Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake is almost too good to be true. It is light, fluffy and bursting with flavor from fresh lemons and berries.
This cake is incredibly gorgeous. It would be beautiful for a bridal shower or a lovely birthday cake. There is something so delicious about combining blueberry and lemon. It just really hits this cake out of the park. The fluffy cream icing is the perfect way to top this cake off.
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Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake
To make this delicious cake come to life it starts with a simple homemade lemon cake. The cake is so light and fluffy without being crumbly. Then a layer of blueberry compote is added to the center. And let me tell you this is the secret weapon to this delectable cake.
Making a blueberry compote is easy and really makes the cake. The compote is made by cooking blueberries with a little bit of sugar and lemon juice. Cook them until they start to thicken. Now, just frost the cake with a whipped cream icing and marvel at the masterpiece.
Ingredients
- Flour: I love cakes that use all-purpose flour, no specialty cake flours needed for this cake
- Sugar: the sweetness of the cake
- Butter: this adds great flavor and is the fat of the cake which helps the texture to be soft
- Eggs: You are going to be using the egg yolks and egg whites separately for this cake recipe. The last step of making the cake is to beat the egg yolks and fold them in at the end. The cake ends up so like and fluffy without being crumbly.
- Lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract: we use ALL THREE of these lemon flavor elements in the cake so that it’s a true lemon cake. The lemon extract on top of fresh lemon juice and zest make for an amazing cake.
- Blueberries: you can use fresh or frozen here in the blueberry compote
- Heavy cream: this is used to make a simple rustic frosting for our cake!
Recipe Instructions:
- This is a fun cake to make and it turns out so good. One of the best cakes I’ve ever had (and that’s saying something).
- Make the lemon cake layers by mixing the cake ingredients together but the trick here is to use the egg yolks and egg whites separately. The last step of making the cake is to beat the egg whites and fold them in at the end. The cake ends up so like and fluffy without being crumbly.
- We opted to not put blueberries in the cake instead we make an easy blueberry compote which is just blueberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice boiled on the stove until it thickens. This homemade blueberry jam is amazing sandwiched in between layers of lemon cake.
- An extra light and fluffy frosting is made with heavy cream and sugar. It’s the perfect addition to the cake that doesn’t hide the blueberry and lemon flavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! In this recipe you are using the zest and juice from fresh lemons AND using lemon extract for a really amazing full-flavored lemon cake.
I use the tried and true method of inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, that means that the cake is completely cooked through. I also like to touch the middle of the cake. If the indent my finger made bounces back, the cake is done. If the indent remains, it needs a few more minutes of cooking.
Make sure that the cake is completely cooled before attempting to frost the cake. Don’t rush this step or you will end up with an icing disaster.
More Recipes
- Chocolate Cake with Strawberries
- Strawberry Lemonade Cake
- No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
- Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
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Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 egg whites
Blueberry compote
- 3 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
- 1 cup sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup water
Whipped topping
- 1 quart heavy cream
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
For the Cake
- Heat oven to 350 degree F.
- Line bottoms of 3 (9 inch) cake pans with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Mix flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Stir in lemon juice, zest and lemon extract.
- Add flour alternately with buttermilk, beating after each addition until smooth
- Beat egg whites in a separate medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold egg whites into batter.
- Pour into prepared pans.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center.
- Cool 10 minutes then remove from pans.
- Remove parchment paper and cool completely on a wire rack.
For the Compote
- Combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and water in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over high eat.
- Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for 20 minutes until thick, stirring often.
For the Frosting
- Combine the heavy cream, both sugars, and vanilla bean paste in a stand mixer.
- Beat on medium-high speed until to stiff peaks, about 4 minutes.
To Assymble
- Place one layer of cake on your serving platter. Place half of the blueberry compote on top of the cake layer and spread around. Repeat with another layer of cake, the rest of the compote, and top with the final layer of cake.
- Cover cake with the whipped cream frosting. You can garnish the cake with sprinkles, blueberries, or even little pieces of fresh lemon peel.
- Serve right away and keep extras covered well in the fridge.
Notes
- Set the pan on your parchment paper and then use a pencil to trace around the pan. Then cut it out and place it in the bottom of the pan. Making parchment paper rounds is such a life saver for cake making, no stuck cake on the bottom! It’s worth the effort to do.
Nutrition
If you’ve tried this Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake or any other recipe on Barbara Bakes, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.
Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake is such a treat! It is light, fluffy and so flavorful. Plus, it looks beautiful. Really can’t go wrong with this gem.
Don Smith
why do you make such a point about adding the egg yolks last, then actually add them in “step 5”.
And the egg whites are added in “step 10”
The last step of making the cake is to beat the egg yolks and fold them in at the end.
Maybe the comment is just backwards?