blueberry lemon layer cake
With 7 pounds of fresh blueberries on my hands, I couldn’t pass up the chance to make yet another layer cake. You mad, bro?
It seems that I’ve fallen into a pattern of biweekly layer cakes. They’re just so satisfying right now – and while I’m certainly no pro at decorating and designing, I think I’m falling into a stylistic pattern that I really dig. And, as is the case when I’m on a row with something, I tend to beat together a concept type until I never want to cream butter and sugar ever again.
But, we haven’t reached that point yet, so here we have a lovely Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake to close out the week. She’s so pretty. A double-layer confection bursting with tart blueberries and lemon, sweetened up with a silky cream cheese frosting. Kinda reminiscent of my Triple Lemon Layer Cake but with a fruity flare.
I’m confident you’ll dig this for a spring or summertime treat, and trust me, I ain’t confident about shit when it comes to anything having to do with me. I have a hard time resisting a forkful even at 7 am when I’m waiting for my skillet to preheat for my morning eggs. A divine creation, this cake is, not to mention quite fun to put together.
I dunno, maybe I find layer cakes meditative nowadays, and with my systems clogged up at full-throttle depression several days a month, any sort of calm and peace I can wrangle in is a relief.
Show Me Your Bloobs
Har har, made you do a double take, didn’t I?
The cake batter process is pretty much the same here is as every other cake recipe I’ve shared, with a couple differences:
First: Lemon sugar. I always sift fruit zest right into the sugar whenever I’m baking with zest since it incorporates much more evenly into a batter. Takes an extra dish, but is definitely worth not having one bite of lemonless cake and another bite that shoves its boot right up your ass with citrus shebang.
Second: Blueberries. Obviously, right, it’s a fucking blueberry cake. Before you incorporate our shiny azure badboys, toss them with a tablespoon of flour. This’ll help them sink a little less within the cake so they’re distributed a bit better.
Okay, now we can start. Cream butter with lemon sugar, then whip in a few eggs, vanilla, and plain Greek yogurt. More moisture, woo. Add in your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, stream in the buttermilk until mostly combined (lumps in the cake batter is encouraged). Fold in your floury blueberries with a rubber spatula.
Grease two 9-inch cake pans (or three 6-inch) with butter or oil. Divide the batter amongst, smooth out the tops, then tap your pans against the counter a couple times to release any air bubbles.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Test with a toothpick after 30, and once it emerges with just a few moist crumbs (my fucking motto with baking, I guess), you’re good to go. Let the cakes cool about 10 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges of your layers and flip onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
Cream of the Cheese Crop
I wasn’t consciously planning to do a cream cheese frosting for this, but I guess I unconsciously changed my mind. Well, actually, I looked in the fridge and saw a block of unused cream cheese hanging out by the eggs, so I figured why the fuck not, man?
This frosting is addictive. You’ll want to dunk your hands straight into the bowl like some feral toddler-esque creature and savagely go at its creamy peaks. Don’t do that. You need it for the cake, you nasty bastard.
But, do lick the beater when youre done.
Start by beating cold cream cheese with room temperature butter, lemon juice, and vanilla. Keeping the cheese cold ensures the frosting doesn’t soften too fast and create a melty, oozing mess, since it’s about as fragile and malleable as most of ya’ll’s egos.
Add in 4 cups of powdered sugar – I usually do this a half cup at a time – keeping the mixer speed low so you don’t have fucking sugar snowflakes everywhere. Then, turn the speed to high and whip until a floofy, smooth frosting emerges. You may need an extra half cup of powdered sugar if its structure isn’t quite right. I went with the full 4 1/2, but I probably could’ve been fine with 4. Use your judgement.
Plop one of your layers on a cake stand or flat plate. Frost a generous layer atop, then add your second cake. Frost-frost-frost until nicely covered with swirly buttercream. You may have some left to pipe patterns or some shit, but I usually don’t do that because I suck at patterns.
I garnished my cake with fresh blueberries and my usual hydrangea flower. Marvel in your expertise, then slice it up and dish it out! Or, if you’re not serving right away, cover and set in the fridge. Cream cheese frosting needs to be chilled or it’ll seep right into your cake like an awkward saccharine flood.
Recommend this baby for a springtime party, birthday, or midlife crisis. Or if you just have a lot of blueberries and/or lemons on hand. Really, don’t need an excuse, just the inspiration, you know?
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
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blueberry lemon layer cake
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
lemon cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, cold
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 – 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9 inch cake pans with butter or oil.
- Sift the sugar and lemon zest together in a shallow bowl until combined. In a separate bowl, toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and lemon sugar until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Whip in the vanilla and Greek yogurt. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, slowly stream in the buttermilk, mixing until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the blueberries. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake 30-35 minutes until the center is set and an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to release the layers and flip onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
- When the cakes are cooled, make the frosting. In a bowl, whip the cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, and vanilla on low speed until combined. Add in 4 cups of powdered sugar and mix to combine, then increase the speed to medium high and whip until very light and fluffy. If needed, pour in more sugar 1/4 cup at a time until the frosting is soft and spreadable.
- Place one cake layer on a flat plate or cake stand. Frost the top generously, then add the second layer. Frost all the way around the cake until completely covered. If you have extra frosting, feel free to pipe little decorations onto the cake. Finish with more fresh blueberries, as desired.
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