Lemon Blackberry Layer Cake
This easy lemon blackberry layer cake is bursting with fresh blackberries and a sweet lemon flavor. Topped with a homemade lemon cream cheese frosting, this light and citrusy cake is perfect for spring and summer!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest, about 2 large lemons
- ½ cup (113.5 g) butter room temperature
- ½ cups (112 g) canola oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup (61 g) lemon juice, 1-2 large lemons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1¼ cups (300 g) buttermilk room temperature
- 2½ cups (350 g) cake flour, all purpose can work
- 1½ teaspoon (1.5 teaspoon) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) fresh blackberries, cut in half if large
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
For the Frosting:
- 12 oz (340.2 g) cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup (113.5 g) butter
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 6 cups (720 g) powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) salt
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of 3 eight inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl mix together sugar and lemon zest with fingers, allowing the zest to open up and become more fragrant. Add butter and oil and mix on medium-high speed for about 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, lemon juice and vanilla and mix again until all incorporated.
- In a seperate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, flour, powder, soda, and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, into mixing bowl and stir until combined.
- In a small bowl mix together blackberries with 2 tablespoon of flour.
- Fold blackberries into the cake batter.
- Pour batter evenly into 3 cake pans. This seems to weigh about 550g per pan for me.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Transfer the baking pans to a wire cooling rack and let the cakes cool until they reach room temperature.
To make the frosting:
- Cream together butter and softened cream cheese until completely smooth. Add vanilla, lemon juice and salt and mix again. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating in between each. If after adding all the powdered sugar you think its too thick, feel free to add a tablespoon or two of whipping cream or milk to get desired consistency.
To assemble cake:
- Place one of the cake layers, top side up, on a cake plate or serving stand. Spread a small amount of frosting over the first layer. Place the second cake layer, top side up, on top of the frosting. Repeat spreading a small amount of frosting again over the second layer. Place final cake layer, top side down.
- Place the final cake layer top side down. Frost the entire cake, top and sides, with a thin crumb coat layer of the cream cheese frosting. Place in the fridge or freezer for about 10-15 minutes to chill.
- Pull the chilled cake out, and frost the cake with the remaining frosting. Top with a little lemon zest and some fresh blackberries.
Notes
Cakes will have the best results if made with room temperature ingredients. I like to pull my eggs, buttermilk, cream cheese, and butter out of the fridge an hour or two before I start baking.
If using frozen blackberries, use frozen and do not allow to thaw first.
This cake would be great with any berries, or without them at all as just a lemon cake.
I have given both cups and grams as measurements. Grams will be more precise, especially when measuring flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, no problem! Just lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup to insure its not packed in there. Light and fluffy is the key.
Make Ahead Instructions: The cakes can be made in advance. Wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer until ready to frost and serve, see below for details. The frosting can easily be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in a sealed container. Remove frosting from the fridge an hour before you’re ready to frost the cake, to give it time to come to room temperature.
Freezing Instructions: After baking the cake layers, allow them to cool completely, then wrap them well in plastic wrap and stick each layer in a ziplock freezer bag. They can be frozen for a few months. I usually just pull them out of the freezer once I am starting to make my frosting, or an hour or two before I want to assemble.Nutrition
Calories: 616kcalCarbohydrates: 89gProtein: 6gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 425mgPotassium: 123mgFiber: 1gSugar: 72gVitamin A: 753IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!