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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will this recipe be enough for a bundt pan? I have made this many times in a loaf pan and it is wonderfully delicious.
Terry, Glad you like it! I wouldn’t recommend making this in a bundt pan though; because of the blueberries, I’m concerned it would stick — sorry!
This recipe turned out so nicely. The loaf was firm and good and light. I don’t care for the icing can I leave it off? It’s a personal problem with the dusty over sweet flavor of xxxx sugar.
Hi Laurie, If you’ve tasted it and like without the the glaze, it’s fine to omit it. 🙂
I’ve made this recipe twice as is and it is so delicious. Didn’t change a thing and came out great every time. I also made the same recipe but omitted the blueberries and it also got rave reviews from co-workers. If you want a really zesty glaze, add more lemon juice! It will be very tart but worth it.
Absolutely delicious! Looks stunning and tastes even better! I’ve made your recipe twice and it’s my husband’s new favorite!
Hi, I am currently making this cake and have had it in for an hour and 20 minutes on 350 the middle doesn’t seem to be cooking… what can I do?
Hi Samantha, that sounds really strange! Are you sure you used 9 x 5“ loaf pans? Did you make any adjustments to the recipe or ingredients? I’m obviously weighing in too late to help, but if you find that a cake has been in the oven longer than anticipated and the top is starting to brown, you can loosely lay a piece of foil over top to prevent further browning and continue to bake it until it’s cooked through. How did the cake come out?
I made this with raspberries and it was incredible! Thank you for a fabulous recipe!
Can raspberries be substituted for the blueberries without making other changes?
Yep 🙂
I made this with 2cups of raspberries and it was incredibly delicious! Thank you for sharing such a delightful recipe. I also mashed up raspberries to stain the glaze. So beautiful! Thanks again.
Lining the loaf pan with parchment paper makes removing the cake from the pan easy. This is the first time making this recipe. It’s delicious! Will definitely be making again, especially as Florida blueberry season is approaching.
Oh my gosh this cake is so good! I followed the recipe exactly and everyone loved it! Not overly sweet, perfect with a cup of tea.
A Question !
Jen , can this be sucessfully converted to a gluten free cake. If so what changes need to be made. I need to make it for a very dear Friend who has to be gluten free. It looks absolutely delicious when reading the recipe. Thank you.
Brooks Lott
Hi Brooks, I haven’t made this with gluten-free flour, but I think it should work. A number of readers have commented that they have good luck with King Arthur gluten-free flour and Cup4Cup gluten-free flour. Hope your friend enjoys!
Jenn thanks so much for the advice. I have just removed it from the oven , baked with Bob’s Red Mill cup4cup. and it looks fantastic. In fact I made a cupcake sized one in a custard cup (I couldn’t get King Arthur at the grocery that I shopped at. ) to sample before I gave it to our friend. It measured up deliciously in every way. I have been cooking since I was 6 years old and love it. (I will be 85 come July?) You are now my go to for recipes when I am not having fun making up my own ! Thank you again for your wonderful recipes. They just spread the Joy !
With Best Regards,
W. Brooks Lott
So glad it came out well, and good for you for still being so active in the kitchen at (almost) 85!
Can this be made in a springform pan? I don’t know why I got rid of my loaf pan when I moved but somehow I did!
Hi Cassie, I haven’t tried it but think it should work. Please LMK how it turns out!
Can this recipe be made in a 9×13 cake pan? Any modifications?
Hi Susan, If you’d like to make this in a 9 x 13″ pan, you’d need to make one and a half times the recipe. The bake time will likely be a bit shorter, so make sure you keep a close eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
Can I use buttermilk in place of the 1/2 cup milk.
For the best results, I’d stick with regular milk here.
Hey do you have a muffin version of this specific recipe.
Hi Selena, For muffins, I’d suggest using this recipe (it’s almost identical and for the lemony taste, you could add about 2 teaspoons of lemon zest to the batter). Enjoy!