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

  • In order to make it dairy-free, I substituted coconut oil for the butter. Also, I doubled the recipe and divided the batter into four smaller loaf pans. It came out delicious, not too sweet, with a slight coconut scent, but mainly lemony. I brought a loaf to a dinner party, and the hostess asked for the recipe. It was that good!

    • — Yechiel Fridman on January 14, 2023
    • Reply
  • This recipe has quickly become a family favourite. We were stuck in the banana bread groove and it’s been great to add this to our “things to eat when you want a bit of sweet”. I do put extra zest to the glaze to give it a bit more bite but other than that – we’re fans!! Thank you!!

    • — Jane Broadribb on January 8, 2023
    • Reply
  • This recipe is the best one I have tried out for this kind of pound cakes. Will it work, if I substitute lemon for orange and blueberries for cranberries?
    If I double the recipe and make 2 loaf pans instead of 1, how long should I bake? Will the baking time increase?

    • — Iana on December 27, 2022
    • Reply
    • Glad you liked it Ilana! Instead of tweaking this, I’d suggest using this recipe. And if you make two loaves, the baking time may increase by just a minute or two, but not significantly. Hope you enjoy if you make it!

      • — Jenn on December 27, 2022
      • Reply
  • Hi Jen,
    Most delicious flavors in this pound cake.
    How can I make this in 4 small loaf pans?
    Thanks,
    Jan

    • — jan on December 9, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Jan, glad you liked it. Depending on the size of your mini loaf pans, you may be able to fit this in 4 of them. Bake time will be different based on the size of your pans. If you want to share the dimensions, I’d be happy to weigh in.

      • — Jenn on December 12, 2022
      • Reply
      • Hi Jenn,
        I have 4 mini loaf pans:
        3″D X 5.5″ W X 2.25″ H
        Thanks again,
        Jan

        • — jan on December 16, 2022
        • Reply
        • Hi Jan, this amount of batter should be sufficient for 3 mini loaf pans. Hope that helps!

          • — Jenn on December 16, 2022
          • Reply
          • Thanks so much Jenn. Can’t wait to try out the mini pans.

            • — jan on December 16, 2022
      • I halved the recipe and it yielded two 5 3/4 x 3 x 2 1/8 mini loaves (approximately 250g of batter in each). I’d imagine the recipe as written would require 4 of my size loaves.

        • — Evie on December 19, 2022
        • Reply
        • Good to know, Evie — thanks for reporting back!

          • — Jenn on December 20, 2022
          • Reply
        • How long did you bake the mini loaves ?

          • — Fergus on December 24, 2022
          • Reply
  • Great taste! Took awhile, but well worth the effort!

    • — Jessica Peterson on December 8, 2022
    • Reply
  • I tried this recipe this weekend turned out perfect.

    • — Lakeshia Green-Robinson on October 31, 2022
    • Reply
  • This is such a yummy recipe! Do you know if I’d be able to use a glass 8×8 baking dish for more of a cake style?

    • Hi Elona, I think that should work. I’d start checking it for doneness at about 30 minutes. Please LMK how it turns out!

  • Made this today to share with girlfriends. This recipe is so light and flavoursome; definitely one to do again… and again!

  • This is a keeper! I found the flavors to be light and bright and not overly sour or sweet.
    My entire family loved it so much that I am making it again today!

  • Hi. Would this cake take a ganache covering for a birthday cake.

    • Unfortunately, I don’t think that would work with this cake — sorry!

      • Yum looks so good! Any idea if i can substitute white spelt flour for all-purpose flour?

        • — Dana on November 3, 2022
        • Reply
        • Hi Dana, I’m not very familiar with spelt flour, so I can’t say for sure — I’m sorry!

          • — Jenn on November 3, 2022
          • Reply
    • Hi! Is it possible to use this recipe as a pound cake? If so..how much would you increase the ingredients?

      • — Andreia on November 17, 2022
      • Reply
      • Can you clarify what you mean as this recipe is for a pound cake? Are you saying that you’d like to bake it in a different pan?

        • — Jenn on November 18, 2022
        • Reply

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