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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This is one of my favorite go-to recipes – blueberries and lemon are always a winning combination.
Made this yesterday and it was superb. I did add a little extra lemon but no other changes and it easily came out of the pan and was moist with a wonderful flavor. Thank you for the recipe I will be making this again!
My oven cooks quite hot so I baked at 340 degrees. Turned out moist, with a nice flavour. Saving this recipe & will make again. Yummy.
Made this today and though it was absolutely delicious to eat, most of my blueberries sunk to the bottom one third and made the cake very soggy at the bottom despite having baked it for 75 minutes. I did remember to toss the blueberries in the flour before adding them to the mixture. Possibly i didn’t pay enough attention to how evenly they were distributed in the mixture. I’ll be more careful about that in the future. But I repeat it tasted delicious and will definitely be baking again.
Thanks for the recipe. It’s a bomb! Have a question. I don’t have any fresh lemon at home right now but really want to make this cake tomorrow. Do u think I can just skip the lemon zest, and replace the fresh lemon juice with bottled lemon juice? If I can, do I need to make any juice adjustment (such as adding 1 or 2 more tbsp of juice). Thank you so much!
Glad you like it! This is definitely best with fresh lemon juice and zest, but I think you could get away with using bottled juice. You could add 1 more tablespoon of lemon juice. The cake may not have the same lemony zing, but it should still be good.
I did! It turned out better than I expected. Everybody loved it! Thanks so much for your recipe and quick reply.
Glad to hear it. Thanks for reporting back!
This cake/bread is delicious! I must confess I added 1/4 tsp almond flavoring and mistakenly doubled the amount of zest — which was just right for me!!! Thank you Jen! I made a lemon glaze with cream cheese that I have used in the past and sprinkled slightly toasted sliced almonds. My friends asked if they could each take a slice home!
I made this last night and it turned out SO beautifully. I am eating some more now and the cake is still moist and super tasty. It’s not often I enjoy a recipe the first time without making changes! I will definitely be adding this recipe to my arsenal 😉
I have made this cake multiple times to rave reviews. I have just moved to a high altitude location and was hoping you might tell me how to adjust accordingly so I have the same success.
Thanks!
Glad you like it! I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though.
I made this in Calgary, Canada, which is a higher altitude. I made no changes and it turned out perfectly!
turned out great! – will freeze half without icing
My first pound cake just came out from oven tonight. It taste so delicious and lemon makes it so fresh and amazing. The texture is so soft and moist. Only the glaze was too watery. I use my homemade icing sugar cause I don’t have confectioner sugar. Will bring this cake to office tomorrow for my breskfast. Thank so much Jen for sharing this wonderful recipe. Sure will make it again and again.😊
I made this gluten free using the Cup4Cup gluten free flour exactly as written. It was fabulous! I am on a mission to find great GF desserts for myself as well as my neighbor’s teen who also has celiac. It was a win for both of us!
I followed the recipe and it turned out GREAT! Delicious cake texture and flavor! My new favorite! Husband has already requested a repeat!
Can i substitute limes for the lemons. Love your recipes. Thanks Margaret
Sure — the cake will have a slightly different flavor, but it will work. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
I made this lovely pound cake yesterday and while everything turned out perfectly including well-distributed blueberries, I found that lemon didnt really take the lead as I had hoped .. do you think the lemon rind could be doubled without impacting blueberries ?
Yep that should work 🙂
Thanks so much for the recipe. This cake was so moist and delicious.
Cake is moist & delicious! I used less sugar (3/4 cup) and it’s just right for our family. Will definitely make it again. Thanks Jenn for this recipe.
I absolutely love this pound cake! I did not ice it – but did sprinkle a little raw sugar on the top before baking. The second time I made it, I added extra raw sugar (about a tablespoon) on the top to add some more “crunch” – however, this time the top split a bit and I am wondering if that happened because of the addition of more sugar.
It’s a great recipe, thanks!
Hi Jack, It’s possible that the additional sugar caused the cake to crack, but it’s normal for a pound cake to crack a little (you can see mine is a bit cracked in the center too).
Delicious lemon loaf! Substituted buttermilk for the milk since I always have extra I want to use up. It was a good size loaf and very tender and moist. Such a treat in summer! Thanks again for the recipe.
Thanks for your comment regarding the buttermilk! I was just thinking about trying that as I love anything baked with buttermilk! So glad it worked well for you! I’m on it!
Hi,
Made this blueberry lemon pound cake yesterday, followed the recipe as written, and it came out perfect! Enjoying it for breakfast this morning. I let my butter sticks sit on the counter for a bit until they were softened and was worried about them being too soft and warm but it was fine. Would like to make more to share and I have a stoneware mini loaf pan that allows for four loaves to be made together. Will this work in stoneware and what time adjustments should I make?
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I do think it would work in a stoneware mini loaf pan. I’m not sure about timing, but I’d keep an eye on them after about 30 to 35 minutes. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try it!
Easy and delicious! I made this today for my family and it’s already half gone! Super easy to follow recipe. Highly recommend! Next time, I would add more lemon zest to make it a little more lemony.
I’ve made this recipe twice now., and everyone I gave a some of the cake too, loved it….My fruit did not fall as some have written. I do take care to fold the batter very carefully when it’s time to put the blueberries in, & I don’t overdo it.
I’m going make it again now!!!
Forgot to rate it earlier. I give it 5 stars!
Hi Jenn,
I have King Arthur bread flour on hand. Do you think it would work instead of AP flour?
Thanks,
aylin
Hi Aylin, Bread flour isn’t optimal here but in a pinch, it should work (just keep in mind that the texture of the bread won’t be as tender). The batter may be a little thicker; if it appears to be too thick, add 1 to 2 tsp. of water per cup of flour. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
I am so sorry to be giving this only two stars because Jenn’s recipes are wonderful. The flavor is very tasty, however I have attempted to bake this twice in two different ovens using two different pans (metal and glass). Both times, my batter is thick and difficult to incorporate the blueberries without breaking them. At 35 minutes, the top is beginning to get very brown whereas I have to cover with foil. After 60 minutes with a toothpick coming out clean, the finished, cooled cake is very dense and doughy with a raw middle.
Made this cake today. It turned out wonderfully. Moist but tasteless. I went back over receipe to see if I left something out but I did not. I can only hope the problem was with my lemons. The cake had very little lemon flavor. I will try again.
Were your lemons old ? Did you pack the zest into the measuring spoons or loosely sprinkle the zest in? For the lemon juice I used a lemon juicer with a tablespoon measurement on it. Sometimes when I make this cake, I do a little bit of extra lemon juice than called for.
I made this cake for 4th of July and everyone LOVED it. Everyone was asking for the recipe, which I gladly passed along. I’m curious if adding more lemon juice would affect the recipe? I personally love a very strong lemon flavor but I’m worried that adding more liquid could affect the structure of the cake.
Glad you liked it! You could add 1 to 2 more Tbsp. of lemon juice; adding more lemon zest is fine and will also help to boost the lemon flavor.
I just made this today and it came out amazing. I used frozen blueberries because we use them a lot for smoothies and they didn’t sink. I think the extra tablespoon of flour also helped. Lovely recipe, will definitely use again. Thank you.
I have made this recipe several times (each time without the glaze) and everyone really likes it, especially my daughter’s family. My wife wants it glazed but I prefer it without so that all of the flavors of the cake can be enjoyed without the sweetness of the sugar masking them.
One of the hottest days this summer and what am I doing? Again, baking this blueberry lemon pound cake. So far, these will be the fourth batch I’ve made in mini loaf pans. I get three loaves from the recipe and they are wonderful gifts to give to brighten up someone’s day! I’ve used the glaze and it’s great, but the pound cake on its own is also perfect! Thanks, Jenn, for another winner! Love your cookbook and look forward to your newsletters. Happy 4th and stay safe!
Happy 4th to you! 💗
Hello,
I’ve made a few of your recipes and they all came out great. I did have an issue with this one; the inside of the cake wasn’t cooking and it took almost 75 minutes so the outside was really browned. I didn’t have a metal loaf pan so I used a glass loaf pan. Do you think that is why it took so long to bake? I’m a novice, and did double check to make sure I added all the ingredients. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Chris, sorry to hear that you had a problem with this one. I suspect it had to do with the glass loaf pan – – glass conducts heat better than metal which can cause the outside to brown before the inside is fully baked. If you make this again and are using glass, I’d reduce the oven temperature by 25°F. it will likely take a few more minutes in the oven; if you notice the top or edges starting to brown too much, loosely lay a piece of foil on top of the cake for the remainder of the baking time. Hope that helps!
Thank you for your response. I will definitely make this cake again. Even though the cake took a long time to bake and was really brown on the outside it still tasted delicious! I love your recipes and the pictures and instructions are perfect for those of us who need explicit directions lol!
Love this recipe! Made a packaged version from Sur la Table that called for sour cream and butter which made it extremely moist. Can you incorporate sour cream into this recipe?
Hi Jennifer, For the best results, I’d stick to the recipe – sorry!
Hey I am making the cake now and I am having the same issue. My pan is metal and it’s going on 80 mins of baking on 350 and the middle is still doughy in the middle. What is the problem?
Hi LaToya, Did you by chance use an 8.5×4.5-inch pan instead of 9×5?
Jen – wanted to tell you I made this as muffins and used buttermilk instead of regular milk. Also used almost double the blueberries. Came out great!
Easy to make, and a marvellous taste. I wouldn’t change a thing!
Can I substitute the milk with half and half cream?
Sure, Judy, that will work. Enjoy!
This was a lovely flavoured cake, just a quick question; there seemed to be a large quantity of sugar to butter and when tried to beat it to light and fluffy it didn’t have the same texture as other sponge cakes, so the mixture seemed heavier, is this right?
Yes, it is a heavier, thicker batter, so it sounds like it was the correct texture. 🙂
Hello! Thank you so much for this recipe, it turned out AMAZING!! My entire family loved it! Hugs!
Glad it was a hit! 💗
I made this cake today and for the second time I have made it while trying to remove it from the pan to the platter it starts to fall apart. The first time I made it I thought I had not measured correctly but the same thing happened today so I was very careful. What do you think is happening?
Hi Donald, I’m sorr you’ve have a problem with this twice! You mentioned that it starts to fall apart when you’re removing it from the pan. Do you mean that portions of it are sticking to the pan? If so are you treating the pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray, lining the bottom of it with parchment paper, then spraying it again?
I made this cake today and it was fabulous. My husband said it was one of new favorites. I would like to know how to keep the blueberries from settling in the bottom. I added the flour to the blueberries; however, they were damp. I am wondering if that was the problem.
Glad you enjoyed it, Ann! I don’t think the wet blueberries would be a problem. What brand of flour do you use?
I used White Lily
Hi Ann, I think the flour is the problem. White Lily is a low protein flour, so it doesn’t provide enough structure — try using a higher protein all-purpose flour, like King Arthur. Hope that helps!
Another winning recipe! To my taste, the cake is quite sweet enough without the glaze. I served it with blueberry compote. Delicious. Thanks Jenn.
Hi Jenn,
I have made this lemon blueberry pound cake twice to rave reviews. I have omitted the glaze because it was perfect without it. I followed the recipe exactly and my blueberries did not sink or stick to the bottom. I mix them with the flour first and as I am preparing the recipe I stir them several times so they are well coated. I have tried many of Jenn’s recipes and have always been pleased. I have been remiss in writing reviews for other recipes of yours that I have tried. All have been terrific!
KathyB
I used whole wheat flour instead of white flour, baked it in the oven for one hour and let it cool for 20 minutes. Perfect!
My husband does not like lemon or blueberries and still loved this!
I made this today to take to a party (never made it before) it was delicious, I swear every recipe on Jen’s site is awesome, … if you follow the directions, you will get a perfect result. Jen makes you look like a chef with her recipes! I have loved each and everyone! Btw, I did double the recipe .. and yep … both loaves came out perfectly!
💓
Hi Jen!
I made this recipe as listed and it was a HUGE hit! Thanks for posting! I was asked if you think I would be able to substitute blackberries for blueberries in a future loaf. Thanks again!
Hi Andrew, So glad you enjoyed it! I think blackberries would taste great, but I worry that they would all sink to the bottom because they are so much larger/heavier than blueberries — I might chop them a bit. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it. 🙂
This pound cake was delicious!! I’ve been baking like crazy over the last few months and my husband said this recipe was his favorite so far! Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Oh my goodness! This was amazing!!! We had such a great time picking fresh blueberries and of course, went straight to your site to find a recipe. This was so good! We were going to freeze half of it and ended up eating the whole thing in 2 days. There are just two of us!! I will make this yummy cake again and again with the rest of the 7 pounds of blueberries we picked. Thanks again, Jenn!
Beautiful cake! Definite crowd pleaser… i used frozen blueberries which tasted just as good, i just found the colour to bleed a little so you get more of a purple swirl so I tried not to mix too much otherwise the lemon colour would have mostly been purple 🙂 Glaze was also delicious… tried not to lick the bowl!
This was a fabulous recipe! It was just the perfect amount of sweetness and really highlighted the blueberry and lemon flavors. Thank you!
Dear Jen
Lemon blueberry pound cake was a success. I am very grateful that I discovered your site and will pass around your recipes. You are extremely precise and meticulous. Can I omit Walnuts? Use to make in France good petites brioches avec têtes.
Can you suggest one with instant dry yeast?
🙏🙏🙏
Bravo, Brava Bravissimo!!!!!
Yvonne
Hi Yvonne, so glad you enjoyed this! You asked if you could omit nuts — I assume you meant to ask if you could add them. If so, yes, that would work — I’d just chop them before adding. And I don’t have a proven recipe for brioches avec têtes – sorry! If I come across anything that looks worthwhile, I’ll send it your way. 🙂
Hey Jen,
Can I use 8-inch pan with this recipe?
Sure, Diana – that should work. Bake time may be a bit less.
Excellent! My husband loves blueberries and this loaf did not disappoint. I had to substitute 3/4 tsp. lemon extract for the zest and I used frozen wild blueberries. They did not sink and I think he enjoyed the loaf as much as your blueberry muffun recipe.
Hi,
May I know can I bake this in a paper cup?
Hi Phyllis, Unfortunately, this won’t work in a paper cup – sorry!
Well . . . . I’ve just had a second attempt at this cake. This time I left it in the tin for 30 minutes to cool, and it didn’t collapse 🙂
The blueberries sank, but OMG it is sooooo delicious. I googled about the blueberries sinking and apparently that’s just due to gravity. Not worried about that anyway as the taste is amazing.
Going to try the strawberry cake next, and maybe use up the remaining blueberries.
Thank you for your fabulous recipes!
Tres chere Jenn
Je suis francophone et je demeure à Montréal.
J’ai habité Toulouse et je suis une passionnée de pâtisserie. J’ai rarement vu des recettes aussi bien détaillées que les votres.
J’ai essayé votre pain au bleuets et citron ainsi que les muffins aux bleuets.
Toutes vos recettes et conseils méritent que vous soyez louangé (praised)
In this difficult time I wish you Health and Hope.
Let’s have faith and courage to eradicate this virulent virus which has caused too too many deaths in the world.
Beaucoup d’admiration et toutes mes sincères félicitations! Continuez , je suis contente d’avoir trouvé votre site, je dirai par pur hasard.
Bravo, brava, Bravissimo.
Ça. Va bien aller 🌈🌈
It’s going to be OK
Warmest thoughts
Yvonne
Was so good! Can I freeze half of this cake for later?
Yep! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂