Best Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake Recipe (Moist)

There’s a reason lemon blueberry pound cake shows up at every bake sale and Sunday brunch table — it’s dense enough to hold its shape when sliced thick, but still tender enough to melt against your tongue. The batter gets a good dose of fresh lemon zest and juice, so the flavor stays bright instead of one-note sweet, and the blueberries burst into little pockets of jammy juice as the cake bakes.

I’ve made this one more times than I can count, tweaking the ratio of sour cream to butter until the crumb came out right: tight, moist, and slightly springy, not crumbly like a dry coffee cake. A simple lemon glaze on top seals in the moisture and gives it that bakery-case shine. Expect a cake that keeps well on the counter for days and tastes even better the second day, once the lemon has had time to settle into every bite.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, for the glaze

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C) and generously grease a 10-cup bundt pan, making sure to coat every groove so the cake releases cleanly.
2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together for 4-5 minutes until pale and fluffy — this step builds the light structure, so don’t rush it.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 3/4 cups of the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in two additions, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain.
5. Toss the blueberries with the remaining 1/4 cup flour to coat them lightly, then gently fold them into the batter with a spatula so they stay whole.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top with a spatula, tapping the pan once on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
7. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
8. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then carefully invert it onto the rack to cool completely, at least another hour.
9. Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth and pourable, then drizzle over the cooled cake letting it drip down the sides.
10. Slice with a serrated knife once the glaze has set, about 15 minutes, and serve at room temperature.

Tips

• Toss the blueberries in flour before folding them in — it keeps them suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom of the pan.
• If using frozen blueberries, don’t thaw them first; add them straight from the freezer and add about 5 extra minutes to the bake time.
• Room-temperature butter, eggs, and sour cream blend far more smoothly and give you a finer, more even crumb, so pull them out at least an hour before baking.
• Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to a week — bring slices to room temp before serving.
• The unglazed cake freezes well for up to 3 months; wrap it tightly in plastic then foil, and thaw overnight before glazing and slicing.

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

• Calories: 385 kcal
• Protein: 5 g
• Carbs: 53 g
• Fat: 17 g

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 1 hr 10 min · Serves: 12