Truth be told, this Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake is more like a blueberry pound cake than a traditional sweet cake. And that is just fine with me. In fact, this homemade cake recipe is one of my personal favorites. I love the sour cream bundt cake filled with sweet blueberries and a fresh lemon flavor. Topped with zesty lemon icing, this lemon blueberry bundt cake just can't get any better!
If you don't have a bundt pan don't worry, you can still make this cake! Simply use a 9 by 13 inch pan and plan on it taking longer to cook. A bundt pan usually has a 12 cup capacity and a 9 by 13 inch pan has a 14 cup. It will work just fine!
Love this recipe? Try my Blueberry Lemon Poppyseed Muffins or my simple Blueberry Coffee Cake...you'll love those recipes, also!
This cake is my spin of a cake I had at a little coffee shop in Luck, WI. That cake was lemon poppyseed with blueberries and I LOVED it! I bought every slice they had left for the others in the coffee shop and then days later I called the shop and asked to buy a full cake. Sadly, they didn't have any available. So, I set out to create my own version of that cake. I didn't have poppyseeds available so this version is what came about. I'm happy to say...I think it's BETTER than the coffee shop version.
Oh gosh, look at all those sweet blueberries in that delicious sour cream bundt cake. It's so freaking gorgeous!
Can I make my lemon blueberry bundt cake with frozen blueberries?
Sure! I think fresh blueberries are the very best but when they aren't available or you happen to have frozen in your freezer. But DO REMEMBER to stir them in (frozen) at the very last minute. If they thaw even a bit they will discolor your batter.
Substitute yogurt instead of sour cream: 1 cup of yogurt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda equals 1 cup of sour cream.
If you can remember, I want you to leave the butter, eggs, and sour cream on your counter to come to room temperature for baking your lemon blueberry pound cake batter. <--- yes, this bundt cake is essentially a rich, buttery pound cake lightened up a wee bit to pass as a lemon blueberry bundt cake.
Room temp dairy will help you have the best cake!
Tip:
Gently mix a bit of flour with your blueberries to keep them from sinking to the bottom of your cake. Unless you are using frozen...those should go in without flour right at the very last minute.
This cake is going to have you mix your dry ingredient separately, whip your butter and sugar together, add the eggs one at at time to the butter, and then slowly add those dry ingredients in. AND THEN...gently fold in the sour cream, lemon, and vanilla.
Sneak a taste of the batter right about here to see if you have enough lemon flavor. If not, add a bit more zest to the batter until you get it to the lemon-y flavor you want.
Then ever so gently, fold those blueberries in. Gently!
That batter is gorgeous! Thick and creamy, perfect for keeping those blueberries suspended!
Fresh out of the oven, this lemon blueberry bundt cake is bursting with blueberries and a rich buttery cake!
Do I have to use a bundt pan for this lemon blueberry bundt cake?
No, a 9 by 13 pan will work fine. However, be sure not to overfill your pan. This recipe makes a bit more batter than usually goes into a 9 by 13 cake recipe. Leave about 1/2 inch of room at the top of your 9 by 13 pan (maybe a muffin or two?).
How do you keep a lemon blueberry bundt cake moist?
Truly, follow this recipe exactly and you should have a deliciously moist cake. Don't be tempted to change anything. Store it on the counter for a day or two rather than in the fridge. And, if you are really worried...throw in an extra egg yolk.
Is this where I admit to taking a forkful straight out of the pan? You don't see it anyways after it's flipped :). Shhh...
I like to put a sweet lemon icing on this cake to up the lemon flavor but, I would totally take this cake to a neighbor straight out of the oven. So if I show up at your door like this, don't be surprised. I just want you to taste this warm cake right away!
Isn't she pretty waiting for her icing! Golden cake filled with fresh blueberries and zesty lemon flavor. I adore my Nordic Ware Bundt pan (did you know Nordic Ware is from MN? and the shape it makes. Classic bundt cake gorgeousness!
I mean! I could decorate my whole house with these colors. So gorgeous.
I'm going to be honest here and show my freakiness a bit...I totally sat and just looked at this cake for a few minutes. Am I the only one that finds such art in food? Gosh, this cake is sure pretty!
This, friends, is my personal favorite cake. Lemon pound cake stuffed with blueberries and topped with a sweet lemon glaze. Guys, my heart can't handle this goodness!
Make this deliciousness this weekend. It's a quick cake to whip up and shove into the oven (but it takes about an hour to cook, be prepared!).
Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice about 2 large lemons
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest about 2 large lemons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 cup blueberries mix with 2 tablespoons flour. NOTE: you can use frozen but skip mixing frozen berries with flour
Icing
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cups lemon juice
- pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour a bundt pan.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high for about 3 minutes.
- Add your eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
- Continue beating adding a bit of the flour mixture to the egg mixture in intervals, a bit at a time.
- Add the lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and sour cream. Gently stir these into the batter with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Spread the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake for 60 minutes, check for doneness. If a knife in the center doesn't come back clean, put the cake back in for another 10-15 minutes. (note: if the top is brown but the center isn't cooked, cover the top with aluminum foil to keep from burning)
Icing
- Beat the powdered sugar, lemon juice, salt, and zest together.
- Slowly beat in the melted butter into the sugar and lemon combo. Beat until combined well.
- Let cool a bit until the desired consistency for pouring.
- Pour over your cake, let cool.
Video
Nutrition
Save this lemon blueberry bundt cake recipe to your Pinterest board...
Other homemade cake recipes to try...
Classic Pound Cake (with orange glaze)
the BEST Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ashley Williams says
This is hands down one of my favorite cakes I’ve ever made. The flavors and perfect. Thank you so much for sharing!
Also, I used my great aunts old Bundt pan for the 1st time. Ironically, it was a Nordic wave pan from years ago. Sweet find!
Nellie says
Yes to the Nordic pan...very sweet find! And I totally agree...one of my favorite cakes ever, too!
Anonymous says
This is a winner winner...
Angie says
I loved the cake! I made this because I was procrastinating my work and I honestly don’t regret it. The cake is delicious, but I didn’t use the icing recipe. There’s nothing wrong with it, I just prefer sweeter icing especially with a more sour cake. Great way to spend a couple of hours.
Allyson Tolar says
This recipe turned out absolutely perfect! The only change I made was to reduce blueberries to 2 cups. The buttery lemon combination really compliments the sweet blueberries. I made this for my Mom's birthday and she loved it! I plan to make it over and over again!!
Nellie says
I'm so glad you made it for your Mom's birthday....exactly why I post recipes! And I appreciate you coming back to comment. Thank you!
Constance Prince says
Very nice try before but made in a different container. Taste delicious too.
Kait says
New favorite in my house!! I served this at a family card night and everyone LOVED it. I left out the lemon zest (I don’t have a Zester and didn’t have the time/skill to do it the long way) and it still had a wonderful lemon taste! The glaze on top reminded me of a blueberry doughnut (one of my and my husbands favs). The leftovers were still good the next day but got a little soggy after that (I stored it in plastic Tupperware) but we still ate it...for breakfast ;) it was killer with coffee in the morning.
Nellie says
I am so glad to hear it! This one is a personal favorite and I am always glad when others enjoy it as much as I do. Thanks for coming back to comment!
Claudia says
My family loves this cake!
Thanks for sharing the recipe !
Nellie says
I'm so glad!
T. says
Hi,
I assume it’s 533 calories per serving, about how much is one serving? Thanks!
Amy West says
Yes that is for one serving. There are 12 servings in this recipe so it would be one slice.
T says
Thank you! I was just wondering since you can change the number of servings but the calorie amount didn’t change along with it. Thanks again!
DONNAMARIE Bailey says
OmGosh
The cake turned out beautiful. Also, no sticking to the bundt pan!!!
The batter is awesome to work with.
Looking forward to having a slice tonight for dessert.
Deb Hicks says
Wowza. Just made this and we’re eating it warm. It’s delicious.
Sherneice Williams says
First time trying this recipe and it was a huge success! The flavor and aroma are amazing. This is one for the books........DELICIOUS
Nellie says
Yay!! So glad to hear it. I totally agree..the smell of this cake is OMG.
Nancy says
I had trouble getting this cake out of the pan. Hope it tastes better than it looks.
Nellie says
Oh no! I haven't heard that problem before. I hope it turned out tasty despite everything!
Sherneice Williams says
Hey there...once you flip the pan cover it with a cool hand towel. I just wet a face cloth with cold water and covered my pan. I let it set for a few minutes and the cake came right out, no cracks or breaks. Hope this helps.
Nellie says
Great tip...thanks!
Jamie says
I really loved this recipe. Very good and well balanced cake. Thank you for sharing.
Elise says
Can I use a pound cake instead of a bundt cake one??
Nellie says
I think that would work. I haven't tried that so let me know what happens!
Sue says
This recipe is worth baking!
I had left over blueberries (getting ripe) and some sour cream.
Searched for something I could use them in and luckily found this!
It was absolutely delicious!
Thank you!
Tracey says
Awesome recipe !!
Kelly says
What type of flour should be used, All purpose or self rising? I have both but don’t know which would be better.
Nellie says
I make this with all-purpose and recommend trying that.
erica says
Question: can you substitute buttermilk for the sour cream in this recipe?
Nellie says
I think that would work out just fine.
Robyn says
Oh my gosh this really is the best. My guy asks me to make him you cake time and time again. I make it exactly as per your recipe and it always turns out perfect. I am going to try to make a gluten free version too for me too.
Absolutely delicious... thank you.
Nellie says
Thank you so much for coming back and commenting, I appreciate it!! This is a personal fave recipe of mine and I'm always so glad how much other people love it too. Let me know how the GF version works...I'm GF too and would love to be able to have this cake more often! Actually, I'm going to try making it GF too ;)
Juliette says
For my GF friends I bake with Bobs red mill 1 to 1 flour. It’s the best!
Anonymous says
Absolutely fabulous! I will make this again and again! Everyone loves it!
Nellie says
I'm so glad!! It's a fave of mine, too!
MarleneBorquez says
Absolutely the most fabulous lemon blueberry Bundt cake I’ve ever had!
Nellie says
Aww, thanks!! I agree ;)
Kelsey P. says
I made this cake a few months ago and loved it! It was a huge hit at the school potluck I went to. Do you think it would work with cranberries instead of blues for a more seasonal version??
Nellie says
I'm not sure. I'm wondering if the texture would be a bit different BUT...give it a try! Let me know how it goes.
Maricar says
Thank you for the recepie. I had fun and my bundt cake was a success.👍☺🎅🎄🎁
Nellie says
Yay!! So glad to hear that!
Mary says
Just made it for our 23rd wedding anniversary, and it was scrumptious! Thank you! 🥰
Nellie says
Happy anniversary!! I'm so glad that you had a yummy treat...have a wonderful year!
Camilla Coy says
Oh my goodness! I'm always experimenting with dessert recipes. And, always have high hopes that for all the heart, hard work, and money I put into these recipes, they will come out perfectly. This one does not disappoint.
I almost used cake flour but decided to see how the recipe works first, as is. The only thing I did change was the amount of sugar: using 1 1/2 C instead of the 2 it called for. This cake is GORGEOUS and DELICIOUS! The crumb was delicate and moist throughout.
Nellie says
I am so glad you didn't use cake flour!! It is absolutely my favorite cake recipe. So good. I'm glad you tried it!
Anonymous says
This is THE BEST cake I've ever eaten, it's so fluffy and well balanced, definitely give it a try!!!
Marie says
I am a little confused about the amount of lemon juice in this recipe. It says 2 tablespoons or two large lemons. So, which one do you use two large lemons or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. You can get 2 tablespoons of lemon juice from one medium lemon. This recipe looks really great, so can’t you give me a little guidance on the lemon juice?
Nellie says
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice is what to shoot for. I find lemon juice can sometimes be more concentrated in flavor and that's why you see the difference. Enjoy!
Trisha says
Question! Could I use frozen blueberries? If not, do you suggest defrosting them and then drying them or just using fresh dry never frozen berries? Thank you!
Nellie says
You CAN. I would suggest you defrost them, rinse them really well, and dry them. Then roll them in a bit of flour (just like you would with fresh blueberries).
Anonymous says
Thank you!
Hazel Peel says
Delicious!! Everyone loved this cake. I made two, one in my basic, standard Bundt pan and one in my gorgeous new, flower shaped Bundt pan! So pretty! (Wish I could post a picture of it.)
Nellie says
I'm so glad for you and how fun to have that great Bundt pan!
Anonymous says
Made this yesterday for the first time. The berries I'd picked were sweeter than the ones at our local farm stand, so I cut the sugar down to 1 3/4 C. Did not miss it at all.
Let the glaze thicken per instructions, but cake was pretty hot still when I put it on the cake. All that lemony goodness just melted right into the cake.
Came out of oven at 11:30AM yesterday. 3 adult household consumed all but one piece by 2PM today. Fantastic recipe.
Nellie says
Hooray!!! I'm wondering what you think of that icing recipe? We love that it soaks in but I'm thinking of changing it up with a traditional icing recipe that does the glaze business on top rather then being so thin. thoughts?
Alicia sanders says
Delicious!
Tegan Wilkin says
Absolutely delightful! Also made it in my nordicware.
Nellie says
So glad to hear it! I love that bakeware. Bonus...it's from MN ;).
Cynthia says
Made this for our church class. I added a blueberry sauce on top then covered with the lemon icing. Ohhhh my goodness.. this cake is awesome.
Nellie says
Thanks for coming back and commenting! Love the addition of the blueberry sauce, sounds amazing!
Caria says
Used loaf pans instead of the bundt. The cake was moist and light. I still struggle with getting the blueberries from sinking to the bottom even when I flour them.
Nellie says
I love using loaf pans, too! Make sure the blueberries are good and dry before flouring them. Wild blueberries, which are smaller, might be a better bet!
Louise Cole says
Sometimes when you read the reviews you think.."It can't be that good". I made this and "Oh Baby, yes it is. I made this cake a few months ago and I still get requests from friends for this one.
Nellie says
This made me laugh! I have the same exact thought when I see reviews. But, I'm so glad you gave this recipe a try. It really IS that good ;).
Sara says
Delicious! Even my son who doesn’t eat blueberries loved it! And what is best is how simple it is to make!
Reb says
I don't know why mine took so long but I had to bake it for over 2 hours! I think it is finally done, taking it to easter dinner tomorrow so hopefully it turned out.
Nellie says
Wow!! That is a really long time. Did it turn out?
Anne says
Can you make the cake the day before you are going to serve it? If so, how do you store it.
Nellie says
Absolutely! I would simply store it in an air-tight container in a dry location. Add the icing right before you are serving and it should be tasty!
Anonymous says
Can frozen berries be used instead of fresh?
Nellie says
Absolutely!
Michele says
Can I substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream?
Nellie says
Yep, should work great!
Linda Jones says
Made this recipe during the cake challenge last year, and it was absolutely awesome...maybe my favorite cake ever. Making it again today and hopefully this one will turn out equally as well, though I did accidentally add the sugar to the flour mixture so creaming the butter and mixing in the eggs didn't quite go as it normally would. But, fingers crossed, it won't effect to the outcome. The batter looked and tasted wonderful (the raw batter police weren't looking, so I figured I could get away with sneaking just a little taste, lol!), so my hopes are high!
Nellie says
This recipe is forgiving, you shouldn't have any problems. And I ADORE this cake. Totally a fave.
Karen Lawrence says
Is the lemon juice amount correct. 2 large lemons would make more than 3 T. Juice i think
Nellie says
They could, for sure. It really depends on the size. A large lemon can be up to 2 tablespoons, especially if you squeeze the crap out of them :). That's why we list both the number of lemons and the amount. It's so hard to know what size lemons and how much pressure they use when squeezing. But yes, the lemon juice amount is correct. Although, in the icing, I know many are using less lemon juice to keep it thicker in consistency. But the cake, the lemon juice is correct. And it is divine!
Jaclyn Anne says
Yum! I love the lemon and blueberry combo!
Lynne | 365 Days of Baking & More says
Ooh, I could definitely go for a big slice of this delicious cake right now! I love blueberry and lemon together!
Nellie says
Thank you!! Right!?! Me too, the best flavor combo!
Julie Wauchope says
Hello there,
Could you please tell me size of your bundt pan. I have a large and a smallish one, so I’m not too sure which one to use.
Thank you so much.
Nellie says
Ooooh good question!! I have a 10-15 cup NordicWare (that's literally what it says on the bottom ;)
Dana says
This looks like it’s delicious and I plan on making this for Easter.
Nellie says
That would be sooo yummy!
Heather says
This is the 3 time I ha e made this cake. It is AMAZING and turn out perfectly every single time. I follow your directions to the letter and the only thing I changed is I only use 1 cup of sugar in the cake batter instead of 2. It seems to make no difference to the texture or lightness. Thank you for sharing.
Nellie says
I'll have to give the sugar change a try. I'm so glad you love it, too. It's truly one of my absolute favorites. I could eat this stuff all day !
Liz says
What’s the best way to store this cake? And for how long will it keep? Thanks!
Nellie says
I would wrap it lightly in saran wrap and it should keep for a couple of days in a cool dry place. But, let's face it...I usually leave it on my counter :). But then, that runs into the problem of it being picked at.
Stephanie says
Do you leave he cake in the pan to cool or flip it out right away?
Nellie says
Great question!! Cool it for about 5-10 minutes and then turn it out.
Carol says
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I will make this for a special Sunday treat!
Nellie says
Hooray! Glad to hear it. I hope it turns out wonderful!
Randy says
I have tried several bundt cake recipes and at best they were just ok. Today I made your recipe....WoW, light perfect crumb, not too sweet and the icing was perfectly lemony. I used your suggestion of dusting the blueberries with flour and it worked to stop them from sinking in the batter. This is going to be my go to cake! Thank you for giving us a recipe that actually comes out as stated. I am looking forward to trying your other recipes.
Nellie says
SO glad to hear it. It is absolutely one of my faves, for sure! Glad to hear your family is enjoying it!
Jyothi says
I'm gonna bake this cake this weekend. I love blueberry lemon combination and cake looks soooo delicious!!
Nellie says
Please do!! It is utterly delicious and I know you will love it!
Jacqui says
I need to try this. I've been looking for a cake where the blueberries don't sink so maybe this is the one.
Nellie says
You'll love this! And quick tip, stir the blueberries with a bit of flour before putting into your batter (any batter, not just this cake) to keep them from sinking.
jean says
hi Nellie ,what a cutie pie puppy. how about the name BENJAMIN ( BENNY ).
Nellie says
Super cute!! I think we have settled into Fitzgerald. Fitz when he is cute ;).
Nonnie says
When making your lemon blueberry cake can i use frozen blueberries if so do I thaw them and dust them with flour or do i leave them frozen and dust them with flour
Nellie says
I would rinse them a couple of times with cold water to keep them from tinting your batter. And then dust them with a bit of flour and continue. Good luck!
Tracie says
I have a nine cup bins that cake pan. Will this recipe fit? What size did you use?
Nellie says
I'm not quite sure what the pan is you have I think spell check beat you ;). I used a 10 cup bundt pan, if that helps.
Tracie says
Thank you for your answer. Spellcheck did get ahead of me! My cake just came out and it smells wonderfully and tastes terrific!
Nellie says
So glad to hear that!!
cyndie says
This looks like it's delicious and I plan on making this for Easter. I think that I need a total of 5 lemons for both the cake and the icing. Is that correct?
Nellie says
That is more than enough! I think I ended up using 4. But having an extra is always a good idea!
Phyllis says
What is powered sugar? Is it icing sugar?
Please advise. Thanks
Nellie says
It is! Confectioner's sugar, icing sugar, and powdered sugar are all the same. Good question!