This fluffy cake combines zesty lemon with bursts of fresh blueberries. I like to top this scrumptious cake with vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting for a decadent dessert.
Ingredients in Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Plain / all-purpose flour
- Baking powder: NOT baking soda. Check that your baking powder is within its expiry date or else you may get a flat or sunken cake.
- Caster / superfine sugar: this finer form of sugar will dissolve more easily into the cake and give you a lighter, fluffier crumb.
- Can I use regular sugar? Yes, however your cake may be denser.
- Can I use brown or raw sugar? I would advise against brown or raw sugar as your cake will be too dense and will not rise correctly.
- Salt
- Canola oil: or any other flavourless vegetable oil. Avoid strongly flavoured oils such as flax, hemp, olive, etc.
- Unsalted butter: if using salted butter, omit added salt.
- Why does the recipe have half butter and half oil? Oil makes the cake fluffier and richer, while butter gives the cake a much nicer flavour. The combination of both creates the perfect flavoursome yet fluffy cake!
- Can I use ALL butter or ALL oil? Yes, you can EITHER 1 cup of oil OR 250 g (1 cup / 9 oz) of butter if necessary.
- Eggs
- Milk: I use dairy milk, however you can use non-dairy milks such as soy, oat or almond if necessary.
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed is best. Make sure to zest the lemons first!
- Lemon zest: this will give you a tangy cake. You can remove if absolutely necessary.
- Vanilla essence OR vanilla extract: for the best flavour, use true vanilla extract (not alcohol-based).
- Fresh or defrosted blueberries: if using frozen blueberries, defrost completely and bring to room temperature or they will impact the cooking time.
How To Make Lemon Blueberry Cake
Follow this step-by-step guide to make a perfect lemon blueberry cake.
1. Sift together the flour and baking powder.
2. Whisk in sugar and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together butter and oil. Whisk in eggs, one at a time.
4. Add the milk, lemon juice, lemon vanilla, and lemon zest. Whisk until well combined.
5. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
6. Slowly whisk in the boiling water.
7. Whisk until well combined.
8. Evenly split the batter into two cake tins.
9. Sprinkle half of the blueberries over each cake. Do not press in.
10. Bake until lightly golden. Leave in the tins to cool for 10 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Lemon Blueberry Cake
Yield:
Serves 10
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
45 minutes
Total Time:
1 hour 15 minutes
This zesty lemon blueberry layer cake is bursting with fresh blueberries. Top this cake with vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting for a delicious and decadent dessert.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (375 g) plain / all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (16 g) baking powder
- 1 ½ cups (360 g) caster / superfine sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) salt
- ½ cup (125 mL) canola oil or any other flavourless vegetable oil
- 125 g (4.5 oz / ½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 4 large eggs
- ⅔ cup (165 mL) milk
- ⅓ cup (83 mL) lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon (16 g) lemon zest
- 2 teaspoon (10 g) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (125 mL) boiling water
- 1 heaped cup (200 fresh or defrosted blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F (fan/convection) or 180°C / 355°F. Grease and line TWO 20cm (8 inch) round cake tins. The batter is fairly thin, so only use springform tins if they are tight-fitting.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Whisk in the caster sugar and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the oil and melted butter. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Add the milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or flat spatula like this silicone one to stir together the ingredients until just combined.
- Whisk in the boiling water, a little bit at a time, and continue to whisk until the batter is smooth and combined.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the two tins. Sprinkle half of the blueberries over the top of each cake (do not press into the batter, they will sink during cooking).
- Bake both cakes together for 40-45 minutes or until lightly golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Measurement
- Please note that my recipes are measured in metric cups and spoons which are larger than US cups and spoons. Most recipes will be fine if measured in US cups and spoons, but please use the weight (grams) measurement for the most accurate result.
Storage
- Keep cake refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
Substitutions & Tips
- Top this cake with vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
- Regular sugar vs caster sugar: regular granulated sugar will give you a denser, heavier cake. Caster sugar more easily dissolves into the cake batter and gives you a fluffier, moister cake.
- Oil: use any mildly flavoured vegetable or canola oil. Avoid strongly flavoured oils such as olive, avocado, flax etc. or you will be able to taste them in the cake.
- Salted butter: if you are using salted butter, omit the added salt.
- Vanilla: this cake works best with a high-quality (NOT imitation) vanilla. Avoid alcohol-based brands.
- Using frozen blueberries: make sure your blueberries are defrosted and at room temperature or it will impact the baking time of the cake batter.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/10th of Recipe (No Frosting)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 494Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8.1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10.7gCholesterol: 74.4mgSodium: 487mgCarbohydrates: 58.3gFiber: 1.4gSugar: 32.3gProtein: 6.2g
Gene evans says
Will recipe work with a bundt cake
Chloe says
Hi Gene, I haven't tried this recipe as a bundt cake. I'd recommend filling the tin 2/3 full and using the leftover batter for cupcakes. I would bake the bundt for 40 minutes to start with and check it with a skewer to make sure it's cooked through. Hope that helps.
Terry says
Hi Chloe! 1st time visiting your site - the recipe caught my eye in my Google feed. Looks scrumptious! I do have a question, though. Do you prep the baking pans/line with parchment ? No mention of this was made in either the overview, or the actual recipe. I'd hate to screw it up and have a failure! Thanks!
Chloe says
Hi Terry, thanks for pointing this out! The recipe is meant to say "Grease and line TWO 20cm (8 inch) round cake tins with baking paper (parchment paper)." I'll update it now! Hope you enjoy 🙂