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.

Loaf of lemon blueberry pound cake with some slices removed.

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!”

Kacee

What You’ll Need To Make Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

ingredients for lemon blueberry pound cake

Step-By-Step Instructions

Begin by zesting the lemons.

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.)

lemon juice, milk, and lemon zest in measuring cup

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt.

flour, baking soda, and salt

In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining teaspoon of flour. Set both aside.

tossing blueberries with flour

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), combine the butter and sugar.

butter and sugar in bowl

Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

beating butter and sugar

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

adding the eggs one at a time

With the mixer on low speed, beat in a third of the flour mixture.

adding the flour mixture

Next, beat in half of the milk mixture.

adding 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.

lemon pound cake batter

Add the flour-dusted blueberries to the batter and, using a spatula, fold until evenly combined.

folding the blueberries into the batter

Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

lemon blueberry pound cake batter in loaf pan

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a tester comes out clean.

baked lemon blueberry pound cake

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

lemon blueberry pound cake cooling on rack

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.

confectioners sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in bowl for glaze

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).

mixed lemon glaze

Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.

glazing the cake

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.

Loaf of lemon blueberry pound cake with some slices removed.

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.

Servings: One 9x5-inch loaf cake (8 to 10 servings)

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.)
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
  6. 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.
  7. When the cake is cool, transfer it to a serving platter.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.)
  10. Note: You'll need 2 large lemons for the entire recipe. Be sure to zest them before you juice them.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • 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

  • I made this for my family for breakfast. As with all of her recipes, they are easy to follow, not a ton of ingredients or steps, and great. This is really good and worth trying.

    Suggestions
    I used frozen blueberries (because I had)and they were somewhat tasteless, use fresh if possible.

    I cooked for 50mins and was still raw, put in for 10 minutes more and a little well for me. When close to end of cooking keep an eye on it.

  • Hi Jen,
    What do you think can I substitute blueberries with? I live in the tropics and have to make do with tropical fruits. Love your recipes although I sometimes have to modify/change ingredients because of their availability. I want to try this one, though. Any suggestion? Mangoes, perhaps?Or pineapple maybe? Would these fruits work?
    Thanks! Connie

    • Hi Connie, I’ve never tried this with mangoes or pineapple but I think it would work. Just make sure to dice them pretty small so they don’t sink to the bottom. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!

  • Hey Jenn! This review is so late in coming but by making this lemony blueberry cake I feel I’ve come full circle. You see, I found your website about 5 years ago when I was looking for the perfect blueberry muffins and yours absolutely hooked me on your other cooking & baking. I have told friends, family and strangers about your recipes and many (including me) have bought your fabulous book! So thank you for all the great food we have been enjoying. Some of our favs are your chicken pot pies, ziti w/sausage, kale & brussel salad, turkey & spinach meatballs, Thai red curry chicken, sweet & spicy chicken w/carrots dates & of course that decadent granola. Thank you so much!

    • You’re so welcome — glad you like the recipes! ❤️

  • Easy recipe, note to self, use the correct size loaf pan. I used a smaller loaf pan which made it a bit dense. I had to extend the cooking time. The flavor is bright and the glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness.

    • This came out DELICIOUS! Thanks so much for your AWESOME recipes! 🙂

      • — Kathryn Tooker
      • Reply
  • May I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter? Will it make a big difference?

    • — Kathryn Tooker
    • Reply
    • Sure. While it varies by brand, most salted butter has approximately 1/4 tsp. salt per stick, so you can use the salted butter and reduce the salt in the recipe as needed. Hope that helps!

    • Hi Jenn,

      I just made this cake, this flavour was great but my cake had some holes (some bigger than others). Not really sure why that happened because I tapped the cake pan on the counter before putting it in the oven. Do you have any idea why this happens? Thanks!

      • Hi Carissa, That’s definitely a head-scratcher as this is not the kind of cake that should have any air pockets (it should be more dense). Did you make any adjustments to the recipe? What brand of flour did you use?

  • Hi Jen,

    Do you think almond milk will work here? If yes, how much?

    Thank you

    • Sure, Janelle – I’d use the same amount. Please let me know how it turns out. 🙂

  • If you have no blueberries how would that change portions of other ingredients

    • Hi Ilene, The only change would be to reduce the flour to 1-2/3 cups.

  • Can you double the recipe to make a bundt cake?

    • Hi Jennifer, I don’t recommend it; this cake may stick in a Bundt pan.

  • YUM.

    I made the glaze extra thick and it is soooo good. The blueberries really pop! Thank you!

  • We got so many blueberries from farmers market and This morning I made blueberry scones from your book. Turned out delicious. Thank you so much for sharing and creating these amazing recipes. Almost every day I make something from your site or your book. And with kids being at home at this time we all discover new foods that we love 😍 tomorrow we will be making this delicious cake!!!

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