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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Thank you for your awesome recipes! I made this recently and it turned out perfect! My question is, could I double up the recipe to make 2 loaves?
Glad you liked it! Feel free to double all the ingredients and bake in two loaf pans.
The flavor was fantastic, but the blueberries sunk to the bottom. They were rather large berries and I had to mix them in quite a bit to get them in the batter, not on the batter.
Did I over mix the cake and cause the berries to get wet and sink?
Hi Amy, Sorry to hear the berries sunk! It doesn’t sound like you overmixed it. While it’s not a cure-all, I love King Arthur flour (it’s got a slightly higher protein content which makes the crumb a little sturdier) and when I’ve used it in this recipe, the berries don’t sink. It may be worth a try if you want to make this again.
I have made your lemon bundt cake and it is delicious! I would like to make this one with blueberries on bundt pan. Will it work and what changes would I need to make?
I wouldn’t recommend it, Nancy — I think there’s a really high likelihood that it will stick to the pan — sorry!
I made this cake and it was utterly tasty. I bake primarily for my sister and brother-in-law, who thankfully has a sweet tooth that doesn’t quit. They loved the blend of tart lemon and fresh sweet blueberries, and thought the glaze was the yummy topper. He said flat out that this cake recipe is a keeper. Thanks, Jenn!
I have a lot of blueberries I froze from my blueberry bush last summer. I know freezing changes berries a lot. Can I use them for this recipe? If so, what adjustments should I make.
You can use them with no adjustments (just don’t defrost them or the batter will turn purple). Hope you enjoy!
I’ve just made this. I left it for 10 minutes after cooking, and it collapsed coming out of the tin. No worries though. Just gave me the chance to taste it a lot sooner! It might not look too good now, but it really does taste nice! Think I’ll try it as muffins next time.
Hi Jenn, I made this cake today and love the flavor. The cake had a very heavy, dense bottom 1/3. Could I have over mixed the batter? My batter looked like your picture and the cake didn’t stick to the pan. The toothpick came out clean after 55 minutes. Any ideas?
Hmmm… did the blueberries sink to the bottom? If so, the moisture from them could’ve made that part of the cake more dense.
Made this just as written and it’s fantastic. My girlfriends all asked for the recipe. High praise to you! If I were to make this in mini loaf pans….6×3…how long would you suggest baking time? Thank you for this recipe!
Glad you liked this! I haven’t made this in mini loaf pans so I’m not certain how long they’ll take to bake, but I would start checking them at about 35 minutes (just keep a close eye on them). I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Followed directions. Made no ingredient changes. Flavor is good, but have never before had ALL the blueberries sink to the very bottom. And cake is dry and crumbly. My loaf was checked at 50 minutes with toothpick and center was very loose, wet and jiggling, and very pale. At 60 minutes, checked with toothpick and while more light brown was still wet. Another 10 minutes and it looked done and toothpick inserted came out clean. My oven temps have been checked and I used the correct size pan. All in all, not a recipe I would repeat.
Hi Patricia, Sorry you had a problem wth this! What you described is a bit of a head-scratcher. It sounds like it was overbaked (with all the blueberries, it definitely shouldn’t be dry). What brand of flour did you use? Is there any chance you may have measured something incorrectly?
Hi Jenn,
Made this tonight and my blueberries mostly sunk to the bottom of the pan. What is the tweak you made to prevent this from happening? The blueberries were evenly mixed within the batter. I usually use King Arthur Flour, but can’t get it at this time. Can that really make that much of difference? Otherwise the taste was wonderful. I will try it again and maybe try to keep the blueberries on top of the batter?
Hi Tammy, sorry to hear your blueberries sunk! When I tweaked the recipe, I added 3 more tablespoons of flour (giving the cake a little more structure so the berries don’t sink) and a touch more sugar and lemon juice. And while it’s not a cure-all, I love King Arthur flour (it’s slightly higher in protein which makes the crumb a little sturdier) and when I’ve used it in this recipe, the berries don’t sink.
Delicious ~ great treat for us. Thank you.