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Lemon and Blueberry Cake!
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This striking three-layer lemon and blueberry cake balances a light, zesty lemon sponge studded with bursting fresh blueberries against a silky, fresh lemon buttercream and pockets of deep blueberry jam. Requiring 1 hour of total active preparation and baking time, this vibrant bake delivers an airy, fresh flavor profile that makes it the perfect centerpiece for any celebration.
Notes from The Patisserie
When you want a dessert that feels bright, fruity, and entirely moreish without being overly heavy, lemon and blueberry is the ultimate flavor combination. The real magic of this cake lies in how the sharp citrus oils from fresh lemon zest wake up the natural sweetness of the berries embedded right into the sponge. It is an absolute showstopper of a bake that looks like it stepped straight out of a professional patisserie window, yet is surprisingly straightforward to assemble at home.
I based it very similarly on my Biscoff cake, but used caster sugar instead of light brown sugar as I wanted a lighter sponge in flavour, and something that would help the blueberries along. I didn’t just want to make it blueberry however, and the best fresh flavour to match it is of course, Lemon. One of the best combinations ever. Ever.
Ingredients notes & tips
Baking with fresh fruit adds incredible flavour, but it also introduces an element of unpredictability. As the blueberries heat up in the oven, they swell and burst, releasing their natural juices directly into the surrounding cake mixture, so it’s important to get the right sponge texture to survive this process:
- Butter – unsalted butter or baking spread provides the right foundation for the sponge
- Sugar – I have used caster sugar in this recipe as it provides a lighter sponge, well suited to accompany fruit
- Flour – self raising flour has all of the rising agents required to provide the lift to your fluffy sponge mixture
- Eggs – as usual I am using medium eggs
- Lemon zest – I prefer to use lemon zest rather than extract as extract can overwhelm the cake flavour
- Blueberries – fresh fruit can prove difficult to bake with but really fresh blueberries are fantastic here
Because of this extra hydration, the cake layers can occasionally take a few minutes longer to bake through than a standard sponge. Do not panic if your timer goes off and the center feels a bit soft. Simply look for the classic signs of a perfect bake: a golden top, a clean skewer when inserted into the center, and the absence of any bubbling sounds from the tin.tter and more filling.
Assembling the three-tiers
Building a tall, three-layer cake can feel intimidating, but a few simple techniques guarantee a perfectly stable structure:
- The piping protocol: To prevent the soft blueberry jam from leaking out of the sides and making a mess, use a large round piping tip to apply your lemon buttercream. Pipe a neat ring around the outer edge of the sponge layer first to create a secure wall, then drizzle the glossy blueberry jam safely inside the centre before stacking the next layer.
- The flattening trick: If your cakes bake with a slight dome on top, let them cool completely upside down on your wire rack. The gentle weight of the cake will naturally flatten the surface, saving you from having to trim off any precious sponge with a knife.
FAQs
Why did all of my blueberries sink to the bottom of the cake tins?
Blueberries often sink if the cake batter is too thin or if the berries are particularly large and heavy. To prevent this, toss your fresh blueberries in a single tablespoon of self-raising flour before folding them into the mixture.
Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh ones?
You can use frozen blueberries in a pinch, but be aware that they release significantly more moisture and bleeding colour than fresh ones. If you choose to use frozen, do not defrost them beforehand and bake for a few minutes longer. Keep an eye on your top.
My buttercream feels too thick and stiff to pipe cleanly. How do I fix it?
Because fresh lemon juice varies in acidity and liquid volume, your buttercream texture might need a slight adjustment. If it feels too dense, add boiling water one tablespoon at a time while whipping on high speed. The heat and moisture will instantly transform the frosting into a silky, easily pipeable consistency.
Can I use a different type of fruit jam for the filling?
Absolutely! While blueberry jam provides a wonderful double-dose of berry flavour, a high-quality raspberry jam, blackberry conserve, or even a sharp lemon curd works beautifully as an alternative filling between the cream layers.
Lemon and Blueberry Cake Recipe
A three-layer fresh lemon & blueberry cake with lemon sponges, fresh blueberries, lemon buttercream, and blueberry jam!
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Servings: 14 Slices
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 400 g unsalted butter/baking spread
- 400 g caster sugar
- 400 g self raising flour
- 8 medium eggs
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 300 g blueberries
Buttercream Ingredients
- 350 g unsalted butter
- 700 g icing sugar
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1-2 tbsp boiling water
Decoration
- Blueberry jam
- 100 g blueberries
Instructions
For the Cake
- Heat the oven to 180ºc/160ºc Fan and line three 20cm/8inch sandwich cake tins with baking parchment – leave to the side.
- In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and caster sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add in the flour, eggs, and lemon zest and beat again briefly until combined – try not to overbeat!
- Carefully fold through the 300g of fresh blueberries into the mixture.
- Divide the mixture between the three tins and smooth it over
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cakes are golden and when the cake springs back (skewer should also come out clean)!
- Once baked, leave the cakes to cool in their tins for 10 minutes or so, and then remove and leave to cool fully on a wire rack.
- If the cake has domed slightly, leave the cake to cool upside down to flatten it slightly so its easier to decorate later!
For the Decoration
- Beat the butter with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes to loosen it – gradually add the icing sugar on a slow speed until it is combined, add the lemon juice, then speed the mixer up and mix for 3-4 minutes until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- If its too thick, gradually add the boiling water until you reach the desired texture – I usually add 2 tablespoons! Keep on beating for 2-3 minutes until whipped and silky smooth!
- Using your favourite piping tip, I used a large round tip, pipe the buttercream onto the bottom layer of the cake.
- Add some jam, I drizzle it slightly to make it look pretty, and add the second layer, and pipe buttercream on again, and then the jam again, and add the final cake layer.
- I then pipe the rest of my buttercream on top, and add on some extra fresh blueberries
Notes
- This cake will last at room temperature for 3 days.
- I used a a large round tip to decorate my cake.
- I love this style of cake as you can tell from the few I have made, and I happen to have 3 8″ tins.
Storage and freezing
This fresh lemon and blueberry cake stores beautifully at room temperature for up to three days. Keep the cake inside a sturdy, airtight cake dome or a deep container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to keep the sponge moist and prevent the fresh fruit on top from softening. Avoid storing this cake in the refrigerator if possible, as cold air will dry out the delicate structure of the sponge layers.
If you wish to prepare this celebration cake in advance, you can safely freeze the un-frosted sponge layers for up to three months.
Related recipes
These type of citrusy, fruity bakes scream summer barbecues or parties, I love summer baking with that in mind why not try my spring pavlova, lemon and blueberry blondies or one of my summer favourites lemon and lime loaf cake.
I am dairy free due to an allergy. Would it be to use a vegan butter/spread for the cake and icing? Thank you!
Hiya! Yes absolutely – be sure to use vegan butter block for the icing and be wary it will be a lot softer, so careful adding extra liquid to the icing! Hope this helps! x
So I’m getting married and mum came with me to the venue to an open event. Spoke to someone about wedding cakes/flavours and mum loved the sound of Lemon & Blueberry. Decided to make one for her 60th birthday as she absolutely loved it! I couldn’t find Blueberry Jam anywhere so I made my own which made it extra special. This cake is now a firm favourite along with your biscoff no bake cheesecake in our family! I’ve found a new hobby and cannot wait to try making some more of your amazing recipes!! Xx
Hello Jane,
I’m going to make this cake for my moms birthday. Could you please tell me if one can use cream cheese frosting instead of buttercream ( cream cheese ,icing sugar, vanilla and lemon juice )?
Also, would pouring a drizzle (lemon juice and sugar) over the sponges be too much and cause the cake to fall apart ?
Can I make and assemble the night before and not put it in the fridge ( I find the fridge always ruins the texture of the sponge !)
I made it with a mascopone lemon filling- was gorgeous
Hi
I made this as a tray bake. It was delicious. I made your back to basic recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting as the topping and drizzled over Blueberry jam.
Best frosting recipe I have ever used!
Just baked this halved the recipe and baked in two 20cm pans and added some lemon extract it’s looks amazing I had a little batter left and make a couple of cupcakes they tasted really good just waiting for it to cool so I can decorate. Your recipes always turn out great x
Can you change the flour for gluten free flour instead for this recipe?
I don’t see why not! x
I made this cake and it came out beautifully! I just did 2 tiers and reduced the ingredients as you recommended, and that worked great. It also didn’t require any longer in the oven which was good.
Also a note to say, I started baking your recipes during lockdown in January. Prior to that I was AWFUL at baking, it never seemed to go right and I avoided it like the plague as I had no confidence with it. However I’ve received nothing but compliments and people now request my bakes on a regular basis! (particularly your millionaires shortbread). My friends also bought me your cookbook for my birthday. So just a big thank you 🙂 your recipes have given me so much.
Hey! Awh this is such a lovely message to receive. I am so pleased you have found a love and confidence for baking with my recipes. I hope you enjoy the cookbook just as much when it arrives x
I love lemon and blueberry together and I really enjoyed making this cake, I wanted to know if I could make it as a tray bake using the measurements for a party.
Made this cake loads of times and is always beautiful. I was wondering if using different fruit would work like orange instead of lemon etc. If everything is in the same quantity would it turn out ok? Thanks xx
Hiya! Ahh yay I am so glad you love it. Yes it should do but I don’t know for sure xx
Hi Jane,
I made the cake this weekend and it was perfect. However, I want to bake the cake for my grandma who is diabetic. Is it possible to reduce the powdered sugar in the buttercream or does that change the consistency?
The same goes for the cake, could I reduce the sugar in that too or would it make the consistency different?
ps Love all your recipes and your blog is my go too for baking.
Thank you in advance.
Reducing the sugar will change the the bake for both the buttercream and cake unfortunately! x
I’m going to make this for my boyfriend today, but I only have 23cm tins to bake it in.. how much longer do you think it would take to bake in these?
So you would have to increase the recipe slightly or the sponges will be too thin – increase the recipe by about 1/3 over all and split between the three 9″ tins! I’m not certain on baking times however, but it would probably be about 40+ minutes but that is a guess!
I realised after posting this that I’d actually got two 20cm tins, not 23 like I had thought 😂 I forgot to put the blueberries in though, would I be able to fold them into the icing? I was planning on spreading it over the cake rather than piping it (purely so I get to use my new palette knives haha!)
Yeah you could crush the blueberries down a bit and fold them through the buttercream for a swirled look!! x
Hi Jane, I am looking to make this into a 6inch cake how would i adjust the cooking temp/time.
Thanks, Chelsea x
I’m unsure on timings I’m afraid as I rarely bake 6″ cakes – but temp would be the same x
This cake looks beautiful! I’m going to make it next week I think – do you have the nutritional content for it? My mum is watching her weight so is trying to count calories but I want her to still be able to enjoy it!