Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
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Bursting with juicy blueberries and bright lemon flavor, this lemon blueberry pound cake is the perfect brunch treat or sweet pick-me-up any time of day.
This lemon blueberry pound cake makes a lovely brunch or anytime cake. It has a tender, delicate crumb, and the flavor is extra bright thanks to lots of lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a tart lemon glaze. You’ll need two large lemons for the whole recipe. Be sure to zest them before you juice them, as it is impossible to do afterwards. Also, in case you’re considering it, I don’t recommend making this cake in a Bundt pan; it releases easily from a loaf pan but tends to stick to a Bundt.
If you love lemon baked goods as much as I do, be sure to check out my lemon poppy seed muffins and lemon pound cake—both recipes are bursting with bright lemon flavor!
“Absolutely delicious! Looks stunning and tastes even better!”
What You’ll Need To Make Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by zesting the lemons.
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Let sit for at least 10 minutes while you proceed with the recipe. (It will curdle; that’s okay.)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining teaspoon of flour. Set both aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), combine the butter and sugar.
Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
With the mixer on low speed, beat in a third of the flour mixture.
Next, beat in half of the milk mixture.
Beat in another third of the flour mixture, then the remaining milk mixture, followed by the remaining flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix briefly to make sure the batter is evenly combined.
Add the flour-dusted blueberries to the batter and, using a spatula, fold until evenly combined.
Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a tester comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
When the cake is cool, transfer it to a serving platter and make the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Add more confectioners’ sugar or lemon juice as necessary to make a thick but pourable glaze (it should be a little thicker than you’d think, about the consistency of molasses or honey).
Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
Let the glaze set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Slice with a serrated knife. The cake will keep on the countertop for up to 3 days; store in a covered container or wrap in plastic wrap.
Video Tutorial
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Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
Bursting with juicy blueberries and bright lemon flavor, this lemon blueberry pound cake is the perfect brunch treat or sweet pick-me-up any time of day.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, packed (see note)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups + 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup blueberries (if using frozen blueberries, do not defrost)
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
For the Glaze
- ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest, packed
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 9x5-inch metal loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, then spray the pan again.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Let sit for at least 10 minutes while you proceed with the recipe. (It will curdle; that's okay.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining teaspoon of flour. Set both aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. With the mixer on low speed, beat in a third of the flour mixture, then half of the milk mixture. Beat in another third of the flour mixture, then the remaining milk mixture, followed by the remaining flour mixture, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add the flour-dusted blueberries to the batter and, using a spatula, fold until evenly combined.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
- When the cake is cool, transfer it to a serving platter.
- Make the glaze: In a small bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add more confectioners' sugar or lemon juice as necessary to make a thick but pourable glaze (it should be a little thicker than you'd think, about the consistency of molasses or honey). Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Slice with a serrated knife. The cake will keep on the countertop for up to 3 days; store in a covered container or wrap in plastic wrap.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen (without the glaze) for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. (Add the glaze after the cake is thawed.)
- Note: You'll need 2 large lemons for the entire recipe. Be sure to zest them before you juice them.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 323
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Sugar: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 97 mg
- Cholesterol: 26 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh? I would love to make for my co-workers birthday tomorrow, but I only have frozen berries.
Sure! Just don’t defrost them first, or it will turn the batter purple. 🙂
What an amazing recipe!
So easy to follow. Absolutely loved it. Made it with my 5year old. She absolutely loved it. A big thank you from her ♥️❤.
Can’t wait to try another recipe of yours.
I wish there was a video too for beginners like me 😊
Hi Jen, I made this cake for work colleagues & the only mistake I made was there wasn’t enough! Wish I had made a double batch. I’m going to make it again this week for them but as it cherry season here in Australia I have a surplus of fresh cherries. Could I put cherries into this recipe or would that not work? Really really love your recipes. Thanks
Glad it was a hit! I haven’t tried this with cherries, but I think it should work. I’d chop them a bit though so they don’t sink to the bottom. Enjoy!
Would it make a difference with the recipe if I did not add the blueberries?
Hi Victoria, If you’d prefer a lemony pound cake that doesn’t have blueberries, I’d suggest this recipe. You can make it into loaves if you’re looking for a loaf cake (see the note under the recipe for guidance). Hope you enjoy if you try it!
Can this recipe be baked in mini loaf pans? If so, would it make two or three and how long would it be baked for? Thanks,
Hi Zozo, not certain if they will make 2 or 3, but you can definitely make them in mini loaf pans. I’d start checking them at 30 to 35 minutes. Please LMK how they turn out!
Thank you so much Jen for sharing the recipe. I made the cake a week ago for my aunt’s birthday and it was such a hit!! It stood out from the usual cake flavours and it was really moist and fluffy.
Fantastic loaf! I really liked the texture and consistency of it. I had to bake it for the entire time plus an extra 5 minutes and it came out perfectly. I did the parchment paper “sling” and it just popped right out of the pan. Didnt add the glaze, which I’m sure is delicious, but I just really liked it as is. This is a keeper. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Jenn! Curious if you have any thoughts regarding substituting cranberries for the blueberries in this recipe. Thinking of trying it for Thanksgiving.
I think it’d be delicious, Julie. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
So, so delicious. Thank you once again Jenn!
Hello. Can I substitute butter with oil. How much oil should I use. Thx
Hi Priya, the only kind of oil that I think would work here is (solidified) coconut oil. Keep in mind that I haven’t made it this way. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
I accidentally added 1 1/3 C sugar instead of 1 1/4 C. Is there anything I can do to adjust the glaze to compensate? Would reducing the powdered sugar work or just make it too runny? Thanks so much – have loved all your recipes!
Hi Erin, I don’t think it will make much of a difference so I wouldn’t worry at all, but you can just use a little less glaze overall (but keep the quantities so it’s not runny).
Thank you so much for the quick reply! I just pulled it out and it smells heavenly 🙂
Great flavor and texture. I think the blueberries I used were too large and heavy as they all sunk to the bottom. Next time I will mix in half the blueberries into the batter and sprinkle the other half on top so they will sink just a little under the surface.
Thank you for that great idea.
I had that problem too sometimes.
I made this cake last week and it was the best cake I have ever eaten! Thanks so much for posting it. One problem, if I make it I end up eating most of it! Would it work to make as muffins?
Thanks so much.
Chana Gray
So glad you liked it! For muffins, you may want to use this recipe (it’s almost identical and for the lemony taste, you could add about 2 teaspoons of lemon zest to the batter).