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.
More lemon desserts
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!
sheila Hooper says
My family and friends love the brunt cake and I ship them to different STATES,BUT without the frosting and i do send the recipe on how to make it. Thanks so much for this amazing recipe ❤️❤️. Oooh baking one as we speak for my grandson@ his request!!
Celebrating Sweets says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂 -Allison
Janet says
Can this be made in a 9×13 baking pan? Thanks
Celebrating Sweets says
You can try it. You likely won’t need all the batter; only fill the pan about 2/3 to 3/4 full. You’ll need to reduce the bake time, start checking it around 25 minutes, then every few minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!
Carol says
This Bundt cake is absolutely delicious. Have made several times and each time came out beautiful.Thank you for sharing!
Celebrating Sweets says
You’re welcome! I’m glad you’ve been enjoying it. 🙂
Kathy says
Hi ! I’ve made this cake twice within a week and it looks and tastes very nice. The crumb is more like a pound cake rather than a nice moist cake as seen in your photo. I followed the recipe making sure I didn’t over mix the batter. What could I have done ? Thank you for your comments !
Allison says
Hi, Kathy. The cake is a bit dense, so I don’t think you did anything wrong. I find that when serving the cake at room temperature it is softer with a more delicate crumb. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Daniella says
Lovely recipe and a great taste combination. I will admit I love lemon and berries, so I increased the lemon flavor in all aspects of the recipe with lemon juice powder, lemon paste, lemon oil, and lemon extract (probably around 1/4 tsp of each in the frosting, and then 1/2 tsp of each in the cake. It had a great lemon-y taste without being overly so. I also loaded the cake with a whole pound of blueberries. It almost overloaded my bundt pan, but there was no spillage. I also decreased the sugar to 1 1/2 cups in the batter and 3/4 cup in the frosting. The cake was dense but tender, and sweet but not overly so. It also looked fantastic. Will make again.
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Dori says
We made this cake yesterday. I have be eyeing the recipe since last week. I generally love to bake for my husbands AA group meeting. This seriously is the best cake I’ve ever made. I will have a hard time parting with it. We doubled the icing because we love icing. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Allison says
You’re welcome, Dori. I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Helen M Maline says
Can you use frozen blueberries ?
Allison says
That should be fine. Add them to the batter still frozen. You’ll likely need to add a few minutes to the bake time. Enjoy!
Mi says
Hi! How many 4×2 or 4×3 inch pound cakes could this make?
Allison says
I’m not sure. I’ve only made this in a 10-cup bundt pan.
Sonia says
I want to make a lemon pound cake but I don’t want any fruit in it and have been in awe of this one. Is it as easy as omitting the blueberries or will that throw it off?
Allison says
You should be able to leave out the blueberries and it will be just fine. Enjoy!
Troy Helmandollar says
Can this recipe be diabetic friendly
Allison says
Probably, but you’d have to play around with it. I’ve only made it as written.
Kate says
I have made this wonderful cake at least a half dozen times as it is requested by family, especially at Easter. I also add additional blueberries and more lemon zest. It is more of a pound cake consistency so as the directions say, only handle the batter just until ingredients incorporated . Thanks for a great recipe!
Allison says
You’re welcome! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. 🙂