Old fashioned Lemon Blueberry Mascarpone Cake with lemon curd and blueberry compote! That mascarpone frosting is to die for! You've got to try this easy lemon blueberry mascarpone cake from scratch!
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And if you like this cake, you'll love my Pineapple Upside Down Cake in Cast Iron Skillet, my Peach Mango Pie, and my Earl Grey Lavender Cake with Honey-Lemon Glaze!
Best Lemon Blueberry Mascarpone Cake Recipe
If springtime had a signature cake, this would be it. This lemon blueberry mascarpone cake with lemon curd is soft, bursting with fresh lemon flavor, loaded with juicy blueberries, and topped with a light and fluffy mascarpone frosting that tastes like a cross between whipped cream and cheesecake.
Whether you're baking for brunch, a baby shower, or just because you feel like treating yourself—this lemon berry cream mascarpone cake is a keeper. It's so good, and honestly, it’s way easier than it looks. It's a single layer cake that's perfect for a special occasion!
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What is lemon berry mascarpone cake?
It’s a soft lemon cake studded with sweet blueberries and topped with a light, creamy mascarpone frosting. Think lemon pound cake meets blueberry muffins meets whipped cheesecake. It’s bright, fruity, and incredibly moist.
Do lemon and mascarpone go together?
Yes! The tangy brightness of lemon balances perfectly with the rich, creamy texture of mascarpone. Lemon adds a zesty freshness, while mascarpone brings a smooth, mild richness that doesn’t overpower.
Together, they create a light and luxurious flavor combo—especially in cakes, frostings, and even cheesecakes. It's basically a match made in dessert heaven.
Ingredients
Check the recipe card below for the detailed measurements and instructions, but here's a quick look at what you'll need to make this easy lemon blueberry mascarpone cake:
- white sugar - using granulated sugar adds the perfect level of sweetness in this lemon berry mascarpone cake!
- lemon zest and fresh lemon juice - adds a bright, citrus freshness to this cake! Use a zester to grate off the top layer of the lemon peel.
- eggs - you'll want your large eggs to be at room temperature too. If they feel cold to the touch, submerge them in a bowl of lukewarm water for 15 minutes.
- vanilla - for the best flavor, I like to use pure vanilla extract. Or you can make your own!
- vegetable oil and sour cream - we'll use vegetable oil to add moisture and richness to this cake. Using oil instead of butter makes this an easy recipe, and makes sure this cake stays moist.
- cake flour - Measure your cake flour by weight with a kitchen scale to make sure you don't accidentally add too much. I prefer Swan's Down cake flour for the lightest cake texture, but if you only have all-purpose flour that works too.
- leavening agents - we'll use baking powder and baking soda to give this easy lemon blueberry mascarpone cake a nice lift!
- salt - adding a little salt helps bring out the lemony and berry flavors!
- fresh blueberries - I recommend using fresh berries instead of frozen blueberries to limit any excess moisture.
Then, we're topping our lemon berry mascarpone cake with an incredible mascarpone frosting recipe that is so easy to make! It's like a cross between cream cheese frosting and whipped cream, but better! Here's what you'll need:
- mascarpone - keep your mascarpone in the fridge so that it's cold when you mix it into the mascarpone icing.
- heavy whipping cream - like your mascarpone, your heavy cream should be very cold.
- vanilla - I love the deep vanilla flavor in this mascarpone frosting!
- powdered sugar - we'll use powdered sugar to provide the structure and sweetness for our frosting.
- salt - just pinch of salt to bring out the flavors.
- toppings - I like to add my lemon curd and my blueberry filling to the top of the mascarpone frosting, along with some fresh blueberries and lemon slices. You can definitely also use a jar of store-bought lemon curd and store-bought blueberry jam!
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
I recommend baking this easy lemon berry mascarpone cake recipe in an 8-inch round cake pan. You can also use an 8-inch springform pan. You'll also need a large bowl and a whisk or an electric mixer to mix up your batter.
To mix the mascarpone cheese frosting, I use my KitchenAid stand mixer -- I prefer the whisk attachment for this recipe rather than the paddle attachment. You can also use a hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer. You'll also want parchment paper to line the bottom of your pan.
Instructions
The recipe card below will give you detailed instructions for making this lemon blueberry mascarpone cake from scratch, as well as full ingredient measurements and a recipe video! But here's a quick look at how you'll make this recipe!
Press your sugar and lemon zest together in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is a light yellow color. This releases lemon oil to deepen that amazing lemon flavor!
Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla.
Mix in vegetable oil, followed by sour cream.
In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, scraping the sides of the bowl. Fold in blueberries.
Gradually fold dry ingredients and blueberries into wet ingredients until just combined. Pour cake batter into pan and bake in preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean! Then let the cake cool.
To make the mascarpone cheese frosting, whip cold mascarpone, vanilla, confectioners' sugar, and salt over medium speed with a stand mixer or handheld mixer.
Add cold heavy cream and whip on high speed until the mixture reaches stiff peaks.
Spread mascarpone frosting over cooled cake and swirl blueberry filling and lemon curd on top of the cake. Top with lemon slices and fresh blueberries, if you like!
Hint: Be sure your cake is fully cool before you begin your frosting. If your cake is at all warm, the frosting will melt off.
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
You sure can! The cake can be baked a day or two in advance. Just wrap it tightly, unfrosted, and refrigerate. The mascarpone cheese frosting also stores well—keep it chilled and re-whip slightly before frosting.
Storage
Once frosted, store the whole cake in the fridge in an airtight container. Let it sit out for 20–30 minutes before slicing for the best texture. I haven't tried freezing this cake, so I can't say for sure that it will freeze and thaw well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! The tartness of lemon and sweetness of blueberries are perfect complements for each other. Together, they create a bright, fruity flavor combination that's perfect for spring and summer!
I have lots of recipes that combine lemon and blueberry, like my Blueberry and Lemon Pound Cake, my Lemon Blueberry Cookies, and my Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Zest!
Mascarpone is ultra-creamy and mild in flavor—way less tangy than cream cheese. It whips up beautifully with powdered sugar and heavy cream to make a cloud-like frosting that’s rich without being overly sweet. It also pairs perfectly with lemon.
Sure! If you prefer an easier version of this lemon berry mascarpone cake recipe, you can use your favorite lemon cake mix and just fold in some fresh blueberries into the batter before baking. Just make sure you coat the blueberries in a few tablespoons of flour before adding them in, to keep them from sinking.
You sure can! This cake is great with substitutions, and I love this recipe with blackberries, kind of like my Lemon Blackberry Cake! And raspberries would be so great in this lemon berry mascarpone cake!
Absolutely! The flavors in this lemon blueberry cake go so well with the mascarpone frosting, and the lemon curd swirled in the frosting really amps up that tangy mascarpone flavor.
Top Tip
We're coating our blueberries in the dry mixture to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake! But if they do sink, just flip the cake and use them as decoration!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this one? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe:
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon (12 g) lemon zest - from 1 or 2 large lemons
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoon (74 ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (115 g) full-fat sour cream - room temperature
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) fresh lemon juice - tip: zest your lemons before juicing them!
- 1 ⅔ cups (208 g) cake flour - Be sure to use a kitchen scale to measure by weight, or use the spoon-and-level method to measure by volume.
- 1 ¼ teaspoons (5 g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 1 ½ cup (222 g) fresh blueberries - washed
Mascarpone Frosting
- 12 oz (340 g) mascarpone cheese - very cold, straight from fridge
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup (150 g) powdered sugar - Use a kitchen scale to measure by weight, or use the spoon-and-level method to measure by volume.
- Pinch salt
- 1 ½ cup (355 ml) heavy whipping cream - very cold
- lemon curd, blueberry filling, fresh blueberries, and fresh lemon slices - for topping (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with baking spray with flour; line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine lemon zest and sugar and press together with a spatula or wooden spoon until mixture is well combined.2 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add eggs, oil, and vanilla and whisk well until smooth and thickened. Add lemon juice and sour cream, and mix well until smooth.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 5 tablespoon vegetable oil, ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in blueberries and toss to coat with flour mixture.1 ⅔ cups cake flour, 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ cup fresh blueberries, 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just barely combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool on a wire rack. Once cake is fully cooled, start on your frosting.
Mascarpone Frosting
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip cold mascarpone cheese with powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and vanilla until smooth.12 oz mascarpone cheese, 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar, Pinch salt
- Add cold whipped cream and until your mixture reaches stiff peaks (see video for example). Swirl all over top of cooled cake. Swirl on lemon curd and blueberry jam and top with fresh berries and lemon slices.1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream, lemon curd, blueberry filling, fresh blueberries, and fresh lemon slices
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Chenée Lewis says
I hope you guys love this summery cake! It's SO good!