy berries. This soft and moist layered lemon cake recipe is topped with the best creamy and luscious whipped mascarpone frosting.
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✔️ The Best Lemon Blueberry Cake
This fluffy Lemon Blueberry Cake has bright lemon curd and rich, smooth whipped mascarpone cream cheese frosting in between each layer. Not overly sweet, light and moist with the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors.
This cake is a personal favorite and one I make as soon as I see the first signs of spring and well into summer when blueberries are at their peak. While I prefer fresh berries, this cake can also be made with frozen blueberries.
✔️ Lemon Blueberry Cake Ingredients
- Butter: I use unsalted butter softened to room temperature.
- Sugar: This lemon berry cake uses granulated sugar and light brown sugar.
- Eggs: I use large eggs. It’s best to use eggs at room temperature.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour.
- Vanilla Extract: I love to enhance the cake flavor with vanilla extract, but almond or lemon extract can also be used.
- Baking Powder and Salt
- Buttermilk: This ingredient adds a tangy flavor and lots of moisture. If you don’t have buttermilk, use whole milk or make your own buttermilk by mixing 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Bottled juice is not a good option.
- Blueberries: To make this layered cake, you can use fresh or frozen blueberries. If using frozen berries, do not thaw them out.
- Lemon Curd: You can use homemade or store-bought lemon curd.
✔️ Whipped Mascarpone Frosting
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Also labeled as heavy cream or whipping cream. Make sure it’s cold.
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Mascarpone Cheese: Chilled. If you can’t find mascarpone, use cream cheese.
- Vanilla Extract: I prefer using vanilla instead of lemon extract because we are also using lemon curd.
Equipment Needed:
- Three 9-inch cake pans
🔎 How To Make Blueberry Lemon Cake
For detailed instructions, check the printable recipe card.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and line three 9-inch cake pans.
- Make the Batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add both sugars and beat until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat until just combined. Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour and gently fold into the batter.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and cool before assembling and frosting.
- Make Mascarpone Frosting: Whip together the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract in a mixer until soft peaks form. Add the chilled mascarpone and whip until stiff peaks form. This happens quickly.
- Assemble: With a serrated knife, remove the domes from the top of the cakes, if needed. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Place half of the whipped mascarpone frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large open round tip. Pipe a layer of frosting on top of the cake layer and spread evenly. Then spread half of the lemon curd over mascarpone filling. Continue with the second layer. Next, add the final layer of cake on top. Use your piping bag to fill in any gaps between your layers then, frost the outside of the cake. Decorate by piping swirls on top, if desired. Garnish with blueberries and lemon slices.
🔎 Can I Use Frozen Blueberries?
Although I prefer using fresh blueberries, you can use frozen blueberries. Toss the berries in the batter when frozen without coating in flour.
✔️ Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Make Ahead: You can prepare the cakes a day in advance. Keep the cakes at room temperature wrapped tightly or in an airtight container.
- Whipped mascarpone frosting will keep stable in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When frosting a cake or baked good, I prefer making the frosting on the same day I will be using it to prevent any changes in texture.
- Storing: You can store the frosted lemon blueberry cake in the refrigerator. The cake will keep at room temperature for about 2 hours unless it is a very hot environment (over 75 degrees F).
- Freeze: Unfrosted cakes can be frozen for 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Lemon Blueberry Cake Recipe Tips
- If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them first.
- It’s best to use room temperature eggs as they mix easily into the batter and help prevent over mixing.
- Make sure the mascarpone cheese is cold.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use milk. Whole milk produces the best results.
- The cakes can be made a day in advance and kept at room temperature wrapped tightly.
- It’s best to make the mascarpone frosting the day you will be frosting the cake.
- The cake batter can be baked in a 9 x 13 cake pan for about 40 minutes.
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Cake recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Lemon Blueberry Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Frosting
This Lemon Blueberry Cake is bursting with bright lemon flavors and fresh juicy berries. This soft and moist layered lemon cake recipe is topped with the best creamy and luscious whipped mascarpone frosting.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (230 gr) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/2 cup lemon juice, 3 medium lemons*
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Whipped Mascarpone Frosting
- 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese, chilled
- 1 10-ounces jar lemon curd
Garnish (optional)
- Fresh blueberries
- Lemon slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease three 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray or butter. Line the pans with parchment paper circles, then grease the parchment paper.
Make the Cake:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a handheld mixer, beat the butter on high speed for about 1 minute or until creamy.
- Add the granulated sugar and the brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes or until creamy.
- Add the eggs and the vanilla and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed for about 10 seconds, then add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat until just combined. Don’t over beat.
- Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour and gently fold into the batter. The batter will be thick.
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for about 21-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before assembling and frosting.
Make the Whipped Mascarpone Frosting:
- Add the heavy whipping cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract to a mixer bowl and whip on high speed until soft peaks form.
- Add the mascarpone and whip until stiff peaks form. This happens quickly. You can store the frosting in the fridge.
Assemble the Cake:
- To assemble the cake, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes, if needed.
- Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round.
- Place half of the whipped mascarpone frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large open round tip. Pipe a layer of frosting on top of the cake layer and spread evenly. Then spread half of the lemon curd over mascarpone filling.
- Add the second layer of cake and repeat the above steps using all of the remaining lemon curd. Next, add the final layer of cake on top.
- Use your piping bag to fill in any gaps between your layers, then frost the outside of the cake.
- If you have enough frosting, you can pipe a few swirls on the top of the cake. Garnish with blueberries and lemon slices (optional).
Notes
- If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them first.
- It’s best to use room temperature eggs as they mix easily into the batter and help prevent over mixing.
- Make sure the mascarpone cheese is cold.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use milk. Whole milk produces the best results.
- The cakes can be made a day in advance and kept at room temperature wrapped tightly.
- It’s best to make the mascarpone frosting the day you will be frosting the cake.
- The cake batter can be baked in a 9 x 13 cake pan for about 40 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 816 kcal, Carbohydrates: 76 g, Protein: 10 g, Fat: 53 g, Saturated Fat: 33 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 203 mg, Sodium: 318 mg, Potassium: 265 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 48 g, Vitamin A: 1854 IU, Vitamin C: 7 mg, Calcium: 180 mg, Iron: 2 mg
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