22 Quick and Easy Recipes in 30 Minutes (or less) + 5 Chef Secrets To Make You A Better Cook!

Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

Tested & Perfected Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

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.

“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

You May Also Like

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.

See more recipes:

Comments

  • So good! A nice treat any day.

  • Dang it this didn’t cook in the middle otherwise it looks good going to try to put it back for a few mins 🥲 wonder what I did wrong.?

    • Sorry you had a problem with this, Christina! Did you use a 9×5-inch loaf pan? Did you made any adjustments to the recipe?

      • To many with the same problem, also a lot of sticking, mine included
        Perhaps the recipe needs tweaking

        • — Helen on April 14, 2022
        • Reply
    • Try letting the milk and eggs reach room temp or close to it – don’t melt the butter. Worth a try !!!

    • Try letting the eggs butter and milk reach room temp before making the loaf.

  • This recipe is so bad. The middle did not cook so I left it in the oven longer so all sides of the cake burned and the cake felt like a brick. The flavor was really off. I will never make this recipe again
    Jackie

    • Try crisco shortening on the pan dusted with a little plain flour. Have u tested your oven heat temp? Mine turns out great 😊

  • This was amazing. Your recipes have been saving my sanity for the last year. Even using butter and flour in Germany, where fat/water/starch ratios tend to need to be different, your recipes ALWAYS work. Thank you so much!!!

  • can I double the recipe to make 2 loaves at once?

  • Delicious! I love the combination of lemon and blueberries, the texture was perfect, and the glaze on top took it to the next level. I will definitely make this again!

  • Taste and crumb turned out great. Even with dusting the blueberries with flour, they sank to the bottom.

  • I have to agree with some of the other reviews. This cake was too sweet for me especially the topping glaze. Also the blueberries sunk to the bottom in spite of flouring first and it took about 20 minutes longer to cook so the middle wasn’t raw.

  • I made this as soon as I saw it…I didn’t have any whole milk and used Almond milk instead it worked perfectly! also used the fresh Giant Blueberries that were in my local grocery store.It was amazing!!! I almost ate the entire loaf myself..!

  • This was so good that it was gone by evening! My only question, it was not completely cooked in the middle. I did not have a metal baking pan and used glass, could this be the cause? It certainly did not stop my family from enjoying!

    • Glad you enjoyed it but sorry to hear the middle was a bit underbaked. Yes, I suspect it was the glass pan. Glass conducts heat more efficiently than metal, so the edges can be fully baked before the center. If you make this again, I’d reduce the oven temp by 25°F. It may take a few extra minutes, but should help it to bake more evenly.

      • Thank you!

      • Same thing happened to my cake trying to bake it in glass bread pan. I used frozen berries I had and they all settled to the bottom.

  • If making mini loaves, how long should they be baked?

    • Hi Terry, I’d start checking them at 30 to 35 minutes. Please LMK how they turn out!

      • I made this for my wife and she really loved it – she said it was perfect! Great recipe. The cake took much longer to bake than indicated. It spent at least 90 minutes in the oven before it cooked through. I also didn’t put any lemon zest in the glaze since I only had enough for the cake. It still turned out great. Interestingly, the glaze tasted just like Rockets candy

      • Hi Jenn this cake is amazing 😋 can i make muffins with the same recipe & how long would they need to be in the oven & what temp ? Thanks for all the delicious recipes, sujata

        • Hi Sujata, So glad you like it! For muffins, you may want to use this recipe (it’s almost identical and for the lemony taste, you could add about 2 teaspoons of lemon zest to the batter). Enjoy!

  • Another 5 star recipe. This was light and tender not heavy and dense like other pound cake recipes. The glaze is amazing, so tangy. I used large berries and that gave you a berry in every bite. I also made two batches ( one to share with neighbors) and used a mini Bundt muffin Pan with one. They were cute but the bottom had to be sliced off for it to sit flat. Most likely won’t do that again. Just a great recipe. Thanks Jenn

  • Thank you for another amazing recipe Jenn! I had all the ingredients in hand so made this Friday and will be baking another one today! We all love how fresh, flavourful and moist this cake is. Just the right amount of lemon! Another keeper!

  • This blueberry pound cake is delicious. I served it with fresh blueberries on the side. Although it is a pound cake, it is such a light and tender cake. The glaze turned this cake into an extraordinary dessert. I plan to make this again and again for my family and also to share with friends. Thank you for sharing another wonderful recipe. It was my “lucky day” when I discovered your cooking site😊

  • D E L I S H☺️ Just ate 2 pieces and want more. Great recipe. If you are lemon lovers try Jenn’s lemon bars recipe. Love them….

  • Jen this looks delicious! I plan on making it. Two questions can frozen wild blueberries be used? Also , I saw two comments regarding gluten free and also replacing the butter and dairy with oil and nondairy milk. Do you think it would come out ok substituting all three? I’ll make it the original way for work but my son has allergies and would like to make for him.

    • Hi Paula, Yes, frozen wild blueberries will work (just don’t defrost them first or the batter will turn purple). And the other substitutes you mentioned should work too. If you have the opportunity to taste, both, I’d love to hear if you notice a difference!

  • Thank you Chef Jenn for sharing.
    This recipe for Lemon Blueberry Cake has made me so happy because it’s so incredibly delicious.
    With respect, I made just a few minor changes. I’m at high altitude in Denver, and I increased the bake temp to 360.
    I baked it 10 + minutes even with the increased temp. I pulled it from the oven at an internal temp of 195 degrees.
    I added 1/4 tsp almond extract to the glaze.

  • Made this today. First time baking a cake at high altitude so I made a few adjustments. I also added a little vanilla to the glaze. The cake and glaze turned out great and delicious! I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

  • Oh my, love this recipe, just made this. And my family love it. It is so good. The lemon is the right amount. Thank you once more Jenn.
    I just love your recipes they are so easy to follow and the ingredients are very easy to find. Thank you. We enjoy this.

  • This recipe showed up in the newsletter today and since I had all the ingredients, I figured I’d give it a try. It’s delicious, with great lemon flavor, especially with the icing and nice pound cake texture. I’ll definitely make it again.

  • I made this last week and it was delicious!!!!!!
    I will definitely be making it again.

  • I can’t wait to try this! What type of milk should I use (non-fat or whole)? Also, my pan is ceramic – should I adjust time or temperature? Thank you

    • Either type of milk would be fine. And ceramic is fine; just keep an eye on it and reduce the heat by 25°F if it looks like it’s starting to brown around the edges. Enjoy!

  • This recipe is superb. I’m glad I stumbled into this page.. Thank you Jenn for sharing this recipe.

    Searching for a good and perfect recipe is not easy, it is like trial and error, this one is exceptional.. I’m keeping this for life! So for those of you reading this review, don’t waste time, go start baking! You won’t regret. 😉

  • I made this today and it’s a nice moist cake, but I personally feel it needs more salt, (about 1/4 tsp) to bring out the flavors. To my surprise, I found it to be a little bland. Maybe the flavors will come out overnight like banana bread does.

  • Great cake! Took me longer than 50-60 minutes but turned out nice! I mixed in some wild blueberry preserves into the glaze and it was amazing.

  • Can one make this loaf with frozen blueberries?

    • — Alina Hofstede
    • Reply
    • Sure, just don’t defrost them first or your batter will turn purple. Hope you enjoy!

  • This pound cake was absolutely delicious. Excellent lemon flavor and I really liked the texture/consistency of the cake itself. Another winner from Jenn!

  • I used fresh blueberries but they sank to the bottom of the cake. What did I do wrong?

    • Hi Lin, Sorry to hear the blueberries sunk. Did you coat them with a teaspoon of flour? If so, 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.

      • Jenn thanks for the tip about flouring the berries to prevent them from falling to the bottom of the pan.

        • — Pamela Harriman
        • Reply
      • Hi Jenn,
        I’ve made this recipe twice now and it’s excellent!! Both times my blueberries went to the bottom even with the teaspoon of flour. I will try King Arthur flour and see if it helps. I used big blueberries. Was wondering if that was it and I should use the small wild blueberries instead? Your thoughts?

        Thanks for your awesome recipes!

        Denise Ksen Smith
        P.S. made the Pavlova for Easter it was unbelievable!

        • — Denise Ksen Smith on April 17, 2022
        • Reply
        • Hi Denise, sorry to hear that you’ve had a problem with the blueberries sinking. I definitely think the King Arthur flour could help but if you bought particularly big blueberries, you could buy wild blueberries or pick blueberries or look for smaller blueberries in the produce section. Hope that helps!

          • — Jenn on April 18, 2022
          • Reply
  • Hi Jenn,
    I’d love to somehow incorporate freshly made lemon curd into this recipe…do you have any suggestions how I might go about it?
    Thank you in advance!

    • Hi Lori Anne, I don’t see a great way to incorporate lemon curd here — sorry!

      • Each time I try this, after an hour the outside cooks but the inside remains liquid. Is the temperature for a fan assisted oven or for a conventional (regular non-fan) one?

        Otherwise it’s amazing 🙂

        Thank you

        • Hi Maria, The temperature is for a standard oven setting. If you find that the top is getting browned before the inside is done, feel free to a piece of foil loosely on top of the pan.

    • Cut the cake horizontally once or twice and layer the lemon curd as you would frosting.

  • I love your recipes only I find I need to reduce the sugar amounts.If I were to make this recipe in a 8.5″ x4.5″ loaf pan, what quantities of ingredients would I need?

    • Hi Sha, I really don’t recommend making this in an 8.5″ x4.5″ pan. I’m not sure what changes you’d make to the ratios and I’d be concerned that you wouldn’t get a good result. Sorry!

  • This is the best pound cake I have ever tried let alone made. My family agrees. I followed the instructions step by step and it turned out perfect. Thank you!

  • Jen, in your comments you mention that buttermilk is needed for the Lemon Blueberry pound cake. The receipe only list milk as the ingredient.

    Has the recipe been changed?

    • Hi Pat, That is so strange – that comment should not be posted on this recipe (it’s referring to my lemon pound cake recipe). I have removed it. So sorry for the confusion!

      • Didn’t whisking the milk, lemon zest and lemon juice together beforehand and letting it sit for a bit made buttermilk?

        • Yes, you’re essentially making your own buttermilk with those ingredients.

    • Hi Jenn,
      Can this cake be made replacing the normal flour with a gluten free flour?
      Thanks,
      Camille

      • — Camille Gerecke
      • Reply
      • Sure, Camille, that should work. Please LMK how it turns out!

        • Hi Jenn. I have King Arthur G/F All purpose Baking Mix? Would this work for the flour, or should I use regular flour?
          Thanks,
          Pamela

          • — Pamela Harriman
          • Reply
          • Hi Pamela, a number of readers have commented that they’ve made this with an all-purpose gluten-free flour with success. Hope you enjoy!

            • — Jenn
  • I really enjoyed the glaze in this recipe. Because it’s the winter, my blueberries aren’t the sweetest, giving the cake a kind of bitter flavor. I think the lemon flavor in the cake wasn’t as strong as I liked, so I suggest putting more. But overall, a really nice tasting pound cake!

    • I love using buttermilk in my cakes. Could I sub the Milk and use Buttermilk instead? If so, how would I adjust the recipe?

      • — Becky Williams
      • Reply
      • Hi Becky, You’re basically making buttermilk with the milk and lemon juice in the recipe, so I wouldn’t recommend replacing the milk with buttermilk. Hope that helps!

  • I made this recipe last night for the first time and dropped it off for friends this morning! Soon after, I received rave reviews! They said it was, “award winning!”

    My husband is anxious for me to make one for us now!

  • Can I use dried blueberries instead of frozen or fresh ones?

    • Hi Catherine, I’d stick with fresh blueberries here – sorry!

  • Does this loaf freeze well?

    • Yep! See the bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions. Hope you enjoy!

    • Hi Diana!
      I froze half of mine to prevent myself from eating it all in one go. I have to say it tastes great even when just a few minutes out of the freezer, when it is still very cold and juuuuuust thawed.

  • I made this cake this morning and I used my Pampered Chef mini loaf pan (it makes 4 small loaves). I took the advice from Jenn and started checking the loaves at 30 minutes. I added 5 minute increments and the total baking time was 45 minutes. They are cooling right now and the lemon scent is incredible! They are a lovely brown on the bottom and sides and a light brown on top. Can’t wait to try them!

    • — Carolyn Campeau
    • Reply
  • Question regarding metric units. When I use standard baking conversions of cups to grams for the specific ingredients, the amounts differ from yours. (Flour 260g vs 240g, sugar 250g vs 200g, milk 120ml vs 237ml). Can you explain why (more so with milk since it’s twice the amount). As a side I just made the cake with standard baking conversion so will see how it can out tonight).

    • As a side I didn’t see the metric option until I had made the batter…

    • Hi Anna, I have found that there’s definitely variation out there when converting imperial measures to weight/metric. The ones that I use are ones that I’ve tested out on my kitchen scale. Regarding the milk, the recipe only calls for a half cup, hence 120 ml. Hope that clarifies and that the cake came out nicely!

      • Well I read that wrong on the milk lol…hopefully it tastes good…and in the meantime I’ll look forward to making it again….

      • Update. I must’ve done the milk measurement correct because the cake turned out wonderful. Less sugar didn’t affect the overall taste and consistency. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge. Everything I’ve tried has always turned out perfect.

        • So glad to hear it came out well — thanks for reporting back! 🙂

  • Love all your recipes! Is it ok to sub canola oil for butter? Thanks!

    • Glad you like the recipes! Canola oil won’t work here — the only kind of oil that I think would work is (solidified) coconut oil. Keep in mind that I haven’t made it this way. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!

  • If you are short on will power better not make this cake! I keep going back for more. Great recipe! Thank you

  • Another winner recipe from you Jenn! I have tried so many recipes for lemon blueberry pound cakes but never got the taste right. This is just right, not too sweet, just right combination of lemon and blueberry. The recipe is simple but delicious. I’ll make another one soon. Thank you!

  • Is the parchment paper an absolute necessity? If so, do you paper only the bottom, or up the sides too? TY!

    • Hi Linda, I strongly recommend the parchment as it helps ensure that the cake doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. (The blueberries can make it more prone to stick.) And it’s only necessary to line the bottom of the pan with parchment, but make sure you spray the whole pan with nonstick spray as well. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!

  • I made this recipe today. The cake is moist and very tasty.
    There were a lot of steps to follow. It always takes me a little longer the first time I try a recipe.

    • Paula: when I’m trying a new recipe it takes a long time to prep everything for me also and I’m always amused when the author of a recipe says the prep time is 10 minutes. I need to multiply that times 4. 🙂

      • — Pamela Harriman
      • Reply
  • This recipe is a winner! The lemon and blueberries compliment each other very nicely. (You must use the 9×5” loaf pan for success). My cake needed the full 60 minutes.
    Everyone in my family loves this cake and it’s the second time I’ve made it. I love the way the recipe is laid out step by step. The pics help a lot! Thanks Jenn!

    • I have a question..do I have to use a metal loaf pan? I only have a glass pan
      Thanks…Paula Korob

      • Hi Paula, Glass will work — just keep an eye on it and reduce the heat by 25°F if it looks like it’s starting to brown around the edges. Enjoy!

  • What a wonderful loaf. It has everything you would want. Not too sweet bit refreshing and satisfying.

  • I’ve made til his several times now and apart from the first time when I used a loaf pan that was a bit small (should have known) all the loaves have turned out beautifully. Only suggestion I will make for my Canadian baking friends is to use a larger loaf pan! Has to be at least 9 1/2 x 5 or you’ll have pound cake on the rack and floor of your oven. (Eg. The Wilton loaf pans are a bit small for this). Freezes really well. Yummy lemon flavour too. Glaze when thawed. Thanks Jenn.

  • I just made this last night and it is amazing! I almost went with the lemon blueberry scones but trying this first. I reduced the sugar to 1 cup instead of 1 & 1/4 and it turned out great, could even reduce it more if needed. I would also consider making a bit extra icing to add additional to each slice, but thats just me. So good!

  • Wonderful simple pound cake! The combination of blueberries and lemon is always a winner, but the crumb of this pound cake also shines. Really delicious. Mine took longer in the oven (and my Wolf oven is usually spot on with baking recipes), more like 70 minutes. Great recipe, like everything on this website.

  • This is amazing! So tender, moist and light. I usually use quite a bit fewer blueberries than stated. Otherwise, I find they overshadow the delicate crumb/texture of the cake. I usually just throw in however many I have on hand. I also like this cake with some additional lemon zest, and a dash of nutmeg works really well for my family’s tastes.

  • This is absolutely delicious and I make it often… especially when I am able to find meyer lemons. I often omit the glaze as I find it just right without.

Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.