Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

• Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries for this recipe, but I prefer fresh for their firm, juicy texture. If you’re using frozen, don’t thaw them first—they’ll bleed into the batter and turn it purple. Either way, toss them with a little flour before folding them in to help keep them from sinking. Raspberries would be delicious, too!
• Lemon zest: This is the bright yellow, thinnest outer layer of a lemon, packed with fragrant citrus oils. This is where the bold lemon flavor comes from! I use a microplane to finely zest the lemon, making sure to only get the bright yellow part—not the bitter white pith underneath. Be sure to zest your lemon before juicing it.
• Butter: It should be softened but not melted. The easiest way to soften butter is to let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. If you’re short on time, cutting it into small cubes will help it soften faster.
• Cream cheese & sour cream: This duo is my go-to for making pound cake extra moist and tender. Make sure it’s fully softened so it blends smoothly with the butter.
• Eggs + 1 egg white: Whole eggs add richness, structure and moisture. The extra egg white helps lighten the cake’s texture so it doesn’t feel too dense.
• Pantry staples: You’ll also need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla extract.
• For the lemon glaze: You’ll need powdered sugar, freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. I recommend sifting the powdered sugar for a silky-smooth consistency. Again, remember to zest your lemon before juicing it. If you prefer a less tangy glaze (and for a less translucent appearance), you can swap the lemon juice for whole milk or heavy cream.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

1. Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar. Beat them together until the mixture is light and creamy—this helps create air pockets that make the cake tender.

2. Add the eggs and egg white one at a time, mixing well between each.

3. Mix in the lemon zest and vanilla extract.

4. Toss the blueberries with 2 tablespoons of flour.

5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and sour cream. Start and end with the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

6. Fold in the blueberries. Gently stir them in with a spatula to avoid crushing them.

7. Bake in a greased and floured bundt pan. A 10-cup bundt pan works best. To prevent sticking, grease every nook and cranny, then dust with flour or use a baking spray with flour in it.

8. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a rack.

9. Make the glaze by whisking confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and zest until smooth.

10. Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled cake, then slice and serve!

Enjoy a slice alongside a cup of coffee or tea for an afternoon pick-me-up. Want to dress it up? Try it with a scoop of homemade no-churn vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream or a handful of fresh berries for an effortlessly elegant dessert. However you slice it, this blueberry lemon cake is proof that simple desserts are sometimes the best!

Common Pound Cake Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them!)

1. Not measuring accurately. Pound cake is meant to be dense, but it should never be dry or crumbly. To get that perfect texture, use the fluff-and-scoop method when measuring flour—fluff the flour with a spoon, lightly spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
2. Using cold ingredients. Let your butter, cream cheese, eggs and sour cream come to room temperature before mixing for a smoother, well-incorporated batter.
3. Overmixing the batter. The more you mix, the more gluten develops and the tougher your cake will be. Stir just until the ingredients are combined for a tender crumb.
4. Adding fruit without coating it in flour. Ever had all your fruit sink to the bottom of your cake? Tossing berries (or other mix-ins) with a little flour before folding them into the batter helps suspend them evenly throughout the cake, preventing that dreaded fruit pile-up at the bottom.
5. Not greasing the pan well enough. Bundt pans can be tricky! Grease every single nook and cranny with butter or nonstick spray, then dust with flour to prevent sticking.
6. Using the wrong type of pan. For this pound cake recipe, you’ll need a 10-cup bundt pan. I’ve never tested this recipe in a tube pan, so I can’t say with certainty what the results would be. And if you’re looking for a loaf-style cake, try my original cream cheese pound cake recipe instead!
7. Removing the cake from the pan too soon. I know it’s tempting, but when it’s done baking, let the cake sit in the bundt pan for 10 minutes (no more, no less) before turning it out onto a wire rack. Removing it too soon can cause it to fall apart, while waiting too long can make it stick.
8. Pouring the glaze on a warm cake. If the cake is still warm, the glaze will soak in rather than set on top. Let the cake cool completely before drizzling on that bright, citrusy glaze.

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