The combination of tart lemons and plump fresh blueberries is a match made in heaven, and my lemon-blueberry sour cream pound cake brings them together in perfect harmony.
The addition of sour cream makes it so soft and tender, but what truly sets this lemon-blueberry pound cake recipe apart is the crackly lemon sugar top. It's such a special finishing touch, adding an irresistible sweet-tart crunch I just know you're going to love!
5-STAR READER REVIEW
“This is the BEST pound cake I have ever had, and I made it!! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.”
—Lauren
If you've made my old-fashioned vanilla pound cake, this lemon-blueberry cake recipe will feel very familiar to you. I used it as a base, with a few modifications to help support the weight from the added fresh blueberries.
While traditional pound cakes use just four core ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar, the addition of full-fat sour cream is the not-so-secret ingredient that makes this blueberry pound cake extra moist and tender. The lemon and blueberry flavors may be robust, but the cake itself is surprisingly delicate!
Between the cake batter and the lemon sugar topping, there's zest from two whole lemons in this pound cake. The lemon flavor is so bright and fresh, absolutely in your face, and don't you forget it.
The lemon sugar topping was inspired by my popular lemon blueberry mini muffins recipe and contrasts so nicely with the softness of the cake.
Like all my best cake recipes, I like to serve this lemon-blueberry pound cake with a scoop of ice cream or macerated fresh berries and whipped cream. But honestly, I mostly eat it plain. It has such a lovely soft texture, bursts of sweetness from the fresh blueberries, and that sparkling lemon sugar top... it really doesn't need anything extra!
Keeping Blueberries from Sinking
To keep the blueberries from sinking in a blueberry pound cake, I going to use a special technique known as not mixing them into the batter right away. (It's exactly what it sounds like.)
Basically, I make the lemon pound cake batter and measure a small portion of it into the loaf pan without any blueberries in it. Then, I mix the blueberries into the remaining batter and add that on top of the plain lemon cake batter.
The blueberries will always sink a little bit as the cake bakes, but that inch-deep layer of plain lemon cake batter at the bottom functions as insulation, keeping them from all ending up there.
Lemon Zest - I use the zest of two whole lemons in my lemon-blueberry pound cake. I zest one and a half lemons into the cake batter, and I zest the remaining half lemon to make the lemon sugar topping.
Sour Cream - Full-fat sour cream (or full-fat plain Greek yogurt) add a ton of moisture and makes this cake very soft and tender.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda - Double-acting baking powder helps ensure this cake rises and can support the weight of the blueberries. It also helps it develop the soft, fluffy texture. A small amount of baking soda gives this cake just a little more rising energy against the weight of the blueberries and all the added fat from the sour cream.
How to Make Lemon-Blueberry Pound Cake
Just like most of my other cake recipes, this lemon-blueberry pound cake uses the creaming method of mixing. Being patient during the first step of creaming the butter and sugar together is particularly important for giving this cake a soft, fluffy texture and enough rising power to lift all the fresh blueberries.
When properly creamed together, the butter and sugar mixture will be pale yellow, light, and fluffy. If you rub it between your fingers the sugar granules should be almost entirely dissolved but still feel slightly gritty.
The next step is to add the eggs without collapsing all the air we just worked into the butter. We do this by adding them one at a time and giving the butter plenty of time to incorporate each egg (about 45-60 seconds) before adding the next one.
The final step is to alternate adding the dry ingredients and sour cream on the lowest speed possible.
Add one-third of the dry ingredients.
Add half the sour cream.
Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and sour cream, adding one third of the dry ingredients followed by the remaining half of the sour cream and the final third of the dry ingredients. Don't worry about being super precise with what "one third" and "one half" is here. The goal is just to not overwhelm the batter with too many dry or wet ingredients at once.
I know this can sound overwhelming but it's quite simple, I promise. You're basically alternating adding dry --> wet -- > dry --> wet --> dry, mixing on low speed just until combined and scraping down the bowl between each addition.
Measure 350 grams of the plain lemon cake batter into the loaf pan.
Add the blueberries to the remaining cake batter and mix them in by hand.
USA Pan Bakeware Aluminized Steel Loaf Pan, 1 Pound
Dimensions: 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75. Durable construction with corrugated surface for optimal airflow. Non-stick finish is PTFE, PFOA and BPA free.
Use a mini offset spatula to smooth the batter out so the cake bakes evenly.
Pressing the cake batter down into the pan presses out any air bubbles that might be hiding inside.
Lemon Sugar Pound Cake Topping
The blueberry muffin-inspired lemon-sugar topping is a non-negotiable, imo. It is so good, you really don't want to skip it.
I like to first sprinkle on a layer of plain sugar over the top for an even coating. Then I sprinkle on the lemon sugar, which is clumpier and harder to spread evenly across the top of the cake.
💭 Have More Baking Questions?
I've rounded up answers to common baking questions and how-to guides, including:
- Ingredient swaps and FAQs
- Why my recipes are written in grams and not cups
- How to quickly bring eggs and butter to room temperature
- Ingredients I use (salt, flour, yeast, etc.)
- Step-by-step guides for bread and baking techniques
See my baking techniques & troubleshooting guide and ingredient swaps and FAQs for more!
📖 Recipe
Moist Lemon-Blueberry Sour Cream Pound Cake
Recipe Notes
- Temps: Pay close attention to the temperature cues given in the recipe — they're very important to how the final loaf turns out!
- Adding more blueberries: You can add 56 grams of additional blueberries without compromising the structure of the cake too much. If you really want a lot of blueberries, you can add 113 grams additional blueberries, but know that the cake may collapse a bit in the middle as it cools.
- Using frozen blueberries: Defrost completely, drain, and pat dry thoroughly with a paper towel before using.
- Storage & Freezing: This lemon-blueberry pound cake can be stored at room temperature with an airtight cover for 4-5 days. You can also refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to a week. The pound cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and let come to room temperature for serving.
- Preventing sticking: To keep the cake from sticking to the pan, spray the pan with non stick spray, then line with a parchment paper sling. The non-stick spray helps the paper stick to the walls of the pan. I use metal binder clips to help hold the paper in place, but this is optional.
Ingredients
- 227 grams unsalted butter (65°F, softened)
- 227 grams sugar
- 1½ lemons (zest only)
- 227 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt (use half as much of any other brand)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 120 grams full fat sour cream (room temperature)
- 113 grams blueberries (can add up to 113g more if you want)
Lemon Sugar Topping
- 2 tablespoons sugar (divided)
- ½ lemon (zest only)
Instructions
- Mise en Place. Bring butter and eggs to room temperature (the butter should be cool, around 65°F, but soft to the touch, not melty or greasy). Measure sugar and lemon zest into one container. In another container, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Remove any stems from the blueberries. Grease an 8x4" loaf pan and line with a parchment paper sling. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cream butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Combine the butter, sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat on low speed until there's no loose sugar in the bowl, then increase speed to medium and continue creaming for 3-5 minutes, pausing to scrape down the bowl and the beater at least 3 times. Properly creamed, the butter and sugar will have a fluffy, airy, and paste-like texture and pale yellow color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add eggs. One at a time, crack each egg into a small bowl (to avoid getting shells in your cake!) then dump the egg into the mixer bowl, beating on medium speed for at least 60 seconds and scraping down the bowl again before adding the next egg. Scrape down the bowl again after the last egg has been added.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and sour cream. With the mixer running on the lowest possible speed, add one third of the dry ingredients. When they are mostly combined, scrape down the bowl and beater. Add half the sour cream and mix on low just until combined, then stop and scrape the bowl and beater again. Repeat, alternating the remaining dry and wet ingredients — dry, wet, dry — until just a few streaks of flour remain. Scrape down the bowl and beater and finish mixing by hand with a spatula to prevent over mixing.
- Add blueberries. Before adding the blueberries, fill the bottom of the prepared loaf pan with 350g of plain cake batter (about an inch deep) smoothed into the corners of the pan using a mini offset spatula. Then add the blueberries to the bowl with the remaining cake batter and gently fold them into the cake batter until evenly distributed. Scoop the batter into the loaf pan and smooth it out, pressing it down into the corners and sides of the pan so that there aren't any trapped air bubbles. Level off the top with an offset spatula, covering any berries at the surface of the cake as best you can.
- Lemon sugar topping. Use your fingertips to rub the zest of half a lemon into 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon plain sugar over the top of the cake batter, tilting, tapping, and shaking the pan as needed to get an even layer of sugar on top. Then sprinkle the lemon sugar over top.
- Bake. Bake in the center of a 350°F oven for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
- Cool. Remove the pan to a cooling rack. Let cool 15-20 minutes, then use the parchment sling to lift the cake out of the pan to finish cooling. Let cool completely before slicing.
Betty Quiring says
I would love to try this recipe, but I measure my baking ingredients by cups, if you would consider giving the grams measurements to the Dewey Decimal system, I would appreciate it and then I would be able to try this recipe, because sounds delicious.
Thank you
Betty
Rebecca Eisenberg says
The Dewey Decimal System is how books are organized by libraries.
If you're asking me to convert this recipe to volume measurements for you, unfortunately I can't do that. It's not an accurate way to measure ingredients and increases the likelihood of your cake not turning out well. Please refer to the FAQ for my detailed explanation as to why I write my recipes this way and why a kitchen scale is the best tool you can buy for baking!
BraunBaker says
Did you want someone to convert grams to fiction or non-fiction?
S says
This was delicious! Very nice texture. I used the extra 56g (1/2 cup) blueberries. The lemony sugar topping was great (although messy).
[ED. NOTE: Removed volume conversions]
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Hi S! So glad you enjoyed the recipe with the extra blueberries! Just one note — volume conversions are very inaccurate (as you know, which is why you recommended weighing ingredients!) and I do not provide them for a reason — there is no set standard for what "1 cup" of flour weighs and I cannot vouch for your conversions; I don't want people to use them and then leave reviews on my recipe based on ingredient quantities I did not test or endorse. I've removed them from your comment! I understand you were trying to be helpful, but please don't do that again. Thanks! ~R
S says
Ok.
Why don’t you provide a weight for the eggs or the lemons?
Lemons can vary a lot in size. The ones I used were 86g and 168g. That’s a pretty significant difference.
"Large" and "Extra Large" eggs are a standard size in America, but those labels mean different sized eggs in Europe. (All standard weights include the shell. A small percentage of individual eggs can be smaller than the minimum.)
US Large is 54.34g per egg (minimum)
EU large is >=63 and =73g per egg (which is even bigger than US Jumbo, minimum 68.51g per egg)
Weights of white and yolk can vary significantly and are not standardized. Rose Levy Beranbaum is weighing hers separately now. If precision is really important to you, maybe you should do the same.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
The short answer is because it's my website and this is how I write recipes. I don't provide volume measurements, I've explained why I don't, and I expect my audience to respect that. On social media I block people without warning if they share volume measurements in the comments section. I don't want people using those measurements and then coming here to leave a review as though it's the recipe I provided them.
I'm well aware of the discrepancy in egg sizes, which is why I note in the ingredients list that I am using large eggs. My readers know I'm American, and I think they can assume that means I'm using US large eggs. US eggs at least have a generally accepted standard size. Flour, however, does not have a standardized weight for "1 cup" and that means it's impossible to convert to a volume measurement accurately. When I do provide a volume measurement for flour I am *very* clear about the best way to measure by volume and the risks associated with using that method of measurement. If I had to write out every discrepancy for every ingredient for every country, you'd never get to the recipe. I have to pick and choose what extra information I provide based on how crucial it is to the outcome of the recipe. You can disagree with how I do that, that's fine. And, sure, at some point I may come back through and edit all my recipes to feature weight measurements for things like eggs and lemons. But for now, this is how I choose to do it. And I just ask that you respect that if you're going to come onto my blog and engage with the community here. Thanks! ~R
S says
Well, part of that got a bit garbled in the copy/paste. Should have read:
US Large is 54.34g per egg (minimum)
EU large is >=63 and =73g per egg (which is even bigger than US Jumbo, minimum 68.51g per egg)
S says
Garbled again! This got cut off:
US Extra Large is 61.42g per egg (minimum)
EU Extra large is >=73g per egg (which is even bigger than US Jumbo, minimum 68.51g per egg)
Mariann says
So I made this yesterday and it is amazing. The balance of lemon to blueberries with the sour cream is amazing. This recipe is not overly sweet, which I assume brings out the natural flavors. This recipe will be my go to for years. ❤️🍋🫐❤️
Schahrazad says
I tried this recipe and it was not good. The butter proportion is too much for the 227g of flower. I followed all the directions, but the cake did not rise, it was overly greasy, and all the blueberries went to the bottom. It was a disaster!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I'm so sorry it didn't work for you — it sounds like there might have been some user error happening here as the recipe has worked fine for lots of other people. Are you used the right type of butter and that it was at the right temperature? And was your baking powder new or old?
Jill Hawkins says
Very tasty! Easy to follow directions, starting with the first- get everything ready before you begin. Might add a bit more zest in the future to amp up the lemon flavor.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Yesss, mise en place can make such a difference! I'm so glad you liked the cake 🙂
Carolyn says
My family thought the cake was tastier and more moist on the day after making it. The lemon flavor seemed to develop while resting at room temperature. I will add more blueberries next time. I’m already thinking of other flavor combinations that I could bake from this recipe.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Yes, the lemon flavor will definitely get more intense as the cake has time to rest! I'm glad your family liked it! 🙂
Yvonne C Myers says
Using "mixed" measuring methods does not work for USA. Please print a recipe in American Standard Measuring/ cups rtc
Rebecca Eisenberg says
American Standard Measuring is not a thing. I've explained in the blog post why I do not provide measurements in cups — it's because I want you to have the best possible chance at succeeding when you make the recipe and cup measurements are very inaccurate. There's no set standard for what "1 cup" of flour weighs, so I can't actually convert it for you in a way that I can confidently promise will work for you. I do recommend investing in a kitchen scale — it will make you a much better and more consistent baker, reduces the number of dishes you have to wash, and they are very cheap, you can get one for like $10!
Susan T-O says
I dunno, I've lived in the US my entire life and have never had any problem with "mixed" measurements. The ratio is the same whether you call it a teaspoon of vanilla extract or 4.2 grams, and it's a lot easier to use a measuring spoon for it, too. It's so easy to inadvertenly pack down flour when using measuring cups, so weighing is my go-to for that particular ingredient even when using cups/spoons for the others. Doing so has never adversely affected the final product. There are many websites that will do the conversion for you if there's any doubt or issue.
Traci Marshall says
Thank you, thank you, thank you, this was so wonderful and delicious, I can’t believe I baked it. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Of course you baked it, I absolutely believe in you! You should be so proud of yourself. Enjoy the cake, and I hope you enjoy my other recipes too!
Cari Julian says
Amazing treat! Easier to make than it seems, make this now!!!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
“Easier to make than it seems” is my favorite kind of recipe too. So glad you liked it!
Christine M Swift says
I find it very condescending that you refuse to give measurements in cups and ounces instead of grams. Yet you use "large eggs" and the "zest of 1 1/2 lemons"... when lemons especially vary greatly in size. Your recipe is not that different from dozens of other lemon blueberry pound cake recipes we can find online.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
So go make one of the other recipes. I write my recipes how I want to, and I have a wonderful audience of readers who like the way I write them. But I also know not every recipe will be a fit for everyone! I’m a one person operation over here in my little corner of the internet, and while I would love for every person who finds my recipes to love them as much as I do, I also know I can’t please everyone. As you said, there are plenty of other recipes for similar cakes out there. You are more than welcome to make one of them instead. I won’t be offended in the slightest.
PS — I’ve removed the one star rating you tried to give this recipe, because you clearly didn’t make it. And the only person allowed to be petty on my site is me. Have a good night!
Cam says
Plenty of loaf cake recipes are written in cups. The mix of grams and tablespoons/teaspoons is not very helpful. This isn’t a cake flour super finicky recipe so confused at the unwillingness to help your readers.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
So go make one of those recipes. Doesn't bother me. FYI I've removed your 1 star rating since it is clear you did not make this recipe.
Tara says
Delicious pound cake!! I prefer weighing my ingredients when possible, so weights were so nic to have. I wanted to say I made a double batch and in one cake I used frozen blueberries, and one I used thawed. The one with the dozen blueberries was everyone's favorite!
Carol says
Rebecca - you go girl. Stick to your guns!
Lauren says
This is the BEST pound cake I have ever had, and I made it!! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
I had to bake it for about 15 minutes longer than the recipe called for, but that could be my oven. It still turned out perfect and did not dry out at all. The details you give in the recipe are very clear.
I love how you give measurements by the way, I was able to be very precise in my measurements and it made for the most beautiful result. I have made many of your recipes now and not one of them has failed.
THANK YOU!
Joey says
Hi Rebecca, if I am using a bundle cake pan to bake the lemon blueberry pound cake, can I add the lemon sugar at the bottom of the pan before pouring in the cake batter? So that when it's baked, the bottom becomes the top of the cake.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I wouldn’t do that — the sugar will melt and turn into syrup, you’ll end up with a gooey top to your Bundt cake! I would recommend still doing it on the bottom of the cake and then maybe finishing the cake with a lemon icing drizzle (check out the icing from my strawberry pound cake and sub lemon juice for the strawberry juice in the icing!).
Mary says
Wow, I cannot believe the comments about weighing ingredients! Some comments are down right rude. People, if you don't like it, move on to another site. THESE RECIPES ARE FREE. I've been using a scale for a long time and I've never seen comments like this when I'm on a site that uses cups/tsp; no one complains that it's not grams. Try using the scale, it's wonderful! No cups or spoons to wash, everything can be measured into the bowl.
Now on to the recipe - it was wonderful. I used raspberries from my garden as it's their season now. It was great, thank you!
Amy S. says
I made this and it was fantastic! Easy to follow recipe. Purchased a scale on Amazon for less than $20. Will definitely make again. Love your replies! People are funny.
Lori F. says
So, this cake did not work for me, but I take full responsibility. I was making it as part of a meal to bring to a friend who just had a baby and she is gluten-free and dairy free. So I decided to substitute 1:1 gluten-free baking flour, plant-based utter, and full fat coconut milk (I thought that another option, mayo, would be too heavy.). I recognized that texture might not be the same, but I was hoping for the best.
It went pretty well until I poured the batter into my parchment-lined loaf pan and realized that it was pretty full. I was concerned to try anyway. My suspicions were confirmed after it was baking for a few minutes and it already started overflowing the pan. My only option was to provide to transfer it to a ceramic baker that I had. This went about as well as you would think (And, yes, I can see all of you who are reading this that your faces are scrunched up and you’re thinking, “oooh, no”.). But I rescued what I could, put it back in the oven, and let it finish baking. When I tried to take it out of the baker, the whole cake fell apart because the parchment sling had folded underneath the cake.
So, not to let a cake go to waste, we tried it anyway, and it was delicious. Light and fluffy, very moist, and still had some of the crunchy topping.
I know what I did wrong and think that if I just use the ceramic baker, the cake will turn out fine. Just not tomorrow…
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Changing this to gluten-free flour, plant-based butter, and coconut milk definitely caused your issues! The fat content was definitely not the same as in my recipe and you had a lot more liquid in there than my recipe calls for, and that's what caused the problem. I'm glad you still liked it!
Dee says
First, I tried your Orange Pound Cake. Although I have been baking *forever* I haven’t had much luck with pound cake. That changed with your recipe! It was quite good at first, but after two days of aging, it was sublime! I always recommend baking cakes, at least two days ahead, so it Check the mail can have two days to age at room temperature. That gives all the flavors time to get chummy with each other.
Then I tried your Lemon, blueberry Pound cake. It’s not blueberry season, so I left out the blueberries. it was fantastic also!
Abby says
I made this loaf with freshly picked juneberries instead of blueberries, and oh. My. Gosh. It is so delicious. Unfortunately, a small undercooking mishap (realized too little too late) led to half the loaf being unsalvageable, but the parts that I could eat, I certainly did. 10/10 will try again, and I look forward to getting it right so I can keep this recipe in the rotation!!
Meliss K says
My favorite recipe to make!!