Nothing says summer more than a fresh lemon cake. It is even better when it’s an easy sheet cake! This lemon sheet cake with blueberry frosting is made from scratch with fresh lemons and blueberries. It is all topped with a blueberry cream cheese buttercream made with a fresh blueberry sauce. This cake is moist, super flavorful, light, and all HOMEMADE!
How To Make Lemon Sheet Cake From Scratch
I actually made this cake 4 times to find the perfect balance of moist cake to flavorful lemon. I wanted a cake that resembled a box cake mix that tasted even better when it’s homemade.
While doing research, I found that the lemon cake box mix uses lemon pudding mix to make it super moist. There aren’t any fresh lemon flavors in a box mix!
I ] made it my mission to get the perfect lemon sheet cake. To do that I used fresh lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and lots of eggs.
The key to making this sheet cake super fluffy is to beat the butter with the sugar and lemon zest. Creaming the butter is what gives it the light and airy texture. The rest of the cake you mix on low. Too much air will cause your cake to sink!
Since this a lemon cake, you want to use fresh lemons! Use 2 large lemons and zest them both. Then, take one of the lemons and use a juicer to get freshly squeezed lemon juice.
If you choose to use lemon juice from a bottle, it won’t give as strong of a lemon flavor. Fresh is best!
Cake Flour VS All Purpose Flour
There is actually a big difference between the two! When I first started baking, I didn’t think it would be a big deal if I used all purpose flour instead of cake flour. It actually matters for certain cakes.
Cake flour has less gluten than all purpose flour. Cake flour has a much lighter texture. Since the cake flour has less gluten, it means the cake will be much more moist and tender.
A more tender lemon cake is a must! The whole point of this lemon sheet cake with blueberry frosting is that it is a light and tender cake.
How To Get Lemon Sheet Cake Out Of The Pan
Since you are making a lemon sheet cake, you will need a 9X13 pan.
The best way to get the cake out of the pan is to spray the pan with non-stick baking spray. Then, line the bottom and 2 sides of the pan with parchment paper. Once the parchment paper is in, spray the pan again with the baking spray.
Once the cake is baked, leave it in the pan for 10 minutes. Slowly cooling in the pan, allows the cake to leave the sides of the pan. Then, turn it over onto a cooling rack. Immediately take off the parchment paper.
Since sheet cake is so big, and it can be too flimsy to move. I strongly suggest that once the cake is cooled, wrap it in cling wrap and place it in the freezer.
A cold cake is not only easier to move, it is also easier to decorate. Before you frost the cake, leave it on the counter for 1 hour. Too cold of a cake will mess with the frosting.
Homemade Fresh Blueberry Sauce
Having fresh blueberries in the frosting is so important for the overall flavor of the cake. However, we don’t want blueberry chunks in the frosting! To fix that just make this blueberry sauce, then use it in the frosting.
You can use frozen blueberries (10 oz bag). I prefer to use fresh blueberries, because I feel it gives it more of an OOMPH.
To make it, start by mixing fresh blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Then, cook it on medium until the sugar melts. This will take 1-2 minutes. It doesn’t take too long.
Next, use a blender or food processor and blend up the blueberries into a puree. Then, pour it back in the saucepan and cook it until it deepens in color.
Now, grab a strainer and strain the sauce. It should be silky smooth. Then, just discard the thick berries that get left behind.
Make sure the blueberry sauce is cooled completely before adding it into the frosting.
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
A blueberry cream cheese frosting pairs so well with the lemon cake. It also gives it a natural color that is so fun!
The key for this frosting is the cream cheese has to be room temperature. Room temperature cream cheese is a lot easier to whip up so there are not lumps.
Also, you are using slightly cold butter. Leave the butter on the counter for 30 minutes before making the frosting. The butter should be cold to the touch, but you can leave a finger indent on the butter.
Blend the cream cheese on medium using a stand or hand mixer. Once it is creamy and smooth, add in the slightly cold butter. Then, mix again until the butter is smooth with no butter chunks.
Next, add in the sifted powdered sugar. It HAS to be sifted. If you don’t sift the powdered sugar, the frosting can be gritty. It may seem like a lot of powdered sugar, but it is necessary to keep the frosting firm enough.
Then, add in the salt, blueberry sauce, and heavy cream. Blend everything together on low, then turn it up to high and let the mixer run for 4 minutes. The blueberry frosting will turn light in color and in texture.
Once the frosting is ready, place it in the fridge for 15 minutes. This allows for the butter to solidify a bit and makes it a lot easier to decorate the cake.
After it chills there will be a lot of air bubbles. To get rid of them, use a wooden spoon and beat it by hand. After a few minutes it will become smooth and creamy again.
Decorating The Lemon Sheet Cake With Blueberry Frosting
To get the fun texture that I have on this cake, use the back of the spoon and swirl it around. Before you do that, you will need to get an even amount of frosting and smooth it on.
Once the cake is frosted, you can either leave it like that or you can add fresh blueberries, some lemon zest, or even lemon wedges.
How To Store The Cake
You can store the cake cut into slices, or stored whole. Store the cake in an air tight container in the fridge. It will last up to 7 days in the fridge.
You can also store the cake on a cutting board and wrap it in aluminum foil. This method is great if you are going to serve it at a party soon. Only keep the cake on the cutting board for up to 2 days in the fridge.
Can This Cake Be Frozen
Yes! This cake can be frozen. Cut the cake into slices, then wrap each slice in cling wrap. Then, store in an air tight container and freeze it for up to 30 days.
Other Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats and leave me a review below if you made this cake. I hope you loved it! To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
Lemon Sheet Cake with Blueberry Frosting
Ingredients
Lemon Sheet Cake
- 3/4 cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup White granulated sugar
- 2 Lemons zested
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 3 Large eggs room temperature
- 1 Egg yolk room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups Cake flour
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 3/4 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk room temperature
- 1/4 cup Lemon juice (1 lemon) freshly squeezed
Blueberry Sauce
- 1 cup Blueberries washed and dried
- 1/4 cup White granulated sugar
- 1 TBSP Lemon juice
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3/4 cup Unsalted butter slightly cold
- 3 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- 4 1/2 cups Powdered sugar sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 4 TBSP Blueberry sauce
- 1/2 TBSP Heavy cream
Instructions
Lemon Sheet Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9X13 inch pan with a non-stick baking spray. Line the bottom and 2 sides of the pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium for 2 minutes. It should become light in color and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add in the eggs and egg yolk one at a time on low. Mix until just combined. Between eggs, scrape the bowl.
- Combine the lemon juice and buttermilk. Add in 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the buttermilk. Mix until mostly combined. Add in another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk. Mix. Then, add the rest of the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl and mix for another 10 seconds.
- Pour the cake batter into the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow cake to cool completely. The cake will be a lot easier to handle if you wrap in cling wrap and freeze the cake. Then, 1 hour before frosting, bring the cake to room temperature. It will be a lot easier to frost!
Blueberry Sauce
- Using a saucepan on medium heat, mix the fresh blueberries, sugar and lemon juice. Heat the mixture until the sugar melts.
- Pour blueberries into a blender and puree them. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat until sauce darkens in color and slightly thickens. this should take 1-3 minutes.
- Strain the sauce through a strainer until all is left is smooth and silky blueberry sauce. Allow it to cool completely before storing in the fridge.
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Set the butter on the counter for 30 minutes. It should be slightly cold to the touch. While the butter is on the counter, sift the powdered sugar.
- Using a mixer, beat the room temperature cream cheese on medium for 1 minute. Then, add in the butter and beat for 1 minute. The butter should be smooth and fluffy with no butter chunks.
- Add in the sifted powdered sugar slowly. Once all combined, scrape the bowl and mix for 20 seconds.
- Add in salt, vanilla, blueberry sauce, and heavy cream. Mix on low until it starts to combine, then beat on high for 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl and beat again for 1 minute.
- Place the frosting in the fridge for 15 minutes. Then, take a wooden spoon and beat the frosting by hand until all air bubbles are smooth.
- Frost the cake. Use the back of a spoon the get the textured look. Top the cake with fresh blueberries and lemon zest. Keep the cake in the fridge until ready to serve.
Theresa Illyria
I enjoyed the strong lemony flavor, the cake and the icing were sweet and the blueberries and lemon zest on top really added a nice tartness to balance out the creaminess of the icing and the sweetness of the cake.
London Calling
I have a deep and abiding love for anything lemon flavored, and I just adored this cake! I am usually a little hesitant when it comes to cream cheese frosting, I tend to find it too heavy in both flavor and consistency, but I really love how this came out–the blueberry cream cheese frosting was so light and fluffy, I could eat several pieces in a row! So dangerous! I’m usually a little hit and miss when it comes to blueberry pastries, some I really love and some I’d rather pass on, but the flavors on this were so well matched without being too overwhelming or attempting to overpower each other, I just loved how they balanced out.
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Wow! Mouthwatering dish. Thanks for sharing this lovely dish.
Lily
Love this recipe! Can you make this into a layered cake? If so, are there any adjustments to the recipe?
Stephanie Rutherford
yes you can! I recommend using all-purpose flour instead of cake flour. It will be more stable. I recommend 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour. I haven’t personally made this cake into a layer cake, but i bet it will be so good!