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Home » Cakes » Lemon Blueberry Cake

Lemon Blueberry Cake

By Olivia, 196 Comments

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A double dose of blueberries and lemon this amazing Lemon Blueberry cake! A moist and delicious lemon cake with fresh blueberries and a blueberry buttercream.

Lemon blueberry cake on a white cake stand decorated with lemon wedges and blueberries.

Blueberries are my favourite berries. Their flavour is delicious, they don’t have any pesky seeds to deal with, and the color is just SO pretty.

This Lemon Blueberry Cake is another one that’s been a long time in the making — I just never got around to it. But I wanted something pretty, light, and delicious for spring, so I thought it would be perfect.

Close up profile shot of the cake showing the blueberry buttercream.

How to Make this Lemon Blueberry Cake

For the cake layers I used my favourite lemon cake and simply added blueberries to it. Or not so simply.

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In true Olivia fashion, my first go at this cake was a fail of epic proportions. Not only did every single one of my blueberries sink to the bottom (even though they were coated in flour), the cakes totally collapsed on me because I took them out of the oven too early. AGAIN.

I used to be so good at multi-tasking. I don’t know if it’s just that I’m getting older or that I haven’t been utilizing my project management skills so they’re going stale. I literally can’t do more than one thing at a time. I try, but I totally fail every time.

Cake on a white cake stand with a blue cloth underneath and a bowl of blueberries on the side.

This time I decided that prepping and making dinner while the cakes were baking was a good idea. Needless to say, the timer was going off on the oven as I was frying stuff on the stove, among other things.

Usually, when I check my cakes I do a few tests to make sure they’re ready:

  1. First I nudge the pans a bit to make sure the cakes are set.
  2. Then I gently poke the top to see if the cake springs back.
  3. Finally, I insert a toothpick into the center to make sure it comes out mostly clean.

This time I literally only did step #1. I don’t know what I was thinking. Clearly I wasn’t.

I am easily frazzled in the kitchen — with baking, but even more so with cooking. I am just not a good cook and I don’t enjoy it, so I think the extra panic of worrying about burning dinner led me to just yank the cakes out of the oven when they looked done.

Honestly, though, I do wonder if it was a form of self-sabotage. I knew the blueberries had sunk to the bottom already. I could tell when the cakes were still in the oven. That probably added to my frazzled-ness too.

Shot of the top of the cake with blueberries inside buttercream dollops and lemon wedges separating the dollops.

Round two at the cakes was much better. I switched up the recipe a tad (just a bit less liquid) and baked them in three 8″ pans rather than the three 6″ pans I had originally.

This would mean thinner layers, but the 6″ ones were way too tall anyhow.

Blueberry Buttercream

This blueberry buttercream is a new favorite and I LOVE how the color turned out. Lemon Blueberry Cake is often paired with a cream cheese frosting, but I wanted something a little different.

I used freeze-dried blueberries to color and flavour the buttercream. This is the BEST way to get berry flavour into your buttercreams without having to worry about affecting the texture.

I pulverized them into a fine powder using a coffee grinder, but if you can buy the freeze-dried berry powder instead, that would be easier.

I’ve used freeze-dried berries before in this Strawberry Cake and the result was amazing — both in flavour and color!

Angled shot of the cake with blueberries and lemon wedges on the sides.

This Lemon Blueberry Cake is the perfect dessert for spring and summer.

Whether you’re looking for something for Easter, or Mother’s Day, or just a random weekday, you can’t go wrong with this delicious flavour combo!

Slice of lemon blueberry cake on a plate with blueberry buttercream

Looking for more Spring Desserts?

  • Mini Meyer Lemon Loaves
  • Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Watercolor Cake Roll
  • Vanilla Custard Cookie Cups
  • Lemon Souffle Magic Cakes

How to Make this Cake in Advance

  • The cooled cake layers can be baked ahead of time, double wrapped in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
  • The frosting can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 1 week for frozen for 3 months. Bring to room temp and rewhip before using.

Tips for this Lemon Blueberry Cake Recipe:

  • The recipe as-is will also work in three 6″ pans, or two 8″ pans but the layers will be thicker and will need more baking time.
  • To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so.
  • The batter will be very thick, so be very gentle when you fold in the blueberries so that they don’t break.
  • You can use frozen (not thawed) blueberries instead of fresh ones. Be sure to still coat them in flour.
  • The lemon syrup is optional, but adds an additional delicious hit of lemon flavour, so I recommend adding it!
  • If you like, you can use lemon curd as a filling instead of the frosting. Check out my How to Make Lemon Curd post for details.
  • You can leave the blueberries out of the cake batter if you just want a plain lemon cake.
  • Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
  • Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
  • To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.
 

A piece of cake on a plate
Print Pin Rate
4.96 from 22 votes

Lemon Blueberry Cake

Lemon Blueberry Cake! A moist and delicious lemon cake with fresh blueberries and a blueberry buttercream. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine Cake
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 792kcal
Author Olivia

Ingredients

Lemon Blueberry Cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest from one large lemon
  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup milk room temperature
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice fresh squeezed, from one large lemon
  • 1 cup blueberries heaping, coated in 1 Tbsp flour

Lemon Syrup:

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Blueberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

  • 6 large egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup freeze-dried blueberry powder one package (1.2oz) ground up

Assembly:

  • blueberries
  • lemon sliced
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Lemon Blueberry Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 8" cake rounds and line with parchment.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
  • Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and lemon zest until smooth. Add sugar and beat on med-high until pale and l (approx 3mins).
  • Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
  • Alternate adding flour mixture with milk & lemon juice, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk & lemon juice). Fully incorporating after each addition.
  • Toss blueberries in 1 Tbsp of flour. Gently fold blueberries into cake batter.*
  • Spread batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Sprinkle with a few additional blueberries if desired.
  • Bake for approx. 30mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
  • Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack.

Lemon Syrup:

  • Place lemon juice and sugar into a small pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1min. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Blueberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

  • Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.**
  • Place bowl over a double boiler on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins). Or registers 160F on a candy thermometer.
  • Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
  • Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.***
  • Add vanilla and blueberry powder. Whip until smooth.

Assembly:

  • Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Poke holes into the cake using a bamboo skewer. Brush with lemon syrup.
  • Top with approximately 1 cup of buttercream. Repeat with remaining layers and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 20mins.
  • Frost the top and sides of the cake with remaining frosting. Do dollops on the top of the cake using an Ateco 867 piping tip.
  • Top with fresh blueberries, lemon slices, and chopped freeze-dried blueberries if desired.

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  • Close up of the cake on a glass cake stand.
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    Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Notes

* Batter will be very thick. Be gentle when you fold the berries in so that they don't break.
** Ensure there is NO trace of egg yolks in your whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk is completely grease free or your meringue won't stiffen.
*** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.
Calories: 792kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 7gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 179mgSodium: 155mgPotassium: 204mgFiber: 1gSugar: 56gVitamin A: 1625IUVitamin C: 6.1mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 1.5mg
The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

Lemon Blueberry Cake photo collage

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May 28, 2020

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Saskia Hughes says

    February 6, 2021 at 8:07 PM

    5 stars
    So delicious, the cake is almost like tea cake! It is very light and perfect for birthdays! If you can’t find blueberry powder anywhere a good substitute is blue berry jelly crystals. It gives the icing a blueberry like flavour, however keep in mind it makes the icing go green instead of purple

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 8, 2021 at 11:21 AM

      Hi Saskia! I’m so happy you loved it. Good call on the blueberry jello! I’ve never thought of that. Thanks for the tip!

      Reply
  2. Beverly says

    January 23, 2021 at 3:53 PM

    5 stars
    I just served my hubby this cake, as he loves blueberries and lemons so figured this would be a hit. It was. He just finished his first slice, said there may not be any cake left by tomorrow and “man, this is GOOD cake!”. Thanks! (I used the Ermine frosting instead and wow! it’s awesome!)

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 25, 2021 at 10:09 AM

      Hi Beverly! Yay! I’m so happy to hear you both loved it 🙂

      Reply
  3. Diya says

    January 10, 2021 at 8:07 AM

    5 stars
    Hi Olivia, I was wondering if I could use 9in pans for this instead of 8in?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 11, 2021 at 10:10 AM

      Hi Diya! You could but I would only use two of them. The cakes are already quite thin (1″ tall) in three 8″ pans.

      Reply
  4. Amin says

    January 8, 2021 at 10:04 AM

    Hello Olivia.
    I made this two times and neither turned out spongy. At first try I made it by 16 servings and two 11 inch pans but they were so thin and one of them never had a brown color after 1 hour and 20 minutes at the oven at 175 c degrees but stick came out clean. The other one was a little brown at the bottom but not spongy. They tasted good though. So for the second try I tried 18 servings in one 11 inches pan. I added a little more baking powder so it would turn out spongy and this time I used buttermilk instead of milk. I measured all the ingredients with extra care. The batter was thick as you mentioned and After 1 hour and half being in oven the bottom was a little bit brown and stick came out clean. Unfortunately this time it wasn’t spongy too. It is real heavy and at the middle it looks somehow under-cooked. I followed instructions exactly as you said to do especially this :
    Alternate adding flour mixture with milk & lemon juice, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk & lemon juice). Fully incorporating after each addition.
    But no luck. So I was wondering where I did something wrong. Any suggestion would be appreciated. BTW I love your chocolate mocha cake. It turned the best cocoa cake I’ve ever made.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 8, 2021 at 2:07 PM

      Hi Amin! So happy you loved the mocha cake! And sorry to hear you’ve had trouble with this one — converting pan sizes is tricky! Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
      http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
      https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts

      I would probably double the recipe (Servings 24) for two 11″ pans. I would not use buttermilk in place of milk as there is already lemon juice in the cake batter and adding more acid could affect the way the cake rises. I would also double-check and make sure your baking powder is fresh and still active.

      Reply
      • Amin says

        January 9, 2021 at 12:35 AM

        Thanks for the reply Olivia. I didn’t use buttermilk the first time but as you said there is one thing I should have checked but I didn’t think it’s going to be important and that’s baking powder. It’s definitely old and maybe it’s not even active anymore but I’m curious why other cakes were better than normal. Maybe because all of them had baking soda as one of the ingredients. What do you think?
        Thanks a lot.

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          January 11, 2021 at 10:04 AM

          Hi Amin! Yes, I think so. Because the baking soda is a raising agent too it did give the cake some rise as well even if the baking powder wasn’t working. Definitely try a new baking powder and see! That being said, I do prefer my cakes more on the dense side (vs light & fluffy) and these particular cake layers (in three 8″ pans) are fairly thin — about 1″ tall each or so.

          Reply
      • Amin says

        January 9, 2021 at 12:51 AM

        I also tested baking powder with hot water and it still works but I’m almost certain that it’s been gotten weak since it’s 6 years old. I’ll test a new one to see what happens. Have a splendid weekend.

        Reply
  5. Ahista says

    December 25, 2020 at 5:54 AM

    I baked this cake for Christmas and one word: AMAZING! The best cake ever! I read all the tips and omitted the blueberries in the cake batter because that’s how I prefer it. I brushed the cake layers with the sweet and tangy lemon syrup and oh my world was it good!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      December 26, 2020 at 9:44 AM

      Hi Ahista! So happy you loved it 🙂

      Reply
  6. Rich says

    November 1, 2020 at 6:01 PM

    This cake looked so good I made it today. It was a hit! Mine even looked like the photo you posted! Happy to have found your page.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      November 2, 2020 at 3:47 PM

      Hi Rich! I am so happy to hear that! Glad you loved it and I can’t wait to hear what you try next 🙂

      Reply
  7. Juliette Klein says

    October 28, 2020 at 2:30 AM

    I would be grateful if you could translate cups into grams please. I intend making your cake for my daughter’s birthday but have no idea what 1 cup means!

    Many thanks.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      October 28, 2020 at 9:31 AM

      Hi Juliette! There is a metric converter below the list of ingredients.

      Reply
  8. Christina says

    September 21, 2020 at 2:10 AM

    Hi Olivia,

    Thank you so much for sharing your lemon blueberry cake. I’ve already made it once and i loved it!! I’m planning to bake this again for my niece’s birthday this Saturday but i was planning on coating it with fondant so i want to know if this Lemon Blueberry cake can be left overnight at room temperature considering there are fresh blueberries in the cake batter.

    Also, if i slightly decrease the lemon zest or lemon juice for the cake mixture, will that affect the consistency and bake time or rise of the cake…..i mean don’t get me wrong i love the lemony taste of the cake i was just kinda hoping to balance it a little more with the blueberry flavored buttercream and since i didn’t have blueberry powder to use for the buttercream the last time, i just used blueberry jam and like you mentioned in a couple of your replies to inquiries, it was fine but i guess it also is the reason why the blueberry flavor in the buttercream was pretty weak. I will just be using blueberry jam again for the buttercream coz Trader Joe is pretty far from where i live that’s why i was wondering how can i make the cake a little less lemon-y to balance it out with my kinda weak blueberry buttercream yet i don’t want to skip out brushing the cake layers with lemon syrup 😀

    Thanks in advance.

    Christina

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 21, 2020 at 10:37 AM

      Hi Christina! The cake will be fine at room temperature for a couple days. If you plan to cover it with fondant, I would chill it well first so that the frosting is firm. It will be soft and silky at room temp. You can reduce (or remove) the zest no problem. If you want to reduce the lemon juice, just replace any you take out with some milk so that there is still enough liquid in the batter. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂

      Reply
      • Christina says

        September 21, 2020 at 7:57 PM

        Thank you so much for your quick reply I will let you know how it turns out 😀

        Reply
  9. Kat says

    September 17, 2020 at 4:28 AM

    Will your cream cheese frosting work with this, taste wise?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 17, 2020 at 4:05 PM

      Hi Kat! Yes, I think it would be delicious!

      Reply
  10. Ronak Mehta says

    September 3, 2020 at 12:57 AM

    Thank you for sharing this delightfully easy, mouthwateringly delicious recipe. Have baked this cake several times since I first tried it a few weeks back and it’s been a huge success each time!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 3, 2020 at 5:52 PM

      Hi Ronak! I’m so happy you like it 🙂

      Reply
  11. Wendy says

    September 1, 2020 at 8:35 PM

    Hi Liv,
    I live in Vancouver – do you know where to get freeze dried blueberry powder? I don’t believe gourmet warehouse has that although they do have other flavours. Or what else would you recommend if I cannot find it?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Wendy says

      September 1, 2020 at 10:28 PM

      One other thing, if I cannot find the blueberry powder – can it be left out and if so, do I need to add something else in place of it?

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        September 2, 2020 at 4:46 PM

        It can be left out since it’s just in the buttercream. You could use blueberry jam, but it wouldn’t have as big a flavour impact.

        Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 2, 2020 at 4:41 PM

      Hi Wendy! You can get whole FD blueberries at Whole Foods or Pomme and likely other health food stores. If you have a coffee grinder you could grind them into a powder (a food processor will work too, but may require sifting).

      Reply
  12. Bob Adams says

    August 22, 2020 at 1:02 PM

    5 stars
    Really lemon but without killing the blueberry taste. Great icing.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      August 24, 2020 at 10:43 AM

      Thanks so much Bob! I’m glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  13. Nancy says

    August 9, 2020 at 6:38 PM

    Hi Liv!

    I made your earl grey cake again with the addition of the sour cream and it worked perfectly! Cake was super moist and paired it with your ermine buttercream.

    This is my next recipe to tackle :). I was hoping to use this recipe for a letter cake using a 9 x 13 letter pan. Do you think this would be enough for me to cut the cake in half or should I make the recipe twice? I wasn’t sure if the cake would hold if I were to cut it in half.

    Thank you in advance!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      August 11, 2020 at 9:41 AM

      Hi Nancy! Sorry for the delayed reply. I just responded to your email but will paste it here too in case anyone else has a similar question:
      Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: https://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html

      I would 1.5x the recipe for a 9×13 pan – Change the Servings to 18 to get the amounts. Changing them to 16 would work too and give easier numbers to work with.

      Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  14. Lo says

    July 29, 2020 at 6:46 PM

    Hi Liv! I was wondering if putting berries covered in flour into the batter of your vanilla cake recipe would work as well? Love the idea of fresh fruit in the layers, and I love your vanilla cake recipe!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 30, 2020 at 9:38 AM

      Hi Lo! You can give it a try but they might end up sinking. I used that vanilla cake as a base to modify and make this one and made the batter here a bit thicker to help support the berries. If you’re looking for a non-lemon berry cake you can skip the lemon zest and juice in this one and just use a total of 3/4 cups milk.

      Reply
  15. Rachel says

    July 27, 2020 at 5:08 PM

    Hi! I wonder if I could sub the frosting from your strawberry cake – the strawberry marscapone frosting – but I could use blueberry powder instead of strawberry? I just don’t want to attempt the swiss meringue frosting for this cake since I am making it for someone else, and I’ve never made frosting like that before.

    Also, you mention that your blueberries sunk to the bottom on your first try – how could you tell without cutting into it and how do you prevent that?

    Thank you so much for sharing these awesome recipes and stories!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 28, 2020 at 4:26 PM

      Hi Rachel! Yes, that would be totally fine! And I could just see that there were no blueberries peeking through the top and when I turned the cake layers out they were all gathered on the bottom. To help prevent that I tweaked the recipe to make the batter thicker, but you should also coat your blueberries in flour and fold them in at the end.

      Reply
  16. Rebecca Ashfield says

    July 12, 2020 at 2:14 AM

    Hi there, I was wondering why you used granulated sugar instead of caster sugar and can you use the caster sugar instead or will it alter the cake ?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 12, 2020 at 7:43 AM

      Hi Rebecca! Granulated sugar is more readily available here and it’s what’s used most in baking. Caster sugar is a bit finer but will totally work!

      Reply
  17. Amina says

    July 11, 2020 at 2:10 PM

    Hi Olivia. I am planning on making this cake tomorrow, and will this work in six inch cake pans? How many layers would this cake make of made in six inch cake pans? And will it change the texture- density?? If possible, may I please have you email address? I am a young baker (teens) and I would love to stay in contact with you about baking queries and any other things! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 11, 2020 at 3:54 PM

      Hi Amina! The recipe, as is, will work in three 6″ pans, but the layers will be thicker so you’ll need to increase the baking time. You can get my email at the very bottom of the page (the little envelope icon) 🙂

      Reply
      • Amina says

        July 12, 2020 at 1:52 PM

        Hi Olivia! I made your cake today and it was amazing!! It was very light and fluffy and I used whipped cream instead of buttercream! I love all of your work and thank you for keeping me busy during the events in the world at the minute! 🌍 I have sent you an email as well, but I don’t think you have seen it yet.

        ❤️❤️❤️

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          July 13, 2020 at 10:12 AM

          Hi Amina! Thanks for the feedback, I’m so happy you loved it 🙂

          Reply
  18. DeeDee Bryans says

    July 4, 2020 at 6:28 AM

    5 stars
    I just wanted to tell you how very much I enjoy your posts! I love that you share your trials and tribulations in the process of creating your fabulous recipes! Thank you, thank you! ❤️

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 6, 2020 at 9:16 AM

      Thanks so much DeeDee! I’m glad to hear that posting my fails is helpful. I want people to know that it’s not an easy process and it’s ok if things go wrong sometimes! 🙂

      Reply
  19. Allison says

    June 23, 2020 at 7:53 AM

    Hi Liv! My significant other isn’t a fan of blueberries. Do you think it would be possible to substitute raspberries for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 23, 2020 at 2:57 PM

      Hi Allison! For sure, I think that would be delicious!

      Reply
  20. Kim says

    June 20, 2020 at 2:15 PM

    I just found your blog a couple weeks ago and have already made quite a few things already! I love everything I have made. Just made this cake and it is delicious!! I’m excited to make more of your recipes!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 20, 2020 at 8:22 PM

      Hi Kim! Thanks so much, I’m so happy you love my recipes! I can’t wait to hear what you make next 🙂

      Reply
  21. Olga says

    June 16, 2020 at 1:57 PM

    Hello,
    What do you think about white chocolate ganache as a dip of the top of it? Has anyone tried that? Thank you

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 16, 2020 at 4:23 PM

      Hi Olga! I think it would look beautiful. I would do a 3:1 ratio of white chocolate:cream.

      Reply
  22. Stephany says

    June 9, 2020 at 9:22 AM

    Hi Liv!
    If i wanted to bake this in 3 6inch cake pans, how would I adjust the baking time?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 9, 2020 at 10:59 AM

      Hi Stephany! Baking time would be longer as the layers would be thicker. I’d say check them at 40mins or so but ovens vary. Also, be sure to not fill your pans more than 2/3 full or so. If you have 3″ tall pans it should work fine.

      Reply
  23. Ryan B says

    May 29, 2020 at 7:57 PM

    5 stars
    This cake was amazing!! I made a strawberry smash cake for my daughters 1st birthday and this lemon blueberry one for the adults and if put her smash cake to shame! I felt bad lol
    The cake is light and airy and succulent at the same time. I did a little more lemon zest because I love lemons and I just did a plain cream cheese icing so I needed the cake to bring the most flavor.
    I turned an attendee who was non cake eater into a cake lover with this cake!
    If you are considering making this, do yourself a favor and whip it up!! The recipe is perfect!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 30, 2020 at 2:58 PM

      Hi Ryan! Thanks so much for the amazing feedback! I’m so happy everyone loved it 🙂

      Reply
  24. Susan says

    May 29, 2020 at 10:57 AM

    My cake-loving girlfriend sent me the link for this beautiful cake. I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe for her belated birthday celebration (whenever we can get together).
    I’m wondering if I could make it in two 9” pans and just bake it a little longer. I have only two 8” and two 9” cake pans.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 29, 2020 at 11:21 AM

      Hi Susan! You can bake it in either two 8″ or two 9″. Baking time for two 8″ will be longer for sure as the cakes will be thicker. I’m not too sure on the baking time for the 9″. It might be similar as the layers will not be as thick. I recommend just watching them. If they start to get golden and spring back when touched, test them with a skewer and take them out where there’s a few crumbs on it.

      Reply
      • Susan says

        June 12, 2020 at 1:04 AM

        Thank you for the response to my question. I went ahead and purchased another of each size cake pan since there were other recipes that I want to try that require three pans, also. Now I’m ready to get baking!

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          June 12, 2020 at 1:46 PM

          Yay! Glad to hear that 🙂

          Reply
  25. Jenn says

    May 15, 2020 at 7:54 PM

    I’m excited to try to make this cake, but I only have two 9-inch pans. So my questions are: 1. Is the batter ok to sit while the first two cakes bake and cool, before I can bake the third? And 2. Should I increase the recipe because there pans are bigger? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 16, 2020 at 3:40 PM

      Hi Jenn! You would need to double the recipe for three 9″ pans. Ideally you’d bake them all at once, it’s not good to let the batter sit out. Alternatively you can 1.5x the recipe and bake in two 9″ pans.

      Reply
  26. Anaiz avalos says

    May 9, 2020 at 8:31 PM

    4 stars
    I’m wondering what could have caused my cake not to rise? My ingredients were all room temp, and I checked my baking powder and it’s not expired. I don’t think I over mixed? There was still flour spots and I folded that in along with the blueberries. But it’s smell Devine!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 11, 2020 at 10:28 AM

      Hi Anaiz! The cake doesn’t rise a ton, especially in three 8″ layers, but should rise some. If it didn’t rise at all then I’m not sure!

      Reply
  27. Anabel says

    May 8, 2020 at 6:06 PM

    5 stars
    I made this cake for mothers day this year and it was a hit. I did a gluten free dairy free alternative (the buttercream turned out like normal!!). I did find my cakes were a bit dense but thats on me, probably also the gluten free flour. Anyways thank you for this recipe 10/10 recommend.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 11, 2020 at 10:13 AM

      Hi Anabel! So happy you loved this one. The cakes are more on the dense side vs light and fluffy, but that’s how I prefer them.

      Reply
  28. Martha T says

    May 8, 2020 at 11:34 AM

    Do you think this lemon cake would pair well with strawberries also? I’m contemplating a lemon/strawberry cake combo.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 8, 2020 at 11:42 AM

      Hi Martha! Definitely. I think it would be delicious!

      Reply
  29. Soline says

    May 6, 2020 at 5:06 AM

    Hi,
    Can we replace the blueberry powder? Thanks

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 6, 2020 at 10:09 AM

      Hi Soline! What would you like to replace it with?

      Reply
      • Soline says

        May 6, 2020 at 2:51 PM

        Hello, I can’t find blueberry powder at the groceries, what would an alternative. Thank you

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          May 6, 2020 at 4:02 PM

          You could try using blueberry jam. It won’t have the same flavor impact or color, but it’s a good substitution 🙂

          Reply
          • Soline says

            May 6, 2020 at 4:37 PM

            Perfect thank you

  30. Anthea says

    May 1, 2020 at 7:41 AM

    Have you ever done Swiss meringue with cream cheese? I made your turtle cake last week and it was awesome but the frosting seemed so buttery. I was hoping use cream cheese for this to substitute some of the butter since the flavor would go week with the lemon and blueberry.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 1, 2020 at 9:45 AM

      Hi Anthea! I haven’t and I’ve heard mixed result about it — that the CC won’t incorporate into the meringue. The frosting shouldn’t be overly buttery though, be sure to give it a really good whip once all that butter is added. It should be light and fluffy. See this post for more details.

      Reply
  31. Anabel says

    April 29, 2020 at 11:12 PM

    Hello. I am making this cake dairy and gluten free, do you have any suggestions so the end result does not change too much?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 30, 2020 at 9:26 AM

      Hi Anabel! I’m not an expert on alternative baking but I would use a proper GF AP flour blend (I think Cup for Cup has a good one), but I’m not sure about the butter. A butter substitute will work ok for the cake, but not for the buttercream. It might be best to make an American buttercream instead.

      Reply
  32. Jane says

    January 19, 2020 at 2:03 AM

    Would I be able to substitute the blueberries for raspberries?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 20, 2020 at 9:14 AM

      Hi Jane! That should be fine 🙂

      Reply
  33. Angie says

    September 29, 2019 at 6:07 PM

    5 stars
    I didn’t have blueberry powder so i left my smbc plain. And my oh my the cake was so delicious. Thank you, thank you.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 30, 2019 at 10:26 AM

      Hi Angie! Glad you loved it! It’s one of my faves 🙂

      Reply
    • Martha T says

      May 8, 2020 at 11:30 AM

      Glad to hear that the cake is good with vanilla frosting too. I’m not sure if I’ll find freeze dried blueberries either.

      Reply
  34. Fathima says

    September 24, 2019 at 1:44 PM

    5 stars
    I had to come back to leave a comment. This cake was AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I must say the lemon syrup glaze is compulsory as it definitely adds that lemony zing which takes the flavour up another notch. Instead of adding the blueberries into the cake, I made it into coulis and made a frosting out of it. This recipe is a keeper! Many thanks again..

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 25, 2019 at 10:12 AM

      Hi Fathima! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m so glad you loved it! Love the addition of a coulis, I’ll have to try that next time!

      Reply
  35. Jennifer Wah says

    September 20, 2019 at 11:13 AM

    Hi Liv,
    I’m making this tonight/tomorrow, and planning to use (frozen, wild BC) huckleberries instead of blueberries. I’m wondering about a filling, just to boost the huckleberry spotlight. I see some have tried a lemon curd, but do you think a berry filling could work okay?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 20, 2019 at 3:44 PM

      Hi Jennifer! I am partial to lemon curd myself (love it), but a berry filling would be delicious too!! Or one of each? 🙂 If you’re doing the blueberries in the cake and a blueberry buttercream I’d probably go with a lemon curd.

      Reply
      • Jennifer Wah says

        September 21, 2019 at 12:12 AM

        Thanks so much! I’ll let know how it turns out!

        Reply
  36. Martha says

    September 8, 2019 at 9:19 AM

    Hi, cake looks incredible and the blueberries make the sponge look amazing. However, my cake didn’t rise as high as yours in the picture. I was wondering why that is? Would you recommend using more baking powder?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 9, 2019 at 9:58 AM

      Hi Martha! Did you use the same size pans that I did? Three 8″? Mine were only about 1″ tall or so. I do not recommend adding more baking powder, but definitely check that it is still fresh and works properly!

      Reply
  37. Lara says

    August 10, 2019 at 2:15 PM

    Hi Olivia, I was asked to make a three tier lemon blueberry cake for a friends baby shower. I was going to make 6” layers, 8” layers, and 10” layers over the course of a few days and just freeze the cakes till I was ready to assemble the whole cake. I have your link for the cake pan conversions but I was curious how the baking time or oven settings might change for the 10” layers. Do you have any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      August 12, 2019 at 1:40 PM

      Hi Lara! Baking temp should stay the same, but I’m really not sure about baking time :\ In theory, if the cakes are all the same thickness, baking time *should* be similar. My gut says though, if the same thickness, the 10″ would take a bit longer. I would just use the recipe time as a guideline and check them around that time. Once they look golden, I usually nudge the oven to see if they jiggle at all. If there is ANY jiggle keep that oven door closed and bake for 3-5mins until there is none. Then I test with a skewer until it’s mostly clean. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  38. Rebecca says

    July 30, 2019 at 8:09 PM

    If I make this the night before, do I need to refrigerate it or can it sit at room temperature overnight? Can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 31, 2019 at 10:27 AM

      Hi Rebecca! You don’t need to chill it, but the frosting will be quite soft if it sits at room temp for a long time (especially if your place is warm). Not really an issue, just more of an FYI 🙂

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 1, 2019 at 10:07 PM

        That being said, would the cake be okay if I did refrigerate it fully assembled? I assume it would just need a few hours to get back to room temp? Thanks again!

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          August 2, 2019 at 4:47 PM

          Yes! The cake will last 2-3 days in the fridge, any longer and it will start to dry out. And yes, 3 hours or so at room temp before serving 🙂

          Reply
  39. Belle says

    July 3, 2019 at 5:56 PM

    I don’t have a standing mixer. Can I still get these wonderful results with a hand mixer? Should I change anything up?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 4, 2019 at 10:06 AM

      Hi Belle! I think the frosting would be a challenge with a hand mixer. It’s doable, but you’d be whipping for SO long to get the meringue to stiffen/cool. For ease you can use an American style buttercream instead and add the blueberry powder to that: https://livforcake.com/simple-vanilla-buttercream/

      Reply
  40. Kelsey says

    June 13, 2019 at 1:54 PM

    Hi!
    I skimmed through the comments but couldn’t find an answer to my question:

    Would this recipe work for a 9x13x2 pan?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 14, 2019 at 10:05 AM

      Hi Kelsey! Yes, it should work fine. Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html You may need to adjust the baking time.

      Reply
  41. Linda Spartaco says

    May 2, 2019 at 11:16 AM

    5 stars
    I made this cake exactly as written and it was so good! I baked the cake layers in advance and froze them for 3 weeks before icing. It turned out great! I made the mistake of putting the assembled cake in the fridge so the buttercream firmed up quite a bit even though it was served at room temperature.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 6, 2019 at 12:54 PM

      Hi Linda! So happy you loved this one! The buttercream should soften completely again once at room temp, but that can take a couple hours.

      Reply
  42. Sharon says

    April 23, 2019 at 2:27 PM

    5 stars
    10/10 love this cake! I made it for a family birthday party and it was a huge hit. Only changes I made were baking 2 8” layers rather than 3, and using cake flour rather than AP flour. This was my first attempt with Swiss merengue buttercream and I was quite nervous but it ended up being pretty easy and turned out delicious. Can’t wait to try some other recipes!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 26, 2019 at 1:05 PM

      Hi Sharon! So glad you tried SMBC for the first time and loved it! It’s my favourite 🙂 Happy to hear that the cake was a hit! Thanks so much for your tips.

      Reply
    • Kristi says

      January 2, 2020 at 2:59 PM

      Did you use an equal substitute of all purpose flour to cake flour?

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        January 4, 2020 at 11:35 AM

        Hi Kristi! It should be fine to use equal parts.

        Reply
  43. Trish says

    April 20, 2019 at 3:25 PM

    Hi Olivia. I just found this recipe this morning and I’m going to make it for our Easter lunch tomorrow. The only problem is that I don’t have a TJ near me, and my local grocer doesn’t. carry freeze dried blueberries. Is there anything I could substitute with? HELP! Lol

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 20, 2019 at 7:13 PM

      Hi Trish! You could try using blueberry jam? It won’t have the same color or as much flavour, but a good alternative!

      Reply
  44. Kim says

    April 19, 2019 at 12:00 PM

    So, I’m wondering how many cupcakes with this recipe for blueberry swish buttercream cover?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 20, 2019 at 7:10 PM

      Hi Kim! I’m not sure as I’ve never used it on cupcakes. The recipe itself should make 18-24 or so.

      Reply
  45. Donna R. says

    April 16, 2019 at 2:18 PM

    We just made this cake, love the icing. But the cake seems some what dry. I baked it at 350 for 30 minutes. Should I cut the baking time down for the next one. Or does it get moister after sitting overnight with the blueberries in it.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 20, 2019 at 6:58 PM

      Hi Donna! Yes, every oven bakes differently and the times listed are just a guideline. It should not be dry, especially with the syrup!

      Reply
    • Theresa Diersen says

      May 13, 2019 at 6:30 AM

      5 stars
      My cakes were dry too. I am a literal baker so I did the exact 30 minutes. My family loved the cake anyway. They said it was like eating a scone with amazing icing. Thank you

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        May 13, 2019 at 12:25 PM

        Hi Theresa! Sorry to hear the cakes were dry — every oven bakes differently so the baking times are only recommended and should be adjusted based on if your oven runs hot/cool.

        Reply
  46. Kim says

    March 26, 2019 at 2:41 AM

    Hi Olivia, I’m planning to bake this cake for a birthday for Wednesday next week and I was thinking if I can bake the layers ahead of time, say this weekend. If that would work, could you give me tips on how to store/freeze and defrost the cake. Also, I’ll try baking it with 6″x3″ pans (even though I know it didn’t quite work well with you), hoping it turns out okay though as those are the only pans I have at the moment. Btw, I made your banana blueberry cake was the top of the cake supposed to have cracks though? It reminded me of how my banana blueberry muffins would have cracks when I bake it. It was delicious and super moist though. Happy with the cake considering it was my first time ever baking a cake. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Kim says

      March 26, 2019 at 5:11 AM

      Also, if say I wanted to make the cake smaller, say good for 6 people, I’ll just change the servings and maybe just use 2 6″ pans? Do you think that might work?

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        March 27, 2019 at 2:02 PM

        Yes, that should work! You might need to adjust the baking time depending on how full your pans end up being.

        Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 27, 2019 at 2:00 PM

      Hi Kim! You can definitely do that — once the cakes are cool, double wrap them in plastic wrap and stick them in the freezer. If you’re storing them for a long time you can put them in a freezer bag too. Defrost at room temp for a couple hours. Regarding the blueberry banana cake, no, it shouldn’t have had cracks! Is it possible that your oven runs a bit hot? Cracks are usually due to too high and oven temp.

      Reply
      • Kim says

        April 4, 2019 at 3:10 AM

        My friends loved the cake! I baked it for her son and he’s already asked me if I can bake it again for him for his birthday party this weekend. Haha! Thank you again for the recipe and the tips.

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          April 8, 2019 at 9:57 AM

          Hi Kim! So happy to hear that!

          Reply
  47. Julie says

    March 5, 2019 at 12:58 PM

    hi would love to do this cake but i don’t have a paddle so what could i use and also were in England can i get the freeze dried blueberry powder from and also i don’t have a double boiler so what could i use please .
    Thanks Julie

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 7, 2019 at 1:51 PM

      Hi Julie! What kind of mixer do you have? A paddle is not critical. You don’t need a double boiler — you just put the bowl of whites/sugar over a pot with an inch or two of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not actually touch the water). You can get the freeze-dried blueberry powder on Amazon UK (https://amzn.to/2SQtUpY) also certain health food stores carry it or whole FD blueberries.

      Reply
  48. Sara says

    February 20, 2019 at 3:55 AM

    I’m thinking about making the cake and lemon syrup 1 day ahead (Thursday). Then brushing the lemon syrup over the cake the next day (Friday) while I prepare the frosting. Would that work for a party on Saturday?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 23, 2019 at 12:38 PM

      Hi Sara! That would work just fine!

      Reply
  49. Christine says

    January 26, 2019 at 9:41 PM

    Hi Liv, Thank you for answering my question under the coconut cake about the depth of 6 inch pans.
    Does the amount of batter (Blueberry Lemon) fit three 6 inch pans that are 3 inch depth? Would there still be a problem with the blueberries sinking in a 3 inch depth? Would springform pans this size make any difference in the baking? Also are you based out of Vancouver? if so is there a Trader Joe’s in Van? (for freeze dried B.B.?). I’m pretty sure “Organic Traditions” has a blueberry powder, would this work versus the freeze dried B.B.? Thank you for your patience.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 28, 2019 at 4:42 PM

      Hi Christine! Yes, this will work in three 6″ pans that are 3″ tall (possibly even in 2″ tall ones but it might be cutting it close). Not sure re: springform pans, I don’t think they would make a diff though. I am in Vancouver — you can get FD blueberries here at Whole Foods or other health food markets like Pomme. Blueberry powder should work too, just make sure it’s freeze-dried. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
      • Christine says

        March 6, 2019 at 5:45 PM

        Hi Liv, I tried the lemon Blueberry cake and it was awesome, but the Swiss M Buttercream was a disaster. I tried several attempts, but I only have a hand mixer, which burned out while making the icing and I do not have a candy thermometer which is probably the reason for the disaster. . So I used your simple buttercream recipe instead without the FD blue berries. I will be making this cake again but will use your simple Vanilla Buttercream, I want to add the freeze dried blueberries, would there be any adjustments to the ingredients with adding the FD Blue berries?

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          March 7, 2019 at 2:05 PM

          Hi Christine! Oh no! Using a hand mixer would be a challenge for sure 🙁 You don’t need a candy thermometer at all, I never use one. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my post with Swiss Meringue Buttercream tips: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/

          No adjustments needed to the simple vanilla buttercream — just add the blueberry powder to taste. You might need to add a bit more cream if it becomes too thick, but otherwise should be fine.

          Reply
          • Christine says

            March 7, 2019 at 6:05 PM

            Thanks so much! I was just in the states and picked up Trader Joes FD Blueberries. They have a lot of flavor compared to some I purchased in Calgary!

          • Olivia says

            March 8, 2019 at 3:42 PM

            Awesome! I got mine across the border too. Trader Joe’s has the BEST stuff.

    • Christine says

      May 11, 2019 at 11:45 AM

      Hi LIV, I made 2 lemon blueberry cakes with the Vanilla buttercream with freeze dried blueberries for a dinner fund raiser (200 people). The cakes were a smash hit. People were coming up and saying how moist the cake was and the flavor was incredible. Other people were coming up and asking if there was any left. The only change I made was adding lemon curd between the layers with the lemon syrup for extra tang. The FD Blueberries really add great flavor. Thank you for such a wonderful and delightful web page. Looking forward to trying cookie cups.

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        May 13, 2019 at 12:15 PM

        Hi Christine! So happy to hear the cakes were a hit! Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂

        Reply
  50. Kathryn says

    November 20, 2018 at 8:26 PM

    Hi, I made the recipe twice and the flavor is great, but I can’t seem to get the cakes to rice. My lawyers end um being about 3/4 of an inch high. I was reading the recipe again and noticed that my eggs were not room temperature. Could this we the reason they didn’t rise? I didn’t open the oven or take them out too early. They are complete done. They just never rose…????

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      November 21, 2018 at 11:50 AM

      Hi Kathryn! My layers are on the shorter side because I split it between three pans, but they should be about 1″ tall. Be sure to not overmix your cake batter as this can cause layers that are short and dense and definitely use all room temperature ingredients. The only other thing I can think of is that maybe your baking powder is expired?

      Reply
  51. Barry Dingman says

    October 19, 2018 at 1:15 PM

    Help. Making this cake this weekend to celebrate a friends wedding. I’m confused on the lemon syrup. Does the cake take 1/4 cup of lemon juice AND the lemon syrup? Or just the lemon syrup. Step 5 says to “Alternate adding flour mixture with milk & lemon juice…”

    Is it either or? Lemon Juice or Lemon Syrup.

    I hope this is not a dumb question. So looking forward to making this.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      October 19, 2018 at 1:41 PM

      Hi Barry! The lemon syrup is separate and gets brushed onto the cake layers during the assembly. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  52. Al kennedy says

    September 11, 2018 at 11:51 AM

    Love this recipy but at cottage and only have a bundt pan would it be possible to use that and would I have to change baking time? Please advise as I am making it for a special occasion. Thank you

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 14, 2018 at 2:32 PM

      Hi there! You’d need to adjust the baking time as bundt pans are thicker. Depending on the pan it could take anywhere from 40-60mins.

      Reply
  53. Peggy says

    August 11, 2018 at 10:08 AM

    Absolutely beautiful cake that I am ready to dtry. I have never made a Swiss meringue buttercream. How stable is after applied. How long does the frosting stay good once applied. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      August 14, 2018 at 2:24 PM

      Hi Peggy! I find Swiss meringue quite stable, but it does get soft in hot temperatures. It keeps for a couple days on the counter or a couple weeks in the fridge.

      Reply
  54. Lisa says

    July 17, 2018 at 11:29 PM

    I’m curious about why you used AP flour instead of cake flour. Would you explain?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 18, 2018 at 8:28 AM

      Hi Lisa! Simply because it’s what I (and most people) tend to have in their pantry. Cake flour should work just fine instead though!

      Reply
      • Lisa says

        July 18, 2018 at 11:53 PM

        Thanks for answering! I thought maybe the berries necessitated a stronger cake to hold them hence the higher gluten AP flour. Maybe I’ll try half and half.

        How do you get the frosting balls on the top to come out so they are all the same size, i.e., you had exactly the right amount of space left so that the last one was the same size as all the others?

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          July 21, 2018 at 9:07 AM

          Hi Lisa! Honestly, it’s just practice. And sometimes I have to scrape off any dollops that don’t look right 🙂

          Reply
    • Cindy Boor says

      August 2, 2018 at 1:13 PM

      Where can I find freeze dried blueberries or dehydrated blueberries? thanks

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        August 3, 2018 at 2:37 PM

        Hi Cindy! Do not use dehydrated, only freeze-dried. You can get them on Amazon or at Trader Joe’s

        Reply
  55. Isabel Reinitz says

    July 12, 2018 at 9:44 AM

    Hello, I’m about to make this cake but was wondering if I could replace the dehydrated blueberries in the buttercream with lemon extract, lemon juice, or lemon zest to make it a lemon buttercream? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 18, 2018 at 8:10 AM

      Hi Isabel! Yes, that should work just fine.

      Reply
  56. Isabelle Payne says

    June 18, 2018 at 12:27 PM

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness!! Just made this for my family and they loved it! Thank you so much! Perfect for this time of year!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 18, 2018 at 4:18 PM

      So glad to hear that Isabelle!

      Reply
  57. llored says

    June 16, 2018 at 7:57 PM

    5 stars
    Your recipes are consistently amazing. This one was no exception.

    I made 2 batches of it, one for Father’s Day and another for a birthday. I swapped out the frosting for a lemon cream cheese one because I couldn’t find the dehydrated blueberries.

    So excited to try it!

    PS. to other home bakers – try to the William Sonoma baking pans. They’re amazing and always leave my cakes perfectly baked with flat tops and unbrowned sides.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 18, 2018 at 4:09 PM

      Hi Lorena! So happy that you liked it! I love the idea of a lemon CC frosting with this one.

      Reply
  58. Jacqui says

    June 8, 2018 at 6:05 AM

    I am also wondering how well this would work for a two tier cake, I have to make this flavor for a wedding cake for my niece ….Need a cake that will stack well. Please advise as I want to take this for a test drive before I actually make the cake for the wedding..Thank you

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 11, 2018 at 1:40 PM

      Hi Jacqui! I think it should work fine. It was a sturdy cake!

      Reply
  59. Caitlin says

    June 7, 2018 at 8:55 AM

    Hi Liv. I was thinking of making this as a two-tier for my grandma’s birthday party. If I make your recipe with 8″ and then 6″ for the top tier do you think it will work out? I was just going to double the recipe. Or would you recommend leaving the blueberries out of the batter in the 6″ since that didn’t work out for you?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 11, 2018 at 1:38 PM

      Hi Caitlin! You can totally try it with the 6″. I think the only reason it didnt work for me is because the batter was so much thicker in the 6″ pans so the blueberries had a lot of room to fall. Either way I think it will be delicious!

      Reply
  60. Tegan says

    June 4, 2018 at 10:25 PM

    Hey Liv!!!! Could you swap the blueberries out and replace them with raspberries. The same with the blueberry powder in the butter cream..

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 5, 2018 at 4:31 PM

      Hi Tegan! Totally, I don’t see why not. Both swaps should work perfectly fine. Let me know how they turn out!

      Reply
  61. Theresa says

    June 4, 2018 at 6:40 PM

    Very good cake! Family loved it!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 5, 2018 at 4:31 PM

      Glad to hear that!!

      Reply
  62. Tessa says

    June 3, 2018 at 8:31 PM

    5 stars
    Hi Liv! This cake is sooo good! My dad doesn’t like chocolate cakes so I made this and he loved it! I omitted the fresh blueberries in the cake though and used three 6″ pans. Thank you for this <3

    Reply
  63. Holley says

    May 28, 2018 at 7:12 PM

    I just made the cake portion of this recipe and it was fantastic. It was denser than I would like, have you run into that problem? I did 2 8in pans.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 29, 2018 at 5:34 PM

      Hi Holley! It’s possible the batter got overmixed a bit when adding the blueberries. That can cause cakes to become a bit more dense.

      Reply
  64. akashocd says

    May 26, 2018 at 4:38 AM

    5 stars
    wow this cake recipe is so good and delicious thank you for sharing your recipe

    Reply
  65. Tessa says

    May 23, 2018 at 12:13 PM

    Hello Liv! This cake looks tasty 🙂 will the recipe work for 6-inch 3 layer cake or does it need to be halved? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 25, 2018 at 3:48 PM

      Hi Tessa! It should work ok, but the layers will be quite a bit thicker and there’s a greater chance that the blueberries would sink.

      Reply
      • Tessa says

        June 3, 2018 at 8:30 PM

        Hi Liv! This cake is sooo good! My dad doesn’t like chocolate cakes so I made this and he loved it! I omitted the fresh blueberries in the cake though and used three 6″ pans. Thank you for this <3

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          June 5, 2018 at 4:18 PM

          Aww yay! So happy to hear that he liked it!!

          Reply
  66. Josephine says

    May 6, 2018 at 3:19 AM

    hai can i use frozen blueberry for the buttercream instead of blueberry powder

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 7, 2018 at 5:05 PM

      Hi Josephine! No, that won’t work well as it will affect the texture of the buttercream. You could try using a small amount (1/4cup or less) of fresh pureed blueberries, but the flavour and color won’t be as strong.

      Reply
  67. Sarah says

    May 1, 2018 at 3:21 AM

    I love the look of this cake and can’t wait to try it out. I was wondering what all you used to decorate the top, specifically what appears to be dried flowers? I would love to incorporate those when I make the cake but what kind are they?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 1, 2018 at 9:53 AM

      Hi Sarah! Those were part of a pack of edible flowers I got from Whole Foods. I don’t know what they were called. It was actually one big flower that I cut up into smaller segments.

      Reply
  68. Jennifer says

    April 26, 2018 at 11:50 AM

    what kind of milk do you use in the cake? whole? buttermilk? sorry if i missed that in the directions. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 26, 2018 at 2:45 PM

      Hi Jennifer! Whole milk is deal for texture, but I use 1% most of the time since it’s what I have in the fridge most often. Buttermilk will work fine too, or some combo of buttermilk & milk 🙂

      Reply
  69. Feyas says

    April 26, 2018 at 12:26 AM

    5 stars
    Hai..love your blog Olivia.
    How to make recipe for 8×8 inch square pans ? I want to make one layer only. Thank u so much.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 26, 2018 at 2:42 PM

      Hi Feyas! I’m not totally sure as I’ve never baked it in an 8×8 pan. Here’s a site that I use for figuring out pan sizes though. http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html You could try 1/2 the recipe in one 8×8 pan.

      Reply
  70. Summer says

    April 25, 2018 at 6:20 PM

    Would 9in cake pans work for this recipe? I’m excited to try this!!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 26, 2018 at 2:39 PM

      Hi Summer! I think the layers would be too thin. They’re already pretty thin in three 8″ pans. You could try baking it up in two 9″ though!

      Reply
  71. Keishia says

    April 5, 2018 at 12:50 PM

    5 stars
    Spot on. I made it for my daughter’s 13th birthday today. Wish I could share a pic here. Liv, I’ll send to your email. I’ve never pipped with freshly made SMBC so I’m not as thrilled with my roses. I’ll make more roses tomorrow with the remaining buttercream to decorate cupcakes for a baby shower. The flavor of both the lemon and blueberries came through nicely in the cake and the frosting. I did substitute each required portion of vanilla with 1/2tsp each of lemon and blueberry extract/oil (Lorann brand)

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 5, 2018 at 4:44 PM

      I just got your email! The cake looks amazing, you did a great job! So happy to hear that you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  72. Taj Foods says

    April 5, 2018 at 5:52 AM

    5 stars
    Thanks for sharing such an amazing article.

    Reply
  73. Kim says

    April 2, 2018 at 8:50 AM

    5 stars
    I made this wonderful cake over the weekend for a friend’s birthday. Not only was it beautiful, but also delicious. Another show-stopper from Olivia! I’ve never made Swiss meringue buttercream and it seemed a little daunting, however, I followed the directions to a T and it turned out beautifully. This is my third “Olivia” cake and they’ve all been greeted with ooos and ahhhs followed by mmmmmms and OMGs!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 2, 2018 at 3:23 PM

      Yay!! I am SO happy to hear that Kim and way to go on your first SMBC!! glad everyone liked it. I can’t wait to see what you try next!

      Reply
  74. Melissa says

    March 31, 2018 at 8:44 AM

    Any recommendations for switching the Swiss meringue buttercream to just a regular blueberry buttercream? Can’t wait to bake this!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 2, 2018 at 3:07 PM

      Hi Melissa! You can use this recipe and just add the freeze dried blueberry powder to it: https://livforcake.com/simple-vanilla-buttercream/

      Reply
      • Abbey says

        April 17, 2018 at 3:08 PM

        Hi, would you just add the same amount of powder as you would to the SMB?

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          April 18, 2018 at 2:16 PM

          I would, yes 🙂

          Reply
  75. Cayla says

    March 30, 2018 at 10:04 AM

    If I can’t find freeze dried blueberries would it be ok to use some of the frozen or dehydrated?
    Your cakes are always so delicious I hate to mess with perfection. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 2, 2018 at 3:02 PM

      Hi Cayla! For the frosting, you can use fresh pureed blueberries or blueberry jam, but the color and flavour won’t be as intense.

      Reply
  76. Naomi says

    March 28, 2018 at 7:00 AM

    Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe, but don’t have a stand mixer. I have an electric hand whisk for the meringue section of the recipe, but when I add the butter to the frosting, should I just incorporate with a wooden spoon?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 29, 2018 at 10:02 AM

      Hi Naomi! I think it will be harder to do with a hand mixer due to the time it takes to whip the meringue and then the buttercream. If you try it I would use the hand mixer for the whole thing, when you add the butter as well.

      Reply
  77. Cindy Rodriguez says

    March 27, 2018 at 2:20 PM

    Such a beautiful cake for spring! Love the flecks of blueberries in the frosting, too. Gorge!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 29, 2018 at 10:01 AM

      Thanks so much Cindy! I love this combo.

      Reply
    • Katherine says

      March 30, 2019 at 1:49 AM

      Hi,
      We made this cake today but I feel it does not match the height of your photos. Each layer is under an inch in height. I was hoping for a nice tall 3 tier cake like that in your photos 🙁

      Haven’t tasted it yet, we are considering redoing it tomorrow morning and making more cake batter.

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        April 1, 2019 at 4:39 PM

        Hi Katherine! My cake layers are only about 1″ or so in height here.

        Reply
  78. Patty says

    March 26, 2018 at 1:13 PM

    I would love to give this a try! One question in the buttercream meringue 4. And 5., after you switch to the paddle to mix, do you switch back to the whisk to whip in the vanilla and blueberry powder?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 26, 2018 at 3:01 PM

      Hi Patty! Once I switch to the paddle, I just leave it with the paddle for everything else 🙂

      Reply
  79. Oxy says

    March 21, 2018 at 10:17 PM

    5 stars
    Olivia I really admire your cakes. They do look beautiful!!! You are an amazing decorator. Continue to grow your skills 😊

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 25, 2018 at 10:45 AM

      Thanks so much Oxy! 🙂

      Reply
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I'm Olivia, a professionally trained pastry chef, recipe developer, and photographer from Vancouver, BC. Creating classic cake recipes with a modern twist.
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