Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake is a delicate, tender pound cake with bright lemon flavor, loaded with fresh blueberries, and finished with a simple lemon glaze. It has the classic dense crumb you want in a pound cake while still staying soft and moist. It’s perfect for dessert, brunch, or any special occasion.
If you love pound cakes, check out my Cream Cheese Pound Cake, too!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Butter: Butter is an essential ingredient in pound cakes; it’s the primary source of fat. In this recipe, you will need 2 1/2 sticks of salted butter.
Eggs: Six large eggs act as binding agents and structure for the cake. For the best results, let them come to room temperature.
Flour: You need cake flour for this recipe. (All-purpose flour will yield different results.) If you don’t have cake flour, use a homemade cake flour substitute in a pinch.
Buttermilk: For more moisture and tenderness in the cake, use buttermilk. If you don’t have any on hand, make your own buttermilk to use!
Lemon Flavor: To give the pound cake its lemon flavor, I added lemon extract and lemon zest. You will need lemon juice for the glaze.
Blueberries: Although fresh blueberries are best, you could use frozen berries. If using frozen blueberries, first, let them thaw. Then, drain them before adding to the batter.
Can I Use A Different Pan?
Yes! I used a 10-inch bundt pan, which is a pan with decorative fluted edges and a hollow center. However, you could also use two loaf pans. Bake the loaves for 60-80 minutes, starting to check on the loaves at the hour mark. The pound cake is done baking when it is golden on top and an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs (not completely clean), but no wet batter. Then, don’t forget about the glaze!
Tips for the Best Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
- Room-temperature butter, eggs, and buttermilk are essential for a smooth, well-emulsified batter.
- Cream the butter and sugar thoroughly until light and fluffy. This step builds structure.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition.
- Once the flour is added, mix only until combined. Overmixing can make the cake tough.
- Toss the blueberries in 1 tablespoon of the measured cake flour before folding them in. This simple step helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom. (You shouldn’t need to with this recipe, as the batter is sturdy enough to suspend the blueberries while baking.)
- The long, low bake at 325°F allows the dense batter to cook evenly without drying out.
- The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). The crust will be a deep golden brown.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before turning it out. Cool completely before glazing.
FAQs
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour? You can, but the texture will be denser and less tender. Cake flour is strongly recommended for the best results.
How do I keep the blueberries from sinking? Toss the blueberries in 1 tablespoon of the measured cake flour before folding them into the batter. This light coating helps suspend them throughout the cake.
Can I bake this in loaf pans? Yes. Divide the batter between two standard loaf pans. Bake at 325°F for 60-80 minutes, starting to check at the 60-minute mark. The cakes are done when a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
Why is the bake time so long? Pound cakes are dense. The lower temperature and longer time allow the center to bake through without the outside drying out or over-browning too quickly.
How do I adjust the glaze? If the glaze is too thick, add a little more lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time. If it is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar until it reaches a pourable consistency that still holds some shape.
Can I use frozen blueberries without thawing? It’s best to thaw and drain them first. Adding frozen berries can introduce excess moisture and cause color streaking in the batter.
How To Store Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
Pound cakes, including this lemon blueberry pound cake, are best stored wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days. This helps maintain both texture and flavor. If preferred, you can refrigerate the cake for up to 5 days, but be sure to wrap it well to prevent drying out or absorbing odors. Before serving, allow the cake to come to room temperature for best results.
Can I Freeze Pound Cakes?
Absolutely. To freeze the cake, double-wrap it in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. It will last up to 3 months in the freezer. Let the cake thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cutting and serving.
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks / 284 g) salted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups (300 g) cake flour
- ¼ cup (60 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 cups (296 g) fresh blueberries
Glaze
- 2 cups (250 g) confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup (61 g) lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 10-inch (12 cup) bundt pan with non-stick spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Slowly add the cake flour. Mix on low until combined.
- Add buttermilk. Mix until just incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add lemon extract. Gently fold in lemon zest and blueberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 85-90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter. The crust will be a dark golden brown around the edges and lighter in the center. Allow cake to cool to room temperature.
Glaze
- In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. Mix until smooth. Pour over the cooled cake.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
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Absolutely fabulous. Always moist , always flavourful. A hit with everyone!
I was so disappointed in this cake! First of all I used the size flute pan you recommended and it baked over in my oven. A mess to clean up. Then when I removed the cake , all the blueberries had sunk to the bottom! It was a mess . None of the berries were dispersed in the cake .. just 2 cups is berries on the bottom ! Please tell me what went wrong
So sorry to hear that Melinda! Let me try to address these issues. I fear your pan size was too small and that your oven may not be calibrated.
Pan Overflow:
The batter should only fill about 2/3 of the pan to allow room for rising. If your bundt (flute) pan is slightly smaller than 10 inches, you may experience overflow. This recipe does fit nicely into a 10 inch bundt pan, so you may want to check and make sure your pan is the correct size. Unfortunately, if you used a pan smaller than recommend, that can contribute to your other issues as well.
Even Baking:
Make sure your oven is properly preheated and calibrated. If your pan was too small and your oven too hot, the outside of the cake will heat quickly causing rapid rise and push the blueberries to the bottom.
So sorry that the cake didn’t turn out as you expected, but if you are able to make it with a 10-inch bundt pan in the future you will have success!
Can this be made in 2 loaf pans?
Wow!!! This is a keeper! I just tried the finished product and can’t wait to share some with friends, although I’m afraid they will be asking me to make again and again! Sweet but not toothache sweet and the flavors of lemon and blueberries came through perfectly. This cake wasn’t dry at all! Even the blueberries were juicy (I used fresh from farmstand). Thank you for this recipe and also for the easy directions to make my own buttermilk and cake flour (very helpful).
This was FANTASTIC. Way better than I thought it was going to turn out. Very moist and the lemon juice offsets the sweetness. I used fresh lemons in both the cake and the drizzle. For the drizzle, I strained the juice before mixing it in with the powered sugar. My grandkids loved it. It’s amazing…
Just wanted to mention first, that your recipes are absolutely the best out there. I am just wondering if 3 cups of sugar to 1 1/4cups of flour is necessary? It seems a lot? thanks so much.
Hi Bridget! Yes, the recipe has been tested and the amounts are correct. Some folks have mentioned they used a sugar replacement or lessened the amount of sugar. I haven’t tested those but you are welcome to try out variations that may be better suited to your tastes. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe
This was fantastic
I love your recipes.
My hubby found your recipe blueberry lemon bundt cake on Google. I made it and it turned out Delicious. I substituted sugar for Splend baking sugar, I used lemon juice instead of extract for cake. I used truvia confection sugar instead regular confection sugar. I just wanted to let people know who are Diabetics and want to make your cake.
Thank you, Caryl!
This cake is very moist and the recipe is reliable- I didn’t have lemon flavoring but doubled the lemon zest.
Just made this for the first time – absolutely wonderful recipe! Next time I’ll half the lemon drizzle amounts (juice and confectionary sugar) It was the hit of a recent picnic I attended! Everyone wanted the recipe!