This Lemon Cake with Blueberry Curd features soft lemon cake layers filled with tangy blueberry curd and cream cheese frosting. A fresh, bakery-style dessert perfect for spring and summer celebrations.
This Lemon Cake with Blueberry Curd is the ultimate bright and fresh dessert. Layers of soft, tender lemon cake are filled with a rich, tangy blueberry curd and finished with a silky cream cheese frosting. Every bite is perfectly balanced with sweet citrus, tart berries, and a creamy finish.
This is the kind of cake that feels bakery-quality but is completely doable at home. It’s perfect for spring and summer celebrations, birthdays, or anytime you want a show-stopping dessert that tastes as beautiful as it looks.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Soft, fluffy lemon cake with bold citrus flavor
- Homemade blueberry curd adds a vibrant, tangy filling
- Creamy, smooth cream cheese frosting
- Perfect for holidays, gatherings, and special occasions
- A stunning layered cake that feels elevated yet approachable
Ingredient Breakdown
Blueberry Curd
- Blueberries – Provide a naturally sweet and slightly tart flavor. Fresh or frozen both work well.
- Lemon Juice and Zest – Brighten the curd and enhance the berry flavor with fresh citrus notes.
- Eggs and Egg Yolks – Create a rich, custard-like texture and help thicken the curd.
- Granulated Sugar – Balances the tartness and adds sweetness.
- Butter – Adds richness and gives the curd a smooth, silky finish.
Lemon Cake
- Cake Flour – Gives the cake a soft, tender crumb. All-purpose flour can be used in a pinch, but cake flour is best for texture.
- Lemon Zest and Juice – Infuse the cake with fresh, bold lemon flavor.
- Sugar – Sweetens the cake and helps create a light texture.
- Butter and Oil – Using both gives you the best of both worlds: flavor from butter and moisture from oil.
- Eggs and Egg Whites – Provide structure while keeping the cake light and fluffy.
- Sour Cream and Buttermilk – Add moisture and a slight tang, creating a soft and tender crumb.
- Vanilla, Lemon, and Almond Extracts – Enhance and deepen the overall flavor profile.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese and Butter – Create a rich, smooth base with the perfect balance of tangy and sweet.
- Powdered Sugar – Sweetens and stabilizes the frosting.
- Lemon Juice and Vanilla Extract – Add brightness and depth of flavor.
How to Make Lemon Cake with Blueberry Curd
Step 1: Make the Blueberry Curd
Start by cooking the blueberries with lemon juice until softened, then mash and strain to remove seeds.
Whisk the blueberry mixture with eggs, egg yolks, and sugar over a double boiler until thickened to a pudding-like consistency. Stir in butter until smooth, then chill until set.
Step 2: Make the Lemon Cake
Infuse the sugar with lemon zest by rubbing them together. This step enhances the lemon flavor throughout the cake.
Cream butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, egg whites, sour cream, and extracts, mixing until smooth.
Alternate adding dry ingredients with buttermilk and lemon juice, mixing just until combined.
Divide the batter between prepared cake pans and bake until set. Let cakes cool completely before assembling.
Step 3: Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth, then add powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Whip until light, fluffy, and spreadable.
Step 4: Assemble the Cake
Place one cake layer on a stand and pipe a border of frosting around the edge. Fill the center with blueberry curd.
Top with the second layer, then apply a thin crumb coat and chill. Finish frosting the cake and add small swirls of blueberry curd for a beautiful finish.
Tips for the Best Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Use room temperature ingredients for a smooth batter
- Do not skip rubbing lemon zest into the sugar for maximum flavor
- Chill the curd completely before assembling
- Apply a crumb coat for a clean, bakery-style finish
- Let the cake sit at room temperature before serving for the best texture
Easy Variations
- Swap blueberries for raspberries or blackberries
- Use mascarpone frosting instead of cream cheese
- Turn this into cupcakes for individual servings
- Add a layer of lemon curd for extra citrus flavor
How to Store
Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to soften and enhance flavor.
Perfect for Any Occasion
This Lemon Cake with Blueberry Curd is perfect for:
- Spring and summer gatherings
- Easter or Mother’s Day
- Birthdays and celebrations
- Bridal or baby showers
- Anytime you want a fresh, fruit-forward dessert
Final Thoughts
This Lemon Cake with Blueberry Curd is bright, fresh, and full of flavor with layers of soft lemon cake, tangy blueberry filling, and creamy frosting. It’s a stunning dessert that feels special without being overly complicated.
If you try this recipe, leave a comment and let me know how it turned out, and don’t forget to follow along for more bakery-style desserts and seasonal recipes.
Lemon Cake with Blueberry Curd
Ingredients
Blueberry Curd
- 1 cup fresh blueberries or frozen
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks save the whites for the cake
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup salted butter cut into small cubes
Lemon Cake
- 4 cups Cake Flour
- 1 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Lemon Zest
- 2 1/2 cups granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cup Salted Butter room temperature
- 1 cup Oil I used avocado oil
- 4 large Eggs oom temperature
- 2 Egg Whites room temperature, leftover from the curd
- 2 tsp lemon extract
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- 3/4 cup Sour Cream room temperature
- 1 cup Buttermilk room temperature
- 1/3 cup Lemon Juice room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup Salted Butter room temperature
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 16 oz Cream Cheese
Instructions
Blueberry Curd
- Make sure to start this first. It will need time to cool and set while the cake bakes.
- In a small saucepan add blueberries and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture has come together.
- Mash the blueberries then pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
- Add 2 inches of water to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.
- To a medium heat safe bowl add the blueberry mixture, eggs, egg yolks, and sugar, and lemon juice. Whisk together and place on top of the saucepan, whisking constantly so you do not cook the eggs. Continue to whisk until the consistency becomes pudding-like (or reached 170-180 degrees F), about 10-15 minutes. Once this consistency is reached, remove from heat and add in butter. Whisk until melted, then cover with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator set.
Lemon Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Grease and flour 2 8-inch cake pans. Set aside.
- Add lemon zest and sugar into a large bowl. Combine the lemon zest into the sugar with your hands for about 2-3 minutes, this helps the lemon flavor really get in there.
- Add in room temperature butter and oil. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Then add eggs, egg whites, sour cream, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix on low until fully incorporated prior to adding more.
- In a small bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix to the wet mixture until just combined. Then add buttermilk and lemon juice until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Divide batter equally between the two pans and bake for 40-45 minutes. You know the cake is baked when a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- While the cakes are cooling make the cream cheese frosting.
- To a large bowl (I like to use my stand mixer for this) add the butter and cream cheese and beat on low speed for about 1-2 minutes or until the mixture begins to come together.
- Then add in the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mixing on low until the mixture comes together then turn up to medium and beat for 5-10 minutes. Until fluffy and smooth. Scraping the bowl a few times during the process.
Assemble the Cake
- Place one cake onto a cake stand. Add a boarder of cream cheese frosting to the edge of the cake and then add blueberry curd to the center. You will likely have extra curd, be careful to not eat it all by the spoonful. I saved a few tablespoons to frost the top and sides of the cake for a color pop.
- Then place the second cake layer on top. Then add a thin layer of cream cheese frosting to the cake before placing in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This crumb coat will help you get a clean frosting
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator and finish frosting the cake. Once the exterior was how I liked it. I add a few spots of curd to the frosting and spread it for a fun pop of color.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour for best texture.
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