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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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I love this recipe and bake it many times. However, I no longer own an oven and need to bake in a ninja foodi. I would need to change the pan to a smaller one about 15.5 x 8.5 x 5.5 cm. Besides adjusting the baking time is there anything else I should be adjusting.
Glad you like it! I think what you’re suggesting will work if you halve the recipe. The bake time may be different, but I’m not sure by how much, so just keep a close eye on it.
Not sure if I did something wrong, but this is the second time I’ve tried to make this, and the middle stays wet for so long that my cake almost burns. It’s tasty, I just have no idea what the error could be. Both times in 2 different ovens. If you have tips for this, please help.
Hi Ashley, That’s strange, and I’m so sorry you’ve had that problem twice! Are you sure your loaf pan is 9 x 5 inches? If so, are you making any adjustments to the recipe or ingredient substitutions?
This happened to me as well. I baked for a total of 77 minutes before it wasn’t wet. Plus, the recipe’s video is different than the picture as well as the written out instructions. Should you use parchment paper in the entire loaf pan or only in the bottom? I used only the bottom in a glass pan. Too many inconsistencies. My cake fell apart after
waiting 10 minutes. I will say, however, it was delicious! So disappointed!
Oh no, that’s a bummer that it fell apart! That is a mistake in the video (I’m sorry!) – you don’t need to use a full parchment sling. That said, if your cake fell apart because it stuck to the pan at all, a parchment sling definitely won’t hurt it. If the center took that long to bake through, I strongly suspect it was as a result of using a glass pan. Are you sure your loaf pan is 9 x 5 inches? If so, and you try this again, I’d recommend trying the sling and reducing the oven temperature by 25°F. It will obviously take longer to bake but should bake more evenly.
This happened to me as well 3x. I used a glass pan I’m not sure if that made a difference.
I’m sorry to hear that! Yes, baked goods tend to brown more on the outside when baked in glass pans because glass retains heat better than metal, causing the exterior to cook faster. If you make this again, I’d reduce the oven temperature by 25°F. Hope that helps!
Love this recipe! But had to add extra 30 mins because I had use frozen blueberries and also added extra half cup of blueberries.
Hi, I have a lot of cake flour that I want to use. Would you recommend substituting the all-purpose flour for cake flour? If so, how much?
And if we wanted to add vanilla extract, how much would you recommend?
Hi Jane, I’d recommend sticking with all-purpose flour for this — sorry!
Can I skip the glaze- not a fan of XXXX sugar
Sure, it’s fine to skip the glaze.
Hi Jen,
I’m a huge fan of your recipes. I’ve made so many throughout the years and everything turns out amazing. I really love this recipe and would love to make it as a one layered birthday cake. Do you have some guidance on how I can do that?
Thank you
Divya
So glad you liked the recipes! You can make this one into a layer cake, but it will be dense. I’d use two 8-inch round pans and start checking for doneness at 35 minutes.
I made this yesterday. Instead of one large loaf pan I used 3 small loaf pans followed the recipe and they came out perfect. Just delicious. This recipe is easy and I think very forgiving. I will definitely be making it again . ❤️
How long did you bake the smaller loaves? Thank you, just what I wanted to do.
Absolutely delicious! Perfect balance of tart and sweet. Love your recipes Jenn, thank you for another great one!
Can I make this recipe for mini loaf pans. Thank you
Sure, Mary, this will work in mini loaf pans.
Love love love this pound cake. It is moist and tender. So good, thank you for posting.
Made this cake for the first time for afternoon tea for my friends. I needed to bake it for an extra 12 minutes for it to be fully cooked and browned. After icing it I decorated it with edible blue cornflower petals from my garden, it looked so pretty. The cake was divine and I gave some to other friends and they loved it too. The blueberries were evenly distributed throughout the cake and did not sink. Thanks for all your specific instructions with the recipe Jenn as everything always turns out as it should do, so I can now bake and cook with confidence – thank you.