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This foolproof lemon blueberry cake features a moist and fluffy cake bursting with tangy lemon and juicy blueberries throughout. No eggs, milk, or butter is needed.
Love simple yet elegant cake recipes? Try my death by chocolate cake, coconut cake, and Biscoff cake next.
When spring is in the air, and blueberries are in season, my lemon blueberry cake recipe makes a regular appearance. While this cake may look difficult and time-consuming, it’s actually one of the easiest and tastiest cakes you’ll ever make.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- 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
Ingredients needed
- All purpose flour. Either plain flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour. Be sure to sift your flour to ensure that there are no clumps in the batter.
- Baking soda. Reacts with the vinegar to help give the cake the 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. Just be wary that the cake will be darker in color 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 once baked.
- 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. Either fresh or frozen blueberries. If you use frozen berries, don’t worry about thawing them out.
- Cream cheese frosting. You can either use a store-bought one or try my homemade recipe for it.
How to make a lemon blueberry cake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the batter. Add your dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together. Add the wet ingredients before folding through the blueberries.
Step 2- Bake the cake. Transfer to an 8-inch cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 3- Frost the cake. Let the cake cool in the pan completely before frosting.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Try to use fresh blueberries rather than frozen ones, as they will ensure the cake is evenly cooked. If you can only use frozen ones, do not thaw them beforehand.
- The oven’s make and model can affect the cake’s baking time. Mine took 32 minutes, but it can take up to 45 minutes. Check up around the 30-minute mark, then 2-minute increments.
- 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 add some lemon juice to the frosting (I find one teaspoon to be plenty).
- Make lemon blueberry cupcakes or muffins by baking the batter in a muffin tin. I recommend reducing the baking time to 18-20 minutes.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftovers need to be stored in the fridge, 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
To avoid blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake, lightly toss your blueberries in some flour.
As this cake has no eggs or dairy in it, it is suitable for a vegan diet.
Alternative flours like coconut, oat, or almond won’t work well, as they require eggs and/or butter for stability.
More blueberry recipes to try
- Blueberry baked oatmeal
- Blueberry oatmeal cookies
- Healthy blueberry muffins
- Blueberry galette
- Blueberry banana bread
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
- 1 1/2 tablespoons 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, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Fold through your blueberries.
- Transfer the cake batter to the lined cake pan. Bake for 35-40 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
Nutrition
Originally published April 20218, updated March 2023, and republished May 2024
Can you double the recipe and make an 9×13 cake?
Yes of course you can!
Just want to be sure… this is a vegan recipe…want to make for a friend…
You’d get more natural lemon flavor by adding the grated zest of the entire lemon in addition to the juice.
Hi Arman! I am new to your site, and I love your no nonsense recipes with no weird ‘vegan ingredients’. I also like that you give the quantities for 1, 2 and 3 layers, so I can try a small one and if successful, I can go bigger next time. We loved the flavour of this Lemon and Blueberry cake. I made two layers and it came out so big and fluffy, I will definitely stick to two layers for this one! I used frozen blueberries and tossed them in flour, but every single one sunk! I will try with fresh when they are in season. I also added finely grated lemon zest to the batter to give extra lemon flavour. Just one thing I would request, please can you give your measurements in metric. I always use electric scales, as it’s the only way to ensure precise measurements and the same results every time. Thanks for the great vegan options!
You mention salt in beginning of post but I don’t see it listed in the actual recipe listed ingredients.
1/2 teaspoon
No salt is listed in the recipe. When asked how much salt, 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp are both given. How much salt is supposed to be used.
1/4 teaspoon.
I made this and it was delicious, I didn’t add frosting so it reminds me more of a breakfast bread than it does a cake. I’m making again today with a glaze!
To make this in a loaf pan should i do this in one loaf pan or divide into two loaf pans?
One loaf pan should be fine if you follow the single layer cake instructions.
This looks so yummy! I printed out the recipe and was looking through the post for any helpful tips before I made the recipe, and I noticed that in the ingredients needed list, it mentioned both salt and lemon extract. But I did not see those ingredients in the recipe that I had printed out. I was wondering if those are meant to be in the recipe or not?
Hi! It is 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract: )
Made it yesterday and it was delicious! I’ve used Iemon for lemon juice and coconut sugar so it looked like chocolate cake. Making it again today :-). Big thank you!
Hi, can I use cake flour instead of AP?
Yes 🙂
Is there metric measurements at all?
Something we will eventually include in recipes.
Would cupcake size work for this?
I don’t see why not.
I’m so confused on some of your recipes! If you are paleo or even low carb how can you eat this? 39 carbs/serving?
This is a take off of what’s known as a ‘magic cake’ just so you know!
Thanks.
Hi Rebecca, this recipe never claimed to be low carb.
In the information before the recipe you say that lemon extract is best, but the recipe say 1/4 cup lemon juice. How much extract should I use? I don’t imagine it would be a 1/4 cup. LOL
Thank you in advance, and thank you for the work you put into creating these healthier recipes.
Hi! Oh gosh not a 1/4 cup haha! 1/2 teaspoon is great 🙂
Hello!
I was looking for a good recipe to use up my remaining fresh blueberries and I am low on butter 🥴. I found your recipe! Going to make it this afternoon.😁I will come back and rate it. Sounds delicious! Going to make it with the Cream Cheese icing.😋