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Bursting Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake…to celebrate the weekend. Three layers of light and fluffy lemon cake swirled with a mix of fresh blueberries and blueberry jam. Each cake layer is frosted generously with whipped blueberry mascarpone buttercream. This cake is mouthwatering and oh so delicious. Every bite is layered with fresh berries, hints of lemon, sweet vanilla, and filled with creamy buttercream. This is the perfect berry-filled cake for any and all occasions. Bonus? It’s simpler to make than you’d think, and so very pretty…with barely any added effort.
And here I am, back with another layer cake, simply because they make me happy and I needed a happy cake in my life this week. You do too. Trust me on that.
Just like flowers, pretty (and delicious) food has a way of being able to completely turn my day around. It’s maybe kind of cheesy to admit, but I have a love of beautiful things. And when they happen to be incredibly delicious beautiful things? Well, that’s just an added bonus that makes food like cake the BEST.
And I don’t think many of you will argue that, because who doesn’t love cake, you know?
muti colored buttercream
1st cake layer
1st cake layer with buttercream
2nd cake layer
2nd cake layer with buttercream
cake before covering in buttercream
The story of how this cake came to be is really pretty simple. In an effort to surround myself with more color and “pretty” things, I picked up a whole bunch of fresh berries and ordered way too many edible flowers. When purchasing the berries and flowers, I really didn’t have an idea as to what I would make with them. I just knew something good would follow.
Almost as soon as the flowers arrived at my doorstep, I began baking this cake. Something about the purple-toned dahlias and faded white elderflowers screamed blueberry cake to me. Instead of thinking twice about it, I just started cooking. Less than 2 hours later I was putting the finishing touches on what is now one of my favorites cakes… Yes, I kind of have a lot of favorites.
Here are all the details.
Start with the cake. It’s a combination of a fluffy vanilla cake, lemon cake, and blueberry cake. It’s so moist, just perfectly sweet, and has a hint of lemon flavor throughout. To get a really incredible and intense blueberry flavor, I used a mix of both fresh blueberries and blueberry jam. So yes, that’s double the blueberry action, and yes, this cake is very heavy on blueberry flavor. Every bite literally bursts with berries and it’s maybe one of the best things you will eat.
Kind of dramatic, but also kind of true.
For the buttercream, I had a lot of over the top ideas. But in the end, I actually stuck with something a bit simpler and did a blueberry-mascarpone buttercream. Since I really wanted this cake to be heavy on the blueberry flavor, I didn’t want the buttercream to compete with the cake, I wanted it to compliment.
Enter this mascarpone buttercream swirled with a small amount of blueberry jam to give the cake a very pretty color. Not going to lie, I did attempt an ombre frosted cake. But it didn’t really work out just as I envisioned in my head. Oddly, I’m OK with that, and even odder? I love the imperfect look.
It’s effortlessly pretty…
Which brings me to the best part about this cake. It’s actually fairly easy to make, and pretty too.
No special ingredients, nothing fancy, just pantry staples, and a whole love of blueberries. If you have access to edible flowers, those are of course welcome, but not needed.
I know a lot of people, myself included, can stress to create a cake that’s frosted perfectly. But what’s great about this blueberry cake is that it should look like a swirly, messy, unperfect cake. Just have fun swirling on the buttercream and don’t worry too much about how it looks. Promise, in the end, the cake will be beautiful no matter what.
And most importantly?
It’s going to be GOOD…SO GOOD.
There are not enough words to describe how good this cake is, but just know that every forkful is filled with fresh berries and sweet jam. Each layer is moist, hinted with lemon, and layered with sweet buttercream.
It’s exactly what you should bake this weekend. And with that, let’s take a summer Friday and happily make our way to the kitchen. It’s time for cake.
Thank God!
If you make this bursting blueberry lemon layer cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Bursting Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake.
Servings: 24
Calories Per Serving: 1583 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup melted coconut oil (can use melted butter or canola oil)
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup high-quality blueberry jam
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw using frozen)
Blueberry Buttercream
- 3 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4-5 tablespoons high-quality blueberry or blackberry jam
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer) beat together the coconut oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, buttermilk, lemon juice, and zest. Add 3 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. 3. Toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour and fold them into the batter. Swirl in the blueberry jam, leaving a few streaks of jam throughout the batter, it shouldn't be fully incorporated.4. Pour the batter among the 3 cake pans and bake 30-35 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Cover and let the cakes cool completely before assembling.5. To make the buttercream. Add the butter, mascarpone, and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the butter and powdered sugar together until the butter is light and fluffy. Divide the buttercream between 3 bowls. Mix 1-2 tablespoon jam into 1st bowl, then 2-3 tablespoons jam to the 2nd bowl. Leave the 3rd bowl plain. 6. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread the darkest colored buttercream over the cake. Add the 2nd cake layer and spread with the lighter colored buttercream. Add the final cake layer and spread with the white buttercream. Lightly frost the outside of the cake, swirling the different shades together. It's shouldn't look "perfect". Chill 30 minutes. Serve, or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I’ve had this cake twice now – once a friend made it and more recently I made it. It’s really yummy and fruity. just know this is a dense cake, it’s not a light and fluffy sponge. my husband said it’s like a pound cake and I fully agree. still delish!
Hey Jess,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, I love that it was enjoyed! xT
I have a question about this cake. I’ve made the cake layers (wanting to serve it for Christmas dinner) and froze them. Can the frosting be frozen as well?
Can’t wait to try it!
Janis
Hi there! You could definitely freeze the cake layers but I would make the frosting the day of! xT
Hello! So I’m thinking of trying to make this cake I was wandering would it be possible to switch to black berries? I love blue berries but I’m thinking of making this for my dad and I know he loves black berries. Thank you In advance
P.s. I make a few of your recipes and they are house pleaser anytime I make something of yours. My daughter’s best friend freaks out and has to come over any time i make your crispy pork ramen❤️
Hi Jamie! I think that should work just fine! Let me know how it turns out! And aww thanks so much, so glad you’re loving the recipes! 🙂 xT
Halved the recipe and made a dozen cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday, turned out perfect.Baked for 25 minutes.
Awww happy birthday to her! xT
hey! when i put my frozen blueberries into the mix, the consistency of the batter changed quite a lot, similar to cookie dough. is this okay? is there anything i ca do about this?
Hi there! So sorry I just saw this comment! Did your cake turn out okay? xT
Made this for my coworkers 25th birthday. It was special and tasted great.
Aw, how sweet of you! Happy Birthday to her!
I made this one a few years back. Turned our great. Was a bit on the heavy side but I know you mentioned something like that could happen depending on where you lived. It was so pretty and flavourful.
Hey Debe,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and your review!! 🍓🫐🍉
Hi, I followed your recipe, but swapped the coconut oil for butter. The flavour and colour of the cake is great. The texture was very dense. Do you perhaps know where I may have gone wrong?
Hi Catherina,
Thanks so much for trying this cake and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear it was so dense, it could have been the coconut oil as I have not tested that here. Let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Hello! I have made this amazing cake in the past…soooo delicious! I was wondering if you thought I would be able to make cupcakes with the recipe?
Hey Linda,
Totally! Cupcakes would work well for you, I would start checking for doneness at 25 minutes! Let me know how they turn out! xx
Everything about this cake is wonderful and just a combination of amazing flavors. I have made this cake multiple times, and it has been a total crowd-pleaser; even the people that prefer chocolate over fruity have loved this cake. I follow the recipe to a T, and every time it has turned out spectacular. I have been asked to make it for birthdays and even a couple’s baby shower.
Thanks so much Juliana!! I love to hear that this cake was such a hit, thanks a lot for making it:) Have a great Sunday! xT
I made this cake exactly as written for a dinner party, except I mixed the dry ingredients separately before combining with the wet. Although the taste was lemony and delicious, and the finished cake looked beautiful, the cake was extremely dense and heavy. Exact opposite of “light and fluffy.” I made two 9” layers, and froze them for two days prior to serving; thawed them overnight. What could I possibly have done wrong?
Hi Ann,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! I’m sorry to hear that the cake was dense for you. Any chance the batter was over mixed? Possibly over baked? It’s hard for me to say without seeing exactly what the cake was like. Please let me know if either of those helps at all! xx
Thank you so much for your reply, Tiegan. So thoughtful of you!
The cake was definitely not overcooked. In fact, one layer kind of fell apart when I took it out of the pan. Maybe having to mix in the berries and jam led to over mixing. In any case, everyone gobbled it up! And I will make it again!
Thanks again Ann:) Let me know if it turns out any differently the next time you make it! xx
Hi!! CRAZY QUESTION!!! I made this and my hubby LOOOOVED the density of it! (He loves a dense cake.) I’m on the hunt for a chocolate cake w/ this density. Would you have any thoughts on this cake-only chocolate!?!
Hey Whitney,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it! Here are some chocolate cake recipes you might enjoy:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/simple-chocolate-birthday-cake-whipped-chocolate-buttercream-video/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/one-bowl-chocolate-sheet-cake-with-milk-chocolate-fudge-frosting/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/flourless-chocolate-espresso-cake/
Have a great weekend:)
Any tips on making this recipe egg free?
Hi!
I’m going to bake this cake for my son’s first birthday.
Is any blueberry jam good for this recipe? I have Stonewall kitchen in my fridge( with whole blueberries in it), will it work?
Hey Angelika,
Yes, any of your fave blueberry jam is great to use! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
For ease of transporting…could this be made in a 9×13 pan?
Hey Sue,
Totally, that should work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I just made this as 24 cupcakes…they were delicious and light!!!!
Hi Sue,
Happy Monday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
Hi! I made this recipe 2x tonight. The first time it was sooooo thick I could barely mix it! I thought I messed up so off to the store to repurchase all the ingredients. The 2nd time, in a hour I made it same thing! I wouldn’t even use the word “batter” to describe it. I mean I couldn’t even pour it out of the bowl… Is this correct? It’s in the oven now so I hope it’s right.
My son made this recipe and said it was the best cake he ever ate. I do not have three 8″ pans but I do have two 9″ pans. How long should I bake it in the two 9″ pans? Do I need to change the oven temperature? I want to make it for friends a few days from now. Thanks.
Hi Judy,
That would be just fine for you to use, I would just keep an eye on them towards the end and pull when a knife comes out clean:) I hope you love this recipe! xT
My daughter made this cake today and it was terrific!!
Love to hear this!! Thanks for your comment, Emily! xx