This lemon blueberry buttermilk cake made from scratch is unlike any other cake. This lemon blueberry layer cake is like no other cake you have tasted. The lemon cake has a soft and fluffy texture with a fresh lemon flavor thanks to freshly zested lemons. Blueberry cream cheese bars sweet blueberries and smooth and tangy classic cream cheese frosting make this one of my favorite summer cake flavors.
The acidity in buttermilk not only breaks down the gluten structure, making baked goods more tender, but it also adds a delicious flavor. If you do not have buttermilk you can make your own buttermilk substitute using milk and white vinegar or substituting sour cream. Fresh blueberries are heavy so to prevent them from sinking I dust them with flour and add them halfway through baking. The zest of a lemon is where all the flavor is. If you want more lemon flavor you can add more zest. Lemon juice does not have a lot of lemon flavor. This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click on them, I might get a few pennies.
I suggest purchasing a kitchen scale if you don’t already have one to make the best cake recipes. I use a set of medium and small pyrex glass bowls I got from goodwill for this and it makes things SO much easier. Room temperature ingredients are a must. If you have never decorated a cake before, you can watch my free step-by-step tutorial on how to decorate your first cake.
Divide your buttermilk in half so it’s in two separate medium bowls or containers. In the first container, add your oil and set it aside. To the remaining measurement of buttermilk, add the eggs, lemon extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk lightly to break up the eggs. If you want your lemon cake to be more yellow, you can add a couple of drops of yellow food coloring to this mixture.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, add your cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt with the paddle attachment attached. Add in your softened butter in chunks while mixing on low speed. Continue to mix the butter and dry ingredients on medium until it looks like coarse sand. The batter will be light, white, and not curdled looking or broken. Make sure to scrape your bowl if needed. Don’t worry, you will not over-mix the batter. Wash your blueberries off and then dust them with a tablespoon of flour.