This lemon blueberry cake is composed of zesty lemon cake layers, perfectly tart lemon curd, and covered in a delightful blueberry frosting. The lemon cake layers are made from fresh lemon zest and the lemon curd is made from scratch right in your kitchen. The frosting is made from freeze dried blueberries with a hint of blueberry emulsion.
This Delightful Lemon Blueberry Cake is exactly what you need to remind yourself that spring is right around the corner, even when it’s only 35 degrees outside.
If you’re looking for more spring cakes, here are some I suggest you check out my Strawberry Cheesecake Cake and Vanilla Berry Cake
Here are some of my very favorite things about his cake:
Lemon Cake- The lemon cake layers are made from zesting fresh lemons to really give it the tartness it needs. I also use lemon emulsion, if you don’t have lemon emulsion, feel free to use lemon extract.
Lemon Curd- You’ll fall in love with this delicious lemon curd. It has a tart lemon flavor that will make you want to eat it with a spoon!
Blueberry Frosting- To make this blueberry frosting, you will use freeze dried blueberries (I found mine at target) and blueberry emulsion (I love LorAnn’s). This frosting is a very simple element to the cake that really brings everything together.
Lemon cake layers with a tart lemon curd and covered in a delightful blueberry buttercream.
Ingredients list
- Unsalted butter-I always use unsalted butter to control how much salt is in the cake.
- Lemons-I use fresh lemon zest and juice. I used about 3 lemons in total.
- Cake flour-Cake flour has a different protein level than all-purpose flour. It makes your cakes light and airy and improves the texture all the way around.
- Buttermilk-I use a high fat buttermilk, but any buttermilk will work.
- Egg yolks-I use these in my lemon curd.
- Emulsion-I use my favorite brand, LorAnn’s, for all of my emulsion needs. In this recipe I used both the lemon and the blueberry.
- Sour cream-This is one of my favorite tricks to help my cakes stay moist.
- Freeze dried blueberries-I buy mine at target. I blend them up to resemble a fine powder.
Step By Step instructions for the best cake layers.
STEP 1: Beat the butter and sugar. Beat them on high for 5 minutes to get a light and fluffy texture. This creates air pockets in your cake that also helps it rise. I recommend beating them for 2 minutes then scrape down the sides and beat for the remanding 3 minutes.
STEP 2: Beat the eggs. Beating the eggs after each addition is considered the “creaming method.” You want to scrape down the bowl after each egg to really ensure that they are creamed into the butter and sugar.
STEP 3: Add the sour cream and lemon emulsion. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream and lemon emulsion.
STEP 3: Add in dry ingredients and buttermilk. Alternate these and mix on low.
STEP 4: Bake the cake. Bake the cake layers low and slow for 28-31 minutes, depending on your oven.
WHAT SIZE PANS
I always use 8 inch pans from my favorite brand, Fat Daddios, which you can find here: Using high quality pans really helps your cake layers come out soft around the edges. I use 3 8 inch pans, but you can totally use 4- 6 inch cake pans.
Make sure to spray the bottom of the cake pan with cooking spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again, to ensure your cakes will come out properly.
ASSEMBLING THE CAKE
- Place a small amount of frosting on the center of the cake board. This will act like a glue to help you keep your cake on the cake board while you decorate.
- Make sure your cakes are level. Place the first cake layer bottom side down onto the cake board.
- Pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the cake to create a barrier for the filling.
- Spread about half of the curd in the center of the cake with the back of a spoon. Carefully spread it to the edge of the piping.
- Place a second cake layer on top of the piped frosting and filling and repeat steps 2 and 3. Place the final cake layer, top side up, on the second layer of filling.
Storing and freezing
I wrap my cakes with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge. Before I serve them, I let the cake layers sit out at room temperature for at least 3 hours to make sure that the cake is thawed. It can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.
FREEZING
You can freeze the lemon cake layers, if you want to make them ahead of time. Once the cakes are cool, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer. If you want to store them for longer, wrap them again in aluminum foil. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Other recipes to you must try
Erin says
Will extracts work for a substitute for emulsions?
Molly Murphy says
If you can’t find blueberry emulsion, just use a little more freeze dried blueberries
Thank you
Molly
Erin says
Okay thanks, I’m really just trying to stay away from the artificial coloring. I haven’t been able to find an emulsion without added coloring.