Blackberry Lemonade Cake Recipe – Moist Lemon Layer Cake with Fresh Blackberry Filling
This Blackberry Lemonade Cake recipe features soft, fluffy lemon cake layers filled with homemade blackberry compote and topped with tangy lemon buttercream frosting. Bursting with fresh citrus flavor and juicy blackberries, this moist lemon layer cake is the perfect summer dessert for birthdays, brunches, or warm-weather gatherings. If you love bright lemonade flavor paired with sweet berries, this easy blackberry lemon cake will quickly become a favorite.
Servings 12 slices
Calories 520kcal
Cost $14 for entire recipe
Equipment
- Two 8-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls (large and medium)
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Whisk
- Microplane or zester (for fresh lemon zest)
- Saucepan (for blackberry compote)
- Cooling racks
- Offset spatula (for frosting)
- Cake turntable (optional, for smooth frosting)
- Piping bag (optional, for filling border)
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 2 ½ cups 300g all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup 226g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups 350g granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Blackberry Compote
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water slurry
Lemon Buttercream
- 1 cup 226g unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2–3 tbsp heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
1️⃣ Make the Blackberry Compote
- Add blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan.
- Simmer over medium heat for 5–7 minutes until berries break down.
- Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened.
- Cool completely before using.
2️⃣ Bake the Lemon Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3–4 minutes).
- Add eggs one at a time. Mix in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk.
- Divide batter evenly and bake 30–35 minutes.
- Cool completely before assembling.
3️⃣ Make Lemon Buttercream
- Beat butter until smooth.
- Gradually add powdered sugar.
- Add lemon juice, zest, salt, and cream.
- Beat until fluffy and pipeable.
4️⃣ Assemble
- Place first cake layer on stand.
- Pipe a buttercream border.
- Spread blackberry compote in the center.
- Add second layer.
- Frost entire cake.
- Decorate with fresh blackberries, lemon slices, or edible flowers.
Notes
- For the best flavor, use fresh lemon juice and real lemon zest. Bottled juice won’t give the same bright lemonade taste in this blackberry lemonade cake.
- If using frozen blackberries, thaw and drain them first to prevent excess moisture in the blackberry compote filling.
- To make this a super moist lemon layer cake, brush each cake layer with a light lemon simple syrup before adding the blackberry filling.
- Chill the blackberry compote completely before assembling. Warm filling can melt the lemon buttercream and cause sliding layers.
- For a stronger lemonade flavor, add ½ teaspoon lemon extract to the cake batter.
- This blackberry lemon cake can be made ahead. Bake the cake layers, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 days before frosting.
- Store the finished blackberry lemonade cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let slices sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving for the best texture.
- You can turn this into blackberry lemonade cupcakes by dividing the batter into 24 liners and baking for 18–20 minutes.