Lemon Blueberry Cake
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This foolproof lemon blueberry cake features a moist, fluffy cake bursting with tangy lemon and juicy blueberries throughout. No eggs, milk, or butter is needed.
When spring is in the air and blueberries are in season, this lemon blueberry cake recipe makes a regular appearance in my kitchen. Although it looks bakery-level impressive, it’s actually one of the easiest cakes I make, and consistently one of my most requested!
This recipe is adapted from my go-to vanilla cake, a base I’ve made hundreds of times (literally). To get the lemon flavor just right and ensure the blueberries are evenly distributed, I tested several batches, adjusting the moisture and blueberry amount until the crumb stays light and tender, with fruit in every bite!
Table of Contents
Why I love this lemon blueberry cake
- The texture is truly exceptional. Moist and fluffy in the middle, with a tender crumb and plenty of blueberries throughout.
- It’s made with pantry staple ingredients. No butter, milk, or eggs are needed, and everything is made in one bowl.
- It’s so versatile. I typically make this as a layer cake, but you don’t need to if you prefer just one layer or want to make it as a sheet cake- the ball is in your court!
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Love this lemon blueberry cake recipe! So moist.”- Ariana
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into a blueberry lemon cake, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour. I typically use plain flour, but because many readers asked for a gluten-free option, I recently retested it, and it worked. You’ll use the same amount of gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill), and no other measurements need to be changed. Be sure to sift your flour to ensure that there are no clumps in the batter.
- Baking soda. Reacts with vinegar to give the cake fluffiness and rise without eggs.
- Salt. Brings out the sweetness.
- Sugar. I like using white sugar for the cake, but brown or coconut sugar also works. Please note that the cake will be darker if you choose one of the latter two.
- Lemon juice. For a more pronounced lemon flavor. Please use fresh lemon juice, as the bottled kind can often be bitter after baking.
- Vinegar. Use either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Oil of choice. Any neutral flavored oil, like canola oil, vegetable oil, or safflower oil.
- Water. To mix everything together. You can also use your favorite milk.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good cake.
- Blueberries. If you use frozen berries, don’t worry about thawing them out. The cake turns out exactly the same regardless of which you use- in my photos, it’s fresh, and in my recipe video, the blueberries are frozen.
- Cream cheese frosting. You can either use a store-bought one or try my homemade recipe (which can also be dairy-free).
How to make a lemon blueberry cake
Step 1- Make the batter. Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients before folding in the blueberries.
Step 2- Bake the cake. Transfer to an 8-inch cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 3- Frost the cake. Let the cake cool in the pan completely before frosting.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t toss the blueberries in flour. Many (if not most) cake or muffin recipes recommend tossing blueberries in some flour to prevent them from sinking. Because my batter contains no eggs, the blueberries remained evenly distributed and didn’t sink.
- The oven’s make and model can affect the cake’s baking time. Mine took 42 minutes, but it can take up to 55 minutes. Check in around the 40-minute mark, then every 2 minutes.
- This makes a single cake. Double the ingredients for a two-layer cake, and triple them for a three-layer cake.
- For a more pronounced lemon flavor, add fresh lemon zest to the batter or lemon juice to the frosting (I find one teaspoon plenty).
Storage instructions
To store: Leftovers should be refrigerated, as they will spoil at room temperature. Keep the cake in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap. This will ensure it will be kept for at least five days.
To freeze: Leftover cake slices can be placed in a ziplock bag and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! I tested these as cupcakes, and they rose beautifully. Once you’ve made the batter, distribute it among a 12-count muffin tin, about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 minutes, then check whether the tops bounce back lightly. If they do, remove them from the oven. If not, bake in one-minute increments until done.
Provided you use a dairy-free frosting, my cake is naturally vegan.
No, I don’t recommend alternative flours like oat, almond, or coconut. The liquid ingredients are the same for all-purpose and gluten-free all-purpose flours. Swapping it out can result in either a flat, crumbly, or gummy cake.
Lemon Blueberry Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour gluten-free, if needed
- 1 cup sugar brown or coconut sugar work.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 5 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
Cream cheese frosting
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese softened, or dairy-free cream cheese
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set aside. You can also line the base of the pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda, and mix well. Add the oil, water, vinegar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Fold through your blueberries.
- Transfer the cake batter to the lined cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan completely before frosting, if desired.
- To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Slowly add in the powdered sugar until combined. If the frosting is too thick, add a little water. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Notes
- Layered cake: For a layer cake, double the ingredients. For a triple-layer cake, triple the ingredients. Toggle the 2 x or 3 x button above.
- Frosting is optional. This cake tastes delicious sans frosting.
- Tips: See my recipe tips above for making the best lemon blueberry cake.
- Leftovers: Keep in the fridge, covered, for 5 days. You can also freeze slices for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
More simple cake recipes
- Death by chocolate cake– For the ultimate chocolate lover- this is also a super simple cake!
- Coconut cake– Moist, fluffy, and with just enough coconut flavor to not be overpowering!
- Biscoff cake– Layers of creamy biscoff between a moist chocolate cake.
Originally published April 2018
This cake was very good. I made it as a double layer cake over Memorial Day. Have you ever tried making it in a 9 x 13 pan? I wanted to try it, just to make it quicker for an outing.
Thank you
I think that would work well!
Can I make this as cupcakes? If so, do you have a suggestion for how long to bake them?
Thanks & love your recipes! We make your banana egg pancakes almost weekly 🙂
I don’t see why not, you’ll need to reduce the baking time to compensate.
Could I make this as cupcakes? If so, do you have a suggestion for how long to bake them?
Thanks & love your recipes! We make your cottage cheese banana pancakes almost weekly 🙂
Wowza! I made these and had all the rave. This might be my new favorite summer cake!
Only note: I left out the white vinegar. I wasn’t sure what the purpose was (maybe tang? My husband hates anything vinegar so I left it out), but it turned out great
I thought this would be a great recipe to try with my family because they’re trying to eat healthy. Instead of using real flour I used coconut flour! I would not recommend that at all!
This doesn’t surprise me, as coconut flour is NOT in the recipe.
I googled diabetic friendly blueberry and lemon cake and this came up, just wanting to verify it is in fact ok for diabetics, as both my mother and father in law are diabetic and i am making it for her birthday
I’m not sure, Annette- It’s best to speak to a medical professional to confirm.
Hello! Wondering if you have ever tried this with cassava flour or if you think it would work?
can i use cassava-cauliflower baking mix instead of flour?
No idea, never used it before. Feel free to experiment and see
The flavor of this cake was wonderful! I’d definitely make it again.
To intensify the lemon flavor, I did add 1 tsp lemon zest.
The cake turned out quite wet… did anyone else have this issue?
I might try 1/2 cup of water next time (instead of 3/4 cup water).
(for the frosting I drizzled a thick mixture of powdered sugar and 1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice over the top… the cake was delectable).
Excellent! I made it for my 91 year old mother who must avoid salt, dairy, eggs… for health reasons. I added 1 tsp lemon zest to the cake batter & drizzled the cooled cake with glaze (powdered sugar/fresh lemon juice).
Would definitely make this again but instead of 3/4 cup water…. reduce it to 1/2 cup water, since the cake was a little too moist (still delectable though).
This was sooooooooo good. I used whole wheat pastry flour and opted out of the frosting and used vegan whipped cream. I was tempted to eat the entire 8″ square pan but had to use portion control. Such a quick and easy recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Tip for those with newer ovens like myself: Since I like my cakes a bit moist, I baked mine at the max 20 minutes.
Hi I used the base of this and turned in to carrot cake so good. Best carrot cake I’ve eaten
thank you so much!
Hi there! If I were to make this a 6in 3 layer cake would I only need to double the recipe? or triple?
Thank you! 🙂
I’d triple it to be safe 🙂
Hi, What size tins please?
8-inch cake pan.