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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I made this today. Everyone loved it. It was gone instantly. Thanks for the recipe!!
This made a great Mother’s Day cake for dessert. The lemon flavor comes through clearly. I amped up the lemon flavor with a drop or two of lemon essential oil in the glaze because I like being knocked over the head by the lemon flavor. It’s the perfect size for a brunch and would make a great breakfast cake. It would also be a fabulous gift to take to a neighbor. It’s now my Mom’s favorite cake. The fact that you can use frozen blueberries in this cake makes it so convenient as most of the other ingredients are pantry items. It’s a cinch to make. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Delicious! Easy to make!
I made these as muffins. They are fabulously good, lemony and full of blueberries! I’ll make them again!
Jenn told me to use muffins liners, but I just sprayed the pan. It didn’t work! They were hopelessly stuck. But I put the whole pan in the freezer for a couple of hours then took it out and turned upside down under hot water for a little bit. Then I kind of twisted on the frozen muffins, one by one, and they came out, not perfectly, but good enough to give away. Next time, muffin liners!
This was so good. One of those batters where it was so light and fluffy that I wanted to eat it out of the bowl before baking. I did not make the glaze, but sprinkled a little turbinado sugar on top.
This tasted so good! My blueberries still sunk to the bottom and I wonder if there was anything else that might have affected it. I did toss them in flour. Still tasted great, and mine needed less time.
Hi Annie, Glad you enjoyed it! I don’t think you did anything wrong. A few readers mentioned that they had this issue so I made a few minor tweaks to the recipe that I think will help.
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for this beautiful recipe. I made it today for my mother on Mother’s day and it turned out well and tastes delicious. I noticed all the blueberries sank to the bottom of the cake though, what do you think caused this? Did I not stir through enough? Any tips you have is very much appreciated.
Many thanks,
Linda
Hi Linda, I’m not sure what caused your blueberries to sink — there are so many variables in baking — but since another reader mentioned the same issue, I made a few minor tweaks to the recipe that I think will help.
Baked this today. Used buttermilk in lieu of regular milk since that’s what I had on hand. Turned out delicious! Thanks for a wonderful recipe. I’m enjoying your cookbook, too.
Picked blueberries a few days ago, so the timing was perfect! My cake rose a bit higher than your photos. I baked it in a convection oven. Could that have made the difference? Also used a ceramic clay pan.
So glad you enjoyed it, Mary. The convection oven could definitely have given it a bit more of a lift.
ThankYou! This turned out great!!
Great texture and flavor
First of all, I hope you and your family are well during these trying times. You are my go to blog for new recipes that always turn out terrific. Can I use a sugar substitute, such as Swerve, as my husband is diabetic?
So glad to hear my blog is your go-to! I wish I could help but I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes so I can’t say for sure how it would impact the recipe. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it with Swerve!
Hello Jen, I made this cake for my mother for Mother’s day, she loves lemon and blueberries. I followed the recipe exactly as written, it was amazing!Moist,tender,full of blueberries,(that didn’t sink to the bottom of the pan)and perfectly lemony,from the cake to the glaze.My sisters loved it also,we ate it while social distancing.Excellent recipe!