Lemon and Blackberry Cake
This gorgeous Lemon and Blackberry Cake is moist, fruity, and created in one bowl. Filled with vibrant blackberries which can be fresh or frozen, they add a burst of sweetness and tang along with the freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest. This easy lemon and blackberry cake is served with a dusting of icing sugar, if desired.
This recipe is a simple one bowl vanilla cake with a straightforward method. It makes a single layer 8-inch round cake. This size cake is wonderful when you don’t need a multi-layered cake that uses a bulk of ingredients.
Having an easy blackberry lemon cake recipe is perfect to make and enjoy during the warmer summer months when they’re in season. You can also have this blackberry cake during the cooler months and use frozen blackberries.
Including berries in your cakes, cupcakes, and muffins is a delicious way to add freshness and different flavors to your recipes, such as these White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins. You might also like to try this delightful One Bowl Lemon Yogurt Cake which is wonderful served as a morning or afternoon tea cake.
This Raspberry Olive Oil Cake and my Apple Cinnamon Cake are other stunning single layer cakes to try out after you bake this lemon blackberry cake.
For an eggless option, my Vanilla Cake without Eggs is perfect.
🍰 Why You Will Love This Cake Recipe
- Blackberries add sweetness and tang.
- One bowl cake method makes this cake so easy.
- Single layer cake with no frosting is a wonderful recipe to have on hand when you need to whip up something simple and quick.
📋 Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Plain flour: I use unbleached plain all purpose flour but you can also use just plain all purpose flour.
Unsalted butter: I typically always use unsalted butter in my baking recipes as I like to add salt as a separate ingredient to have more control over the flavor. If you only have salted butter on hand, I suggest omitting the added 1/4 teaspoon salt in this recipe to avoid altering the flavor too much.
Sugar: You can use either golden or white caster/superfine sugar for your cake. I love to use golden as it adds extra flavor and it isn’t as processed as the white version.
Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed juice from a ripe lemon for this lemon cake. This provides the best and most authentic flavor compared to using store-bought bottled lemon juice.
Blackberries: I used frozen blackberries in my cake but you can also use fresh. If you choose to use frozen blackberries, do not thaw them before, just add them straight from the freezer and into your cake batter.
Icing sugar: There is no frosting for this cake as it shines by itself and its moist texture is enough. I like a light dusting of icing sugar to compliment it, but that is an optional step.
🥣 Step By Step Instructions
1) In a medium size mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
2) In a large mixing bowl, using either electric hand beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attached, add softened butter to the bowl. Beat butter for a few seconds to break it up and it begins to turn creamy. This makes it easier on your beater when the sugar is added.
3) Add sugar and lemon zest. Beat with the butter for 2 minutes until pale and creamy. Scraping down the sides as needed.
4) Add eggs one at a time, beating for 10 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides as needed.
5) Pour in milk, oil, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat for 15 seconds until well combined. Scrape down the sides again.
6) Add half of the dry flour mixture and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides and add the remaining flour. Beat until incorporated, ensuring not to over-beat, just until the flour has combined.
7) Add blackberries and gently fold through until combined, ensuring not to over-mix. Pour into the lined pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
8)Press a few extra blackberries on top of the cake batter.
9) Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and it’s lightly golden all over. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Carefully remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9) To serve, dust a light layer of icing sugar if desired. Serve and enjoy!
💭 Top Tips
Make sure to measure your baking ingredients accurately to achieve the best results. Check out my helpful guide on how to measure basic ingredients.
Ensure your cold ingredients come to room temperature before making your cake. The butter, eggs, and milk.
Do not over-mix this cake batter as it will result in a tough texture after baking.
You can use either frozen or fresh blackberries. If using frozen, do not thaw them before adding them to your batter.
Store cake in an airtight container, in a dry dark pantry for 2-3 days. If it’s humid, store it in the refrigerator to help it stay fresh.
🥄 Related Recipes
Lemon and Blackberry Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups plain all-purpose flour scooped & leveled
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 125 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup golden or white caster sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 large eggs, approx. 55g-60g in shell, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp 5ml vanilla extract
- 1 cup frozen or fresh blackberries, plus a small handful of extra fresh or frozen blackberries for topping
- 1-2 tbsp Icing sugar, to serve if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180ºC (356ºF). Line a round 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, set aside. NOTE: Alternatively, if you have a non-stick pan, liberally grease it with melted butter and dust it with a light layer of flour. This will leave your finished cake with smooth sides.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using either electric hand beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attached, add softened butter to the bowl.
- Beat butter for a few seconds to break it up and it begins to turn creamy. This makes it easier on your beater when the sugar is added.
- Add sugar and lemon zest. Beat with the butter for 2 minutes until pale and creamy. Scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating for 10 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Pour in milk, oil, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat for 15 seconds until well combined. Scrape down the sides again.
- Add half of the dry flour mixture and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides and add the remaining flour. Beat until incorporated, ensuring not to over-beat, just until the flour has combined then turn off the beater. If some excess flour is still visible around the sides of the bowl, gently fold it in with a spatula. If you over-beat, the cake can turn tough and dense after baking.
- Add blackberries and gently fold through until combined, ensuring not to over-mix.
- Pour into the lined pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
- Press a few extra blackberries on top of the cake batter.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and it’s lightly golden all over.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To serve, dust a light layer of icing sugar if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
Absolutely loved making this cake. Recipe clear and easy to follow. So light and tasty. Great for using the abundance of blackberries this year. I think it would be lovely warm with custard or ice-cream too.
thank you for recipe
Sarahx
Hi Sarah! I’m so happy to hear that you loved making this cake and found the recipe both clear and easy to follow. 🙂 It’s always a joy to make the most of seasonal blackberries, isn’t it? Your suggestion to pair the cake with warm custard or ice cream sounds absolutely delightful; I’ll have to try that myself! Thank you for taking a moment to share your experience with this recipe, Sarah. Kindest, Sam x
Absolutely delicious, moist cake using the (free) blackberries I picked whilst out walking.
I have another one in the oven as I write!
Hi Shelly! I’m thrilled to hear the cake turned out moist and delicious for you! Love that you even picked your own blackberries, mother nature’s freebies 🙂 Fantastic you have another one in the oven. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience Shelly. Happy baking! Kindest, Sam
This was delicious, thank you!
Hi Tracy, so happy to hear you enjoyed this blackberry cake! It’s a wonderful change from a regular vanilla/lemon cake. Thanks for sharing, Sam x