Simplified Blueberry Cake Recipe With Cream Cheese Frosting
This simplified blueberry cake recipe, adapted from a well-known baker, is moist, bursting with juicy blueberries, brightened with lemon, and finished with a dreamy cream cheese frosting. No fancy skills needed. Just a downright great cake.
It’s perfect for spring and summer – light and rich at the same time – and makes a lovely treat for a shower, brunch, afternoon tea, or any celebration.
What to expect
I first tried the original Lemon Blueberry Cake – by Sally’s Baking Addiction – at a summer solstice party and instantly fell in love. I had to stop myself from going back for thirds.
When I tracked down the recipe, I saw why. Sally’s an amazing baker. I just had to make the cake, but her version was too elaborate for me, so I simplified it. Here’s how:
- Scaled it down to a two-layer loaf cake – in just one pan – instead of three round cake layers. I cut all the ingredients in half.
- Used an easy, one-step method for the frosting (which came out perfectly),
- Swapped buttermilk for regular milk, and
- Used a much simpler method to prepare the pan for baking (with no cleanup).
The result? Still bursting with flavor, just easier and more relaxed. Admittedly, the cake doesn’t look bakery-perfect, but it tastes every bit as good.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Cake batter: All the usual ingredients – butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, baking powder – plus baking soda, lemon, and of course, fresh blueberries.
Frosting: We are essentially making a buttercream cream cheese frosting, similar to our 3-minute chocolate buttercream icing. Butter, powdered sugar, a splash of milk, vanilla and full-fat cream cheese (not whipped). It’s scrumptious!
Substitutions
- Butter: Use all oil for a moister cake (but less rich flavor)
- Sugar: Use all white sugar for a lighter, less rich cake, or all brown sugar for a denser cake with subtle molasses flavor.
- Flour: For a gluten-free version, replace the flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour.
- Lemon juice: Swap with lime juice.
- Blueberries: Replace with chopped fresh raspberries or blackberries (not frozen).
Variations
- Cream cheese frosting: For extra flavor and zing, add lemon zest from one lemon or replace some of the milk with lemon juice.
- Use different cake pans: You can use a standard Bundt pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. Or a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm), baked for ~35 minutes (this can also be cut in half and made into a square layer cake). Or cupcakes, baked for about 20-22 minutes (you will need much less icing, maybe half).
Step by step instructions
Tip
To keep parchment paper from popping up when pouring in the batter, scrunch it tightly into a ball first. Then flatten it out and press it into the loaf pan—it’ll mold to the shape and stay put. No sliding, no fuss. (I learned this trick from chef Bonnie Stern – brilliant).
Shortcuts
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice is best, but [real] lemon juice in a bottle works fine too.
- Cool the cake in the fridge on a wire rack – it takes much less time.
- Room temp ingredients: If you forget to take the milk and eggs out of the fridge to bring them to room temperature, microwave the milk for 10 seconds and place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
- Cake pan: Use a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan, cut the cake in half, and make a square layer cake. This will cut baking time by about 20 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
It is not a good idea to use frozen blueberries in this recipe. They would release too much liquid and leave purple streaks in the cake.
Since we are adding lemon to the batter, it’s not necessary to use buttermilk. Ordinary milk works fine but you can use buttermilk if you like.
There are several possible reasons for a dense, flat cake: over-mixing the batter (mix the dry with the wet ingredients just until combined), too much flour (make sure to scoop the flour into your measuring cup, then level it off), the oven temperature is too high or too low, your baking powder or soda has expired, or your eggs and milk are not at room temperature.
Yes. The cake layers and frosting can be made a day ahead. Store the cake (unfrosted) covered at room temperature. Refrigerate the frosting and bring it to room temperature before spreading. See recipe notes for freezing and storing instructions.
More blueberry recipes
- Lemon blueberry pancakes
- Moist lemon blueberry loaf
- Apple and blueberry crumble
- Banana blueberry muffins
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thanks so much!
Simplified Blueberry Cake (Frosted)
Ingredients
Cake Batter
All ingredients should be at room temperature, Note 1
- 4 tablespoons butter (add a pinch of salt if using unsalted)
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons milk or buttermilk, Note 2
- ¼ cup lemon juice (1 large or 2 small lemons)
- ¾ cup fresh blueberries (not frozen) + 1 ½ teaspoons flour
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, full-fat brick, Note 3
- 5 tablespoons butter (add a pinch of salt if using unsalted)
- 2 cups confectioner sugar (powdered or icing sugar)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cream or milk
- optional: zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- HEAT OVEN to 350F/177C. Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan (23 x 13 cm) with parchment, leaving an overhang on the sides. Tip: crush the parchment into a small ball, flatten it out, then lay it in the pan and smooth it out. The parchment won't pop up. Note 4 for pan options.
- MAKE BATTER:– Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl with a mixer for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and oil; beat 2 more minutes until smooth.– In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda (and salt if using unsalted butter). Add to wet mixture and beat on low just until combined. Beat in lemon juice and milk for a few seconds on low speed.– Pat blueberries dry, toss with 1½ tsp flour (to prevent sinking to bottom), and gently fold into batter with a rubber spatula. Don’t overmix.
- BAKE: Scoop batter into parchment-lined loaf pan. Bake for 52-56 minutes (start checking at 50 minutes). When cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Remove from oven. Lift out cake with parchment and place on wire rack to cool (about 45 minutes). Place in fridge to speed up cooling.
- MAKE FROSTING: Beat cream cheese frosting ingredients in a mixing bowl, starting with a little less milk, until smooth and creamy, adding a few more drops of milk/cream if needed. Include the optional lemon zest if you like.
- FROST CAKE: Cut cooled cake in half horizontally to make two layers. Use the flattest side for the top for easier frosting. Add a layer of frosting on the bottom half. Put the second cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides. Decorate with fresh blueberries and a lemon twist or zest if you like.
Recipe Notes
- Ingredients not a room temperature? Here’s a quick way to do that:
- Eggs: place in bowl of warm water for 5 minutes
- Butter: grate it or soften in microwave (don’t melt it!)
- Milk and lemon juice: microwave for 5-8 seconds.
- Cream cheese: soften in microwave for 5-10 seconds.
- Buttermilk: Great for moisture (but not essential for this recipe). To make it, mix 2 tsps lemon just with the 6 tbsp milk or cream. Sit 5 min.
- Cream cheese to buy: Sally says to use full-fat brick cream cheese (it comes foil-wrapped), not whipped, spreadable or tub cream cheese. I found the full-fat Original Philadelphia cream cheese in a tub worked fine. Just start with less milk and add more at the end if needed.
- Substitutions:
- Butter: Use all oil for a moister cake (but less rich flavor)
- Sugar: Use all white sugar for a lighter, less rich cake, or all brown sugar for a denser cake with subtle molasses flavor.
- Flour: For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour (like Bob’s Red Mill).
- Blueberries: Replace with chopped fresh raspberries or blackberries (not frozen).
- Variations:
- Cream cheese frosting: For extra flavor and zing, add lemon zest from one lemon or replace some of the milk with lemon juice.
- Use different cake pans: You can use a standard Bundt pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. Or a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm), baked for ~35 minutes (this can also be cut in half and made into a square layer cake). Or cupcakes, baked for about 20-22 minutes (you will need much less icing, maybe half).
- Make-ahead:
- Day ahead: Bake cake layers and store, covered, at room temp. Refrigerate frosting a day ahead and bring to room temp before using (add a splash of milk if too thick).
- To freeze: Freeze frosted or unfrosted cake for up to two months in the freezer. Defrost in fridge. Cake is best served at room temperature, not cold.
- To store leftovers: Place in airtight container and store for up to 5 days in the fridge. Bring to room temp before serving.
I love receiving your recipes but, when I try to print them it does not allow me to include the picture because the email request is too fast!
Sorry about that Kathy. Most bloggers, like me, remove the pictures from the print option so that you don’t have to use extra ink and pages when printing. I’m afraid you will have to look at your phone for the pictures.