Bursting with juicy blueberries and bright lemon notes, this Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Cake is light, moist, and an ideal weekend treat.
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One of our favorite summer pastimes is visiting u-pick farms to pick blueberries. It’s relaxing, fun, and an easy way to come home with a generous supply of fruit. Picking also lets us stock the freezer so we can enjoy the flavor of fresh berries long after the season ends.
Oregon produces a large share of the nation’s blueberries, and we’re lucky to have several farms nearby where you can pick a variety of sweet, flavorful berries.
Frozen berries are excellent in baked goods, and this Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Cake shows why. Frozen or fresh blueberries stay juicy and add moisture to the cake, keeping it tender and flavorful even after baking.
This cake comes together easily with simple ingredients: flour, butter, unsweetened applesauce, sugar, buttermilk, lemon zest, vanilla, and blueberries. While it bakes the kitchen fills with a wonderful citrus-berry aroma, and the finished cake tastes heavenly warm or at room temperature.
The cake is nicely balanced in sweetness, but if you prefer a touch more sweetness and lemon, a light lemon glaze complements it beautifully.
Other recipes you might enjoy
- Lemon Poppy-Seed Tea Bread
- Rhubarb Crisp With Peaches and Raspberries
- Yellow Squash Zucchini Bread
Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Cake
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup softened butter
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup low-fat buttermilk see notes for buttermilk substitutes
- 2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare an 8 or 9-inch pan with non-stick spray. An 8×7-inch oblong dish also works well.
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Toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of the all-purpose flour in a small bowl. Set aside while you prepare the batter.
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In a large bowl, beat the applesauce, softened butter, ¾ cup sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
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Add 1¾ cups of the flour, baking powder, salt, and buttermilk to the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a large spoon until nearly combined. Add the blueberries, leaving behind any excess flour, and fold until the batter is uniform. Take care not to mash the berries; the batter will be thick.
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Turn the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake 45–60 minutes, depending on pan size and oven; begin checking at 45 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
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Allow the cake to cool for about 20 minutes before slicing. For a brighter finish, drizzle with a lemon glaze while still warm (see notes). Enjoy!
Notes
Buttermilk substitute: Combine ½ cup milk (not non-fat) with ½ tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice and let stand about 5 minutes to thicken.
Baking pan & times: An 8×7-inch oblong dish works nicely; you can also use an 8- or 9-inch square pan. Baking time will vary by pan size—start checking at 45 minutes.
Lemon glaze: For extra sweetness whisk ½ cup confectioners’ sugar with 1 tablespoon milk and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (juice of ½ small lemon). Drizzle over warm cake.
Calorie facts are for one of eight servings.
Nutritional information is an estimate provided for convenience and may not be exact.
Nutrition
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 8 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories 202 | |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 6.7g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat 3.9g | 20% |
| Cholesterol 36mg | 12% |
| Sodium 65mg | 3% |
| Total Carbohydrate 34.6g | 13% |
| Dietary Fiber 1.3g | 5% |
| Total Sugars 23.9g | |
| Protein 2.8g | |
| Vitamin D 6mcg | 30% |
| Calcium 25mg | 2% |
| Iron 1mg | 6% |
| Potassium 78mg | 2% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) indicates how a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet based on a 2,000 calorie reference. |
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