This fluffy & moist lemon blackberry cake is studded with fresh juicy blackberries, swirled with sweet blackberry jam, and drizzled with tart lemon glaze. It's the best light coffee cake for breakfast or an afternoon snack, or an indulgent dessert.
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Fresh Blackberry Lemon Cake to Turn Your Day Around
So I secretly call this my "Sunshine Cake." When the to-do lists feel never-ending, and I need a small win, I gift myself this fruity & tangy lemon blackberry coffee cake. And that citrusy lemon glaze? It can turn even the worst of days around.
To create the perfect balance of sweet + tart in every bite, I packed this summery cake with lemon flavor from both lemon juice + lemon zest in the cake aaand the glaze! And a combo of fresh (or frozen) blackberries and blackberry jam add bursts of juicy, fruity flavor in every single bite. Because, let's get real here, lemon + blackberry is a total power couple, which is why I also adore it in my glazed lemon blackberry scones.
My Inspiration for this Cake
Growing up in Germany, I developed a love for fresh, not overly-sweet cakes. And I was inspired to create a little twist on my favorite German Zitronenkuchen with this delectable lemon blackberry cake from scratch. So we're creaming the butter and sugar together to ensure the cake is rich and airy. And while some recipes out there include mascarpone whipped cream, lemon curd, or cream cheese frosting, I prefer to keep this a simple one-layer glazed cake, reminiscent of Kaffee und Kuchen moments from my childhood, just like my moist lemon lavender cake.
Ingredients You'll Need: blackberries, all purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, lemons, eggs, vanilla extract, milk, blackberry jam, and powdered sugar.
Welcome to My Kitchen - Let's Bake this Cake!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
2. Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until creamy.
3. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla extract.
5. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
7. Fold the flour-coated blackberries into the cake batter.
9. As the cake bakes, mix the glaze.
4. Mix in the milk (it's okay if it looks a little lumpy).
6. Toss the blackberries in flour to coat them.
8. Spread in a cake pan and swirl blackberry jam on top.
10. Drizzle the glaze on top.
Carissa's Kitchen Hack
Grab a full pint of blackberries, which is 2 cups. We'll mix 1¾ cups of blackberries into the cake, then you can save the last ¼ cup for decoration on top.
Tips for Baking Bliss
- Cake Perfection: Don’t skip tossing the blackberries in flour - this prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the batter. It also absorbs some of the excess moisture from the berries so your cake doesn’t become wet or discolored.
- Raspberries: Wild blackberries grow like weeds here in the PNW, but if you can't find any, you can swap in raspberries to make my streusel raspberry coffee cake instead.
Easy Lemon Blackberry Cake with Lemon Glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Blackberry Cake
- 1¾ cups fresh blackberries (almost 1 pint; save any remaining berries for decorating)
- 2 cups all purpose flour, plus 1 Tablespoon, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (1 stick)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (from one large lemon)
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed (from one large lemon)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup blackberry jam
Lemon Glaze
- 1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest (from half a large lemon)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch or 10-inch round springform pan or cake pan.
- Wash the blackberries in a colander or sieve. Set them aside to air dry while you prepare the cake batter.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk 2 cups of the flour with the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until it is fluffy.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture again to combine everything. (It’s okay if it looks split at this point; everything will come together once the dry ingredients are mixed in.)
- Add the milk and mix just until it’s combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and gently mix with a large spoon or spatula until you no longer see dry pockets of flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well mixed. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, toss the blackberries in 1 tablespoon of flour. Add the coated blackberries to the cake batter, leaving any excess flour in the bowl. Gently fold them into the batter.
- Spread the cake batter into the greased cake pan in an even layer. Dollop small spoonful’s of the blackberry jam on top, and use a knife to gently swirl the jam into the batter.
- Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cake cools, make the glaze. Mix in the powdered sugar, lemon zest, salt, and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Mix in another teaspoon of lemon juice at a time until it’s still thick, but a drizzle-able consistency.
- Remove the cake from the cake pan, then drizzle the glaze over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides. Slice & enjoy!
Notes
- Storing: Since this cake is studded with berries, I recommend storing it in the fridge instead of at room temperature if you have leftovers after the first day.
- Frozen Berries: Fresh, ripe blackberries provide the best flavor and color in this cake. However, if you're substituting frozen blackberries, use your berries straight from the freezer (don’t thaw them). You’ll probably need to add a little extra bake time, and toss the frozen berries in two tablespoons of flour (instead of one) to help absorb the excess moisture they’ll release into the cake.
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