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Bursting Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake…to celebrate the weekend. Three layers of light and fluffy lemon cake swirled with a mix of fresh blueberries and blueberry jam. Each cake layer is frosted generously with whipped blueberry mascarpone buttercream. This cake is mouthwatering and oh so delicious. Every bite is layered with fresh berries, hints of lemon, sweet vanilla, and filled with creamy buttercream. This is the perfect berry-filled cake for any and all occasions. Bonus? It’s simpler to make than you’d think, and so very pretty…with barely any added effort.
And here I am, back with another layer cake, simply because they make me happy and I needed a happy cake in my life this week. You do too. Trust me on that.
Just like flowers, pretty (and delicious) food has a way of being able to completely turn my day around. It’s maybe kind of cheesy to admit, but I have a love of beautiful things. And when they happen to be incredibly delicious beautiful things? Well, that’s just an added bonus that makes food like cake the BEST.
And I don’t think many of you will argue that, because who doesn’t love cake, you know?
muti colored buttercream
1st cake layer
1st cake layer with buttercream
2nd cake layer
2nd cake layer with buttercream
cake before covering in buttercream
The story of how this cake came to be is really pretty simple. In an effort to surround myself with more color and “pretty” things, I picked up a whole bunch of fresh berries and ordered way too many edible flowers. When purchasing the berries and flowers, I really didn’t have an idea as to what I would make with them. I just knew something good would follow.
Almost as soon as the flowers arrived at my doorstep, I began baking this cake. Something about the purple-toned dahlias and faded white elderflowers screamed blueberry cake to me. Instead of thinking twice about it, I just started cooking. Less than 2 hours later I was putting the finishing touches on what is now one of my favorites cakes… Yes, I kind of have a lot of favorites.
Here are all the details.
Start with the cake. It’s a combination of a fluffy vanilla cake, lemon cake, and blueberry cake. It’s so moist, just perfectly sweet, and has a hint of lemon flavor throughout. To get a really incredible and intense blueberry flavor, I used a mix of both fresh blueberries and blueberry jam. So yes, that’s double the blueberry action, and yes, this cake is very heavy on blueberry flavor. Every bite literally bursts with berries and it’s maybe one of the best things you will eat.
Kind of dramatic, but also kind of true.
For the buttercream, I had a lot of over the top ideas. But in the end, I actually stuck with something a bit simpler and did a blueberry-mascarpone buttercream. Since I really wanted this cake to be heavy on the blueberry flavor, I didn’t want the buttercream to compete with the cake, I wanted it to compliment.
Enter this mascarpone buttercream swirled with a small amount of blueberry jam to give the cake a very pretty color. Not going to lie, I did attempt an ombre frosted cake. But it didn’t really work out just as I envisioned in my head. Oddly, I’m OK with that, and even odder? I love the imperfect look.
It’s effortlessly pretty…
Which brings me to the best part about this cake. It’s actually fairly easy to make, and pretty too.
No special ingredients, nothing fancy, just pantry staples, and a whole love of blueberries. If you have access to edible flowers, those are of course welcome, but not needed.
I know a lot of people, myself included, can stress to create a cake that’s frosted perfectly. But what’s great about this blueberry cake is that it should look like a swirly, messy, unperfect cake. Just have fun swirling on the buttercream and don’t worry too much about how it looks. Promise, in the end, the cake will be beautiful no matter what.
And most importantly?
It’s going to be GOOD…SO GOOD.
There are not enough words to describe how good this cake is, but just know that every forkful is filled with fresh berries and sweet jam. Each layer is moist, hinted with lemon, and layered with sweet buttercream.
It’s exactly what you should bake this weekend. And with that, let’s take a summer Friday and happily make our way to the kitchen. It’s time for cake.
Thank God!
If you make this bursting blueberry lemon layer cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Bursting Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake.
Servings: 24
Calories Per Serving: 1583 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup melted coconut oil (can use melted butter or canola oil)
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup high-quality blueberry jam
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw using frozen)
Blueberry Buttercream
- 3 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4-5 tablespoons high-quality blueberry or blackberry jam
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer) beat together the coconut oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, buttermilk, lemon juice, and zest. Add 3 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. 3. Toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour and fold them into the batter. Swirl in the blueberry jam, leaving a few streaks of jam throughout the batter, it shouldn't be fully incorporated.4. Pour the batter among the 3 cake pans and bake 30-35 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Cover and let the cakes cool completely before assembling.5. To make the buttercream. Add the butter, mascarpone, and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the butter and powdered sugar together until the butter is light and fluffy. Divide the buttercream between 3 bowls. Mix 1-2 tablespoon jam into 1st bowl, then 2-3 tablespoons jam to the 2nd bowl. Leave the 3rd bowl plain. 6. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread the darkest colored buttercream over the cake. Add the 2nd cake layer and spread with the lighter colored buttercream. Add the final cake layer and spread with the white buttercream. Lightly frost the outside of the cake, swirling the different shades together. It's shouldn't look "perfect". Chill 30 minutes. Serve, or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
This post was originally published on June 7, 2019
This cake was lovely. I had to use 3 9” pans (yes they work just fine, pull them out about 5 minutes earlier), but realized as I was icing the cake that I’d have to make quite a bit more icing to cover the larger surface area. Keep this in mind when using larger cake pans than the recipe calls for lol. When I did a taste taste between the initial 3 bowls of icing, the plain icing tasted mostly like butter. The taste of sugar did not come thru for me; just butter. So I added 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract to my 2nd smaller batch of plain icing that covered the outside of the cake. This was not necessary with the first batch that the jam was mixed into because the fruit takes care of adding sweetness naturally. I shared the cake the night it was made and gave leftovers to my small family to enjoy later. Everyone, including myself, thought it was moist and delicious, but was even better the NEXT day! It seemed that the blueberries got juicier and everything came together perfectly after sitting for 24 hours. I’m definitely saving this recipe, and the next time I make it I’ll be covered for 24 hours until serving to get the absolute most flavor out of it! Thank you Tieghan for sharing the recipe!! Simply delicious!
Hey Maria,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xTieghan
Such a beautiful cake…can’t wait to bake it. I’m .wondering how important it is to use plain Greek yogurt? Would it change the flavor too much if I used plain yogurt (not Greek) or sour cream instead?
Hey Susie,
Either of those should work just fine for you. I hope you love the cake, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This looks amazing? Could i make in cupcake form?
Hey Allison,
Yes, that will work just fine for you, I would start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
So fun to make this recipe! Loved the finished product, a perfect Easter dinner.
Hey Kale,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Easter ?Tieghan
Two questions:
1. Do you find the batter gets a little chunky almost when the lemon juice is added? I went with it so I hope it’s still good!
2. Do you have a suggested measurement of cups of batter for each of the 8” pan? I only have two so I have to bake the third later.
Hey Jackie,
Thanks for trying the recipe, no the batter should not get chunky. Is there anything you may have adjusted? Sorry I do not have exact measurements for each pan, just eye ball it! Let me know how the cake turns out. xTieghan
Hi! I would love to know where to get the beautiful edible flowers! This cake is amazing and must go with them!
Hey Heidi,
I order my edible flowers from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Love this cake! If I were to use salted butter instead of coconut oil, would you recommend reducing the amount of kosher salt in the batter?
Hey Erin,
Yes, I would reduce by 1/4 teaspoon. So glad you have been enjoying the cake! xTieghan
This looks amazing! I’m looking to make a cake and cupcakes for my daughter’s first birthday. Would this batter work for cupcakes? How long and at what temperature would you bake them?
Hey Michelle,
Yes, cupcakes would work well, I would start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. I hope you love the recipe. Happy Birthday to your daughter! xTieghan
I’ve made this 3x now and main change is that I add some lemon and vanilla to frosting and cut back by half stick butter and approx 1 cup powdered sugar. Prep and cleanup are both fairly intense so I am always a bit surprised by the prep and cook times that chefs claim on their recipes. I would say this recipe, including prep and clean up takes half my day!
Hi Shawn! I am really glad you have been enjoying this cake! I am sorry it takes longer than expected. If there is anything I can help with, please let me know! xTieghan
Hi!! I am so excited to make this recipe, it looks absolutely stunning. Would I need to tweek the recipe any bit, if I used 9′ inch baking pans instead of 8’inch? Thank you for your help!
Hey Kathryn,
I would probably reduce your baking time by 5 minutes, just keep an eye on them. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi,
I would love to bake this cake, but I only have one Pan of each size. So is it possibly to fill the whole in one Pan and just cut it in 3?
Will it work as good?
Thanks for answering 🙂
Hey Tabitha,
I would just use the cake pan and bake the batter separately. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Not sure if anyone else asked this, but will it work to sub blackberries? Excited to make this cake, i’m sure it will be lovely!
Hey Jocelyn,
Sure blackberries will definitely work here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I came across this cake and I had to have it. Made it this morning and OH my! It is incredible!!!!
Thank you so much Emily!! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
hi!! could you please tell me what kind of flowers and sprouting did you use ? thank you!!
Hi Nathalia! The top flower is a dahlia, the white flowers are elderflowers and they purple are thyme blossoms. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, First I want to say Thank You for all the GREAT recipes you share on your site. I’ve been following you (commenting only now and then) for a while and have really enjoyed making many of your sweet and savory recipes. For a birthday dinner, last night, my son requested your korean bulgogi bbq chicken. A HUGE hit in our family, I’ve made it several times and it always comes out delicious! I wilted an entire container of spinach into the fresh sweet corn and served it over black forbidden rice. I regret not taking a pic, the colors were beautiful together. For birthday cake I made this bursting blueberry lemon layer cake. Subbed raspberries and blackberries for the blueberries with a mixed berry jam. The flavors were AMAZING! It was another huge hit! The cake turned out a little dense but I think that’s because I used coconut milk yogurt and a vegan version of buttermilk (it’s what I had in the fridge) Also, I found the frosting too sweet with 3 cups of confectioners sugar 🙁 I will try making it again following your exact recipe (a little less sugar in the frosting) as I’m jealous of the commentors who say their cakes turned out fluffy and moist. Keep coming up with great recipes for us !!!
Hi Roe! Aw that sounds like an amazing night! I am really glad the bulgogi turned out so well for you all! Please let me know if there is anything I can help with on this cake!! xTieghan