This moist and flavorful lemon bundt cake is packed with fresh blueberries, covered in lemon syrup, and topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting. Every bite is bursting with lemon and blueberries!
This is a new and improved version of a recipe that I first published seven years ago. Although the cake was delicious as originally written, I was convinced that I could make it better. I am so happy with this version and I can’t wait for you to try it! See more about the revisions in “behind the recipe testing” below.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
Flavor: The delicious combination of lemon and blueberry with a hint of vanilla.
Texture: This cake bakes up wonderfully soft and moist with pops of fresh blueberries.
Presentation: This cake is absolutely beautiful, and you don’t need any fancy decorating skills to pull it off.
Feed a crowd: Bundt cakes are great for feeding a crowd, you can really easily this recipe.
Key ingredients
Buttermilk: This makes the cake extra moist and tender.
Butter + oil: A combination of butter (for flavor) and oil (for moisture) create the perfect crumb.
Lemon zest and juice: Both lemon zest and lemon juice give the cake a distinct lemon flavor.
Blueberries: Fresh blueberries hold their shape and distribute beautifully throughout the cake.
Lemon syrup: A combination of sugar, water, and lemon juice gets brushed over the warm cake adding another layer of flavor and moisture.
Recipe overview
Full recipe below in recipe card
Cake:
- Beat butter, oil, sugar, and lemon zest until smooth and combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) and the buttermilk and lemon juice.
- Once the batter is fully combined, stir in blueberries.
- Pour the batter into a well greased bundt pan, smooth into an even layer, bake.
Syrup:
Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice. Heat until bubbling and the sugar has dissolved (I do this in the microwave). Brush the lemon syrup onto the cake.
Frosting:
Beat butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice until smooth and combined. Spoon the frosting over the cake.
Behind the recipe testing
This is an updated version of an older recipe. Here are the changes I made for this new and improved version:
- Swap half the butter for oil. This creates a softer, more moist cake, with the perfect crumb.
- Increase the lemon zest and add ⅓ cup lemon juice to the batter.
- Increase the flour slightly to account for the increased liquid.
- Reduce the amount of lemon syrup to keep the cake from being too moist.
Bundt pan tips: prevent sticking
Here are my tips for getting your cake out of the pan easily:
- Use a good quality nonstick bundt pan. This is the pan I used for this recipe.
- Wait to grease the pan until right before you add the batter.
- Use a non-stick baking spray with flour in it for the best result.
- Let the cake cool down a bit before removing it from the pan. The cake will firm up and be more stable than if you invert it right out of the oven.
Serving and storage
SERVING: The flavor and texture of this cake is best when served at room temperature.
STORAGE: This cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Individual slices can be frozen.
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Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup canola oil, vegetable oil, or light olive oil
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup finely grated lemon zest, about 3 large lemons
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, for coating the blueberries
Lemon syrup:
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Cream cheese frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar, plus more, if needed
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more, if needed
Garnishes (optional):
- blueberries, lemon zest, and/or lemon slices
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Set aside a 12-cup bundt pan but don't grease it just yet.
- In a medium bowl, whisk 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, combine buttermilk and lemon juice, set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, sugar, and lemon zest until combined. With the mixer on a low speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Add half of the flour mixture to batter, beating until just combined. Beat in the buttermilk-lemon juice, followed by the remaining flour, scraping the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, toss the blueberries with two tablespoons of flour. Gently fold the berries into the cake batter.
- Thoroughly and generously grease a 12-cup bundt pan. I find that nonstick baking spray with flour works the best for this. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Set the cake pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup.
Lemon syrup:
- Bring lemon juice and water to a gentle boil (I do this in a glass measuring cup in the microwave). Whisk in the sugar until completely dissolved.
- Carefully invert the cake onto a serving platter (the cake should still be slightly warm). Gently brush the syrup onto the exterior of the cake, allowing it to be absorbed. Cool completely before adding the frosting.
Frosting:
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar and lemon juice and beat until well combined. Add more powdered sugar to thicken, or lemon juice to thin. I like this frosting on the thinner side so that it drips down the sides a bit.
- Spread the frosting on top of the cake and top with garnishes. Store this cake in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Video
Notes
- SERVING: The flavor and texture of this cake is best when served at room temperature.
- STORAGE: This cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Individual slices can be frozen.
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Katie M says
This cake is simply wonderful. Not too dense or heavy. My mother in laws requests this every year for Mother’s Day. I’ve made it with the cream cheese frosting and it is DIVINE.
My mother in law is dairy free though, so I substitute a plant based butter in the cake and it bakes up wonderfully. I make a glaze with lemon juice and muddled strained blueberries mixed with powdered sugar. Sometimes I just use a little lemon juice with powdered sugar for the glaze instead if I want something a bit “lighter.” Regardless of the frosting, this is the cake recipe I use. It’s perfect. I’d give your recipe 10 stars if I could!
Allison Mattina says
Thank you for the kind review and for sharing your experience. 🙂 Happy baking!
Kathie says
This is a delicious cake – I have made it several times. However, 50 minutes is not long enough. I baked it for 55 minutes, removed it with crumbs visible on the toothpick and the cake sank in the middle as I cooled it. I rushed it back into the oven and baked it another 15 minutes. Hoping for the best now as I am taking it to a gathering.
Khadija says
Hi lovely cake. Just wondering if i can make with frozen blueberries?
Allison Mattina says
Hi! I would assume so but I haven’t tried it with this specific recipe. I’d likely keep them frozen and toss with flour before adding to the batter.