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This easy lemon blueberry pound cake recipe is a wonderful way to put fresh blueberries to good use. It’s simple enough for everyday baking but pretty enough to serve to company.
This lemon blueberry pound cake is one of those cakes that works just as well for brunch as it does for dessert or an afternoon treat. It’s buttery and tender, with juicy blueberries throughout and plenty of bright lemon flavor from fresh zest, juice, and a tangy lemon glaze.
You’ll need two large lemons for the recipe. Be sure to zest them before juicing them—it’s nearly impossible to do the other way around! And although you might be tempted to bake this in a Bundt pan, I recommend sticking with a loaf pan. The cake releases easily from a loaf pan but tends to stick to a Bundt.
“Absolutely delicious! Looks stunning and tastes even better!”
What You’ll Need To Make Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
- All-purpose flour: Be sure to measure it using the spoon-and-level method. Too much flour can make the cake dry and dense.
- Milk, lemon juice, and zest: Together, the milk and lemon juice create a buttermilk-like mixture that helps give the cake its tender crumb, while the zest adds bright lemon flavor. You’ll need about 2 large lemons for the cake and glaze; fresh juice and zest are best.
- Blueberries: Fresh or frozen blueberries work well. If using frozen, don’t thaw them first, as they can release excess juice and streak the batter.
- Unsalted butter: Allows you to control the amount of salt in the cake. Make sure it’s softened for the best texture.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps create a soft, tender crumb.
- Eggs: Large eggs provide structure and richness.
- Baking soda: Reacts with the lemon juice to help the cake rise.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Gives the lemon glaze its smooth texture and sweetness.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
Prepare the lemon mixture: Begin by zesting the lemons. Then whisk together the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. The mixture will curdle; that’s okay.
Prepare the dry ingredients and blueberries: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining teaspoon of flour. Set both aside.
Cream the butter and sugar: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Finish the batter: Scrape down the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk mixture. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and the remaining milk mixture, then add the remaining flour. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Fold in the blueberries: Using a spatula, gently fold the flour-dusted blueberries into the batter until evenly distributed. Transfer to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake and cool: Bake until the cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze: Once the cake is cool, transfer it to a serving platter. Mix the confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until thick but pourable, adjusting with more sugar or juice as needed. Spoon over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let set for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
Tips for the Best Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Use a metal loaf pan. Metal conducts heat more efficiently than glass, helping the cake bake evenly. If using a glass pan, the baking time may differ.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once the flour goes in, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense or tough.
- Make sure the glaze is thick. It should have a thick, almost glue-like consistency so it stays opaque and coats the cake rather than running off.
How to Store and Freeze Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
The cake will keep on the countertop for up to 3 days, stored in a covered container or wrapped in plastic wrap.
To freeze, let the cake cool completely and leave off the glaze. Double-wrap it securely in aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight on the countertop, then add the glaze before serving.
Video Tutorial
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, packed (see note)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups + 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup blueberries (if using frozen blueberries, do not defrost)
- ½ cup (1 stick) 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 (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 9 x 5-in (23 x 13-cm) metal loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, then spray the pan again. (Alternatively, you can line the long side of the pan with a parchment "sling" and 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 (260 g) 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, mixing well after each addition.
- With the mixer on low speed, add one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk mixture. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and the remaining milk mixture, then add the remaining flour. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in the flour-dusted blueberries until evenly distributed. 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 cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Let set for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife and serving.
Notes
- You’ll need 2 large lemons for the entire recipe. Be sure to zest them before you juice them.
Nutrition Information
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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Absolutely love this recipe! I used 1/2 cup of buttermilk instead of milk and the cake came out just as good. I will certainly be baking this again!
Thanks for mentioning that you used Buttermilk instead. Was just wondering if it would produce the same results. Did you increase the baking soda just a little too?
Yum yum yum. Absolutely delicious! Shared it round the club after a game of tennis and everyone loved it, thanks again Jen
So I have made this pound cake three times by now. I love it. This time I LAYERED the blueberries instead of folding them in, because every time I folded I felt like they were all at the bottom. And it worked!! They more evenly distributed. I also used a whole box instead of just a cup lol.
Not a bad recipe, but I think there are better ones out there. The batter is beautiful and when baked, it has a very pound cake-like texture, however I found it to be a little bland even after adding a teaspoon of lemon extract. For a lemon loaf cake that has an apparent lemon flavour, I recommend using Ina Garden’s recipe and optionally adding a splash of lemon extract, then toss a couple blueberries in flour before folding into the batter.
I have mine in the oven, 65 minutes so far. Just as others have stated, the middle is not cooked and the edges are brown. I just covered it with foil and added 4 add’l minutes. Something is off and , maybe the pan should be larger.
Do you have a oven thermometer to check the temperature of your oven?
I make this cake about once a week. It is our absolute favorite. Thank you
So delicious! I was a little worried after reading some of the comments below, so I made sure to follow the recipe exactly-including using a metal loaf pan- and it turned out great. At 50 minutes, my cake was not quite done so I tented the top and baked the additional 10 minutes. Thanks Jenn for a great recipe! I will definitely make this again.
Half sorghum flour half wholewheat flour
Too impatient to wait for butter to soften used olive oil, turbinado and date sugar. Screwed around with it quite a bit I suppose but it turned out perfectly and the icing is fantastic too. It did take an hour and 25 minutes because I used frozen blueberries. I will certainly make it again maybe half buckwheat next time….
Thank you
Agree with other commenters that the timing/temp is off somehow.
It baked for well over an hour, had to cover it to prevent too much browning. The rise isn’t great and the edges get too hard while the middle is underdone.
This is with a light metal pan as pictured, not dark or glass.
I made my version a little Extra and it was perfectly delightful: subbed heavy cream for whole milk, this made it slightly denser and added richness. Used up about 1/4 c of brown sugar and added to the remaining needed, this probably didn’t change things much at all. I added about 1/2 TB more of the lemon juice because I had leftover juice and I wanted it to stand out, not just a background flavor. Finally I added 1/4 c of sweetened shredded coconut to the mix, which made the recipe my own and took it in a slightly different direction. Also I completely skipped the glaze, this bun was sweet enough as is. Spot on results.