Lemon Blueberry Mascarpone Cake

This bright and flavorful lemon blueberry mascarpone cake features mascarpone in both the cake and frosting. A light and fluffy lemon cake acts as the perfect base to showcase the delicious blueberry lemon mascarpone buttercream.

This recipe takes me back to where Kneaded That started for me! I used to make cakes and cupcakes all the time for friends, family, and clients.

I love a good lemon blueberry cake any time of year, but this is especially fun in the spring and summer! Looking for another lemon blueberry treat? Try my lemon blueberry cookies next. If you want a lemony, frosting-covered breakfast idea, you should check out my lemon raspberry sweet rolls too 🙂

Ingredients

This lemon blueberry cake uses fresh lemons and freeze-dried blueberries for a fresh, vibrant dessert!

• Lemon Mascarpone Cake:
  • Unsalted butter
  • Mascarpone cheese
  • Sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Lemons (for zest)
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Cake flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
• Lemon Blueberry Mascarpone Frosting:
  • Unsalted butter
  • Mascarpone cheese
  • Powdered sugar
  • Freeze-dried blueberry powder
  • Whole Milk
  • Lemon zest

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare 3 8-inch cake pans with butter or cooking spray. I like to add parchment paper to the bottom as well to ensure nothing sticks. 
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or mixing bowl, beat butter, mascarpone, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy using a paddle attachment. 
3. Add lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix until combined. 
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and gradually add in the egg whites, mixing until just combined. 
5. In a separate bowl, mix cake flour, salt, and baking powder. 
6. Slowly add the room-temperature milk and mix until just combined, then add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. 
7. Divide between the 3 prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes or until the cakes are set and no longer jiggle in the center. Allow to completely cool before decorating (or even chill in the fridge). 

Make the frosting

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, beat butter and mascarpone until smooth and creamy.
2. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix in between to prevent it from blowing out of the bowl while mixing.
3. Add the lemon zest, blueberry powder, vanilla extract, and milk and beat well.
4. Stir down the sides and mix again. Wait until the cake layers are fully cooled before assembling!

Assemble the cake:

1. This specific cake doesn’t dome much while baking, but if you need to, level the tops of the cakes before assembling using a large serrated knife. Place one of the cake layers onto a plate or surface of choice. 
2. Using a large, 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, place 5 scoops of frosting onto the top (if you don’t have a cookie scoop, this would be 15 tablespoons or just under 1 cup of frosting per layer)
3. Repeat this step until all 3 layers are added to the cake with the tops frosted. Use the remaining frosting to ice the sides. I highly recommend doing a crumb coat here*. 
4. Decorate with lemon slices, blueberries, and/or lemon zest. Enjoy!

Hint: Always use room-temperature ingredients! Even one cold ingredient could chill the others and cause the batter or frosting to mix unevenly. This is especially true with mascarpone cheese and butter!

Substitutions

• Milk: Use high-fat non-dairy milk if you don't want to use dairy! I highly recommend  Oatly oat milk (full-fat or regular would be ideal).
• Mascarpone: While I haven't tested using a mascarpone alternative, I think a non-dairy cream cheese would work great here. There are lots of great ones out there like Kite Hill's cream cheese. (If you try it out, let me know how it goes!)
• Butter: Use a non-dairy butter like Country Crock's plant butter. A neutral oil (like coconut oil) would work well here too! I've also had great luck using that brand in frosting.
• Cake flour: All-purpose flour will work great here too.

Variations

• More blueberries: gently fold in 1 cup of fresh blueberries into the cake batter (toss them lightly in flour before adding to pr
• Different berries: Try raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries instead! You can find freeze-dried berries on Amazon.
• Different citrus: Orange or grapefruit would be a yummy alternative.

Equipment

• • Stand Mixer (with paddle and whisk attachment)
• • Zester or grater
• • 3 tablespoon cookie scoop (optional) 
  • I used the largest scoop from this set
• • 3 8-inch cake pans
• • Knife for icing

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 5 days after baking.

Freeze a completed cake for up to 3 months (make sure it is thoroughly wrapped in cling wrap and an airtight container). You can freeze uniced cake layers for up to 2 months. I don't recommend freezing frosting!

FAQ

Related

Looking for other sweet recipes like this? Try these:

Lemon Blueberry Mascarpone Cake

Light and flavorful lemon blueberry mascarpone cake with mascarpone in both the cake and frosting. A light and fluffy lemon cake acts as the perfect base to showcase the delicious blueberry lemon mascarpone buttercream.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 28 minutes mins

Decorating Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Slices

Equipment

• Stand Mixer (with paddle and whisk attachment)
• Zester or grater
• 3 tablespoon cookie scoop (optional )
• 3 8-inch cake pans
• Knife for icing

Ingredients

  

Lemon Mascarpone Cake

• 1 ½ cup granulated sugar 300g, room temp
• 1 ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese room temp
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoon lemon zest roughly 2 large lemons
• 6 egg whites room temp
• 2 ½ cup cake flour 300g
• 4 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk room temp

Lemon Blueberry Mascarpone Buttercream

• 1 cup Butter room temp
• ¾ cup Mascarpone
• 5 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoon whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon lemon zest roughly 1 large lemon
• 8 tablespoon freeze-dried blueberries finely ground

Instructions

 

Make the cake

• Preheat oven to 350F and prepare 3 8-inch cake pans with butter or cooking spray. I like to add parchment paper to the bottom as well to ensure nothing sticks.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or mixing bowl, beat butter, mascarpone, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy using a paddle attachment.
• Add lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and gradually add in the egg whites, mixing until just combined.
• In a separate bowl, mix cake flour, salt, and baking powder.
• Slowly add the room-temperature milk and mix until just combined, then add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
• Divide between the 3 prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes or until the cakes are set and no longer jiggle in the center. Allow to completely cool before decorating (or even chill in the fridge).

Make the frosting

• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, beat butter and mascarpone until smooth and creamy.
• Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix in between to prevent it from blowing out of the bowl while mixing.
• Add the lemon zest, blueberry powder, vanilla extract, and milk and beat well. Stir down the sides and mix again.

Assemble the cake

• This cake doesn’t dome much, but if you need to, level the tops of the cakes prior to assembling using a large serrated knife. Place one of the cake layers onto a plate or surface of choice.
• Using a large, 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, place 5 scoops of frosting onto the top (if you don’t have a cookie scoop, this would be 15 tablespoons or just under 1 cup of frosting per layer)
• Repeat this step until all 3 layers are added to the cake with the tops frosted. Use the remaining frosting to ice the sides. I highly recommend doing a crumb coat here*.
• Decorate with lemon slices, blueberries, and/or lemon zest. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Crumb Coats: To do a crumb coat, apply a very thin layer of frosting all over the outside of the cake, not worrying about crumbs. Then chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes or so until the icing is hard and not sticky to the touch. This will make the final layer smooth and crumb-free!)
2. Storage: refrigerate for up to 5 days after baking. Freeze a completed cake for up to 3 months (make sure it is thoroughly wrapped in cling wrap and an airtight container)
3. Tip: Always use room-temperature ingredients! Even one cold ingredient could chill the others and cause the batter or frosting to mix unevenly. This is especially true with mascarpone cheese and butter!

Keyword cake, dessert

Food safety

• Do not consume raw batter.
• Wash hands after touching raw batter.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.