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

  • This is so so so good! Bursting with delicious summer blueberries, which marry beautifully with lemon, this pound cake has a wonderful texture and a delicious buttery flavor. My family loves it!

    • — Deb McLean on July 7, 2024
    • Reply
  • Beautiful but dry. It would be great as a morning muffin or tea cake. Next time I might add sour cream.

    • — Frank D on June 21, 2024
    • Reply
    • I recently baked Ina Garten’s lemon cake and it was dry. In the past, it was perfectly moist! I did a little research & I over mixed my batter. I had no idea over mixing could cause a dry cake. In hindsight, I thought I was being scrupulous.

      • — Dana on July 8, 2024
      • Reply
    • I made this delight-super easy and delicious!!!

      • — Jeanie Christenbury on July 29, 2024
      • Reply
  • Thank you for sharing the recipe with us. Such a delicious cake! It was moist and super tasty. I baked this for my friends, and they all loved it and were asking for the recipe, so I gave them your page.

    • — Angie on June 20, 2024
    • Reply
  • Absolutely delicious! I used fat free Fairlife brand milk, King Arthur flour and fresh blueberries. Room temp on the butter and eggs, but my oven sucks so I ended up tacking on an additional 20 minutes till the pick came out clean. No biggie. It was perfect! 9 people ate the whole thing at our Father’s Day luncheon.

    • — Lauren H on June 16, 2024
    • Reply
  • The pound cake has a lovely crumb and it baked up exactly as the photos show. Be sure to pack the lemon zest well otherwise the lemon flavor will be lacking.

    • — Chris on June 11, 2024
    • Reply
  • Delicious, easy to make and incredibly moist, will definitely be making again.

    Do you think the flavours would work if I swapped blueberry for raspberry? Just to try a different combination.
    Thanks

    • — Charlotte on June 10, 2024
    • Reply
    • Glad you liked it! Yes, raspberries should work here too. Please LMK how it turns out!

      • — Jenn on June 11, 2024
      • Reply
  • Cake tastes just ok. Directions were not as clear as they could’ve been. This is not worth the extreme effort.

    • — sher on June 7, 2024
    • Reply
  • I make this all the time. It is amazing. Can’t leave the loaf alone.😛

    • — Alwayshungry on June 3, 2024
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn,
    I have made this cake before and it is delicious! Do you think I could substitute orange zest and orange juice for the lemon. I am trying to find an orange loaf, or orange poppy seed even. Do you think this cake would translate well to orange? Or do you have a suggestion for another of your loaf cakes that would be a better match for the orange flavour. Thanks for all you do for us home cooks!!

    • — Sandy on June 1, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Sandy, Glad you like it! Yes, this will work with orange zest and juice but definitely won’t have that same tang that the lemon provides. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!

      • — Jenn on June 3, 2024
      • Reply
  • Jenn,
    Two quick question…Can these be made into muffins? And, I’m trying to incorporate more white whole wheat flour into my baking so am wondering if I can use that for half of the flour? I’d adjust the baking time for muffins. Thanks; I have made the loaf as is and it is a winner!

    • — ILENE W. on May 26, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Ilene, Yes, you can use half white whole wheat flour. And 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!

      • — Jenn on May 28, 2024
      • Reply

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