Blueberry & Lemon Cream Cheese Cake
- felichiccuisine
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
Buttery • Creamy • Juicy
A slice of pure late-summer indulgence. This Blueberry & Lemon Cream Cheese Cake brings together a tender, golden buttermilk sponge, a velvety layer of lemon-scented cream cheese, and a crown of juicy, burst blueberries with toasted almonds. Simple, seasonal and full of flavour, this is a cake I would happily make again and again.
It sits somewhere wonderfully between a classic fruit coffee cake and a soft cream cheese pastry. One slice gives you a bit of everything: tender cake, tangy filling, and juicy fruit, making it an absolute staple for blueberry season.
Beautifully rustic and surprisingly easy to make, it’s the perfect centerpiece for a weekend afternoon tea or a cozy coffee break.
What makes this cake special
What I find interesting about this cake is how the layers come together. You start with a thick, buttery cake batter, then spread the lemon cream cheese straight over it. The blueberries go on top, followed by the sliced almonds, and everything goes into the oven together.
As the cake bakes, the batter rises around the edges and the cream cheese stays in the centre. The blueberries soften and burst, releasing their juices over the creamy filling.
So when you cut into it, you get a soft buttery cake, a creamy lemon centre and juicy blueberries on top, with toasted almonds adding a little crunch.
It is simple to make, but the result is rather special.
A Few Tips for the Best Cake
Use full-fat cream cheese. It gives the filling a better texture and helps it set properly.
Bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature. They will blend much more smoothly.
Don't overmix the cake batter. Once the flour and buttermilk are incorporated, mix only until combined. This keeps the cake tender.
Fresh blueberries are ideal, particularly when they are in season. If using frozen blueberries, don't thaw them first, as they can release too much liquid into the cake.
Don't spread the cream cheese filling all the way to the edge. Leaving a border of cake batter helps the cake hold its shape and gives you the characteristic cream-cheese centre.
Watch the cake towards the end of baking. The edges should be golden and beginning to pull away from the pan, while the centre should still have a very slight wobble.
Let it cool completely before slicing. This is important. The cream cheese layer continues to firm as it cools, and you'll get much cleaner slices.
Toast the almonds lightly. They will toast further in the oven, so you don't want to brown them beforehand.
If you don't have buttermilk, Greek yoghurt works beautifully too. I used 120 g Greek yoghurt mixed with 40 ml water and simply added it to the batter in place of the buttermilk. It gave the cake a soft, moist and tender crumb, which worked beautifully with the creamy filling.
Looking for something similar? You might enjoy: Rhubarb and Strawberry Cake with Lemon Drizzle
How to Make Peach Upside-Down Cake
Step 1 – Make the buttery cake batter
✔ Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
✔ Grease and lightly flour a 23 cm (9-inch) springform pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
✔ In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
✔ In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the brown sugar and beat until light and well combined.
✔ Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
✔ Add half of the flour mixture and mix briefly.
✔ Add half of the buttermilk, or the Greek yoghurt mixture, and mix until just combined.
✔ Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla.
✔ The batter will be quite thick, which is exactly what you want for this cake.
Step 2 – Make the lemon cream cheese filling
✔ In another bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the sugar until smooth and creamy.
✔ Add the flour, egg and lemon zest and mix until smooth. Don't overbeat once everything is combined.
Step 3 – Layer the cake
✔ Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the cake batter, spreading it gently over the centre.
✔Leave about 2.5 cm (1 inch) of cake batter visible around the edges. The thick cake batter helps hold the cream cheese filling in the centre as the cake bakes.
✔ Scatter the fresh blueberries evenly over the cream cheese layer.
✔ Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the exposed cake batter around the edges. They will become lightly toasted as the cake bakes.
Step 4 – Bake
✔ Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the cake is golden around the edges and beginning to pull away slightly from the pan. The cream cheese centre should be set but still have a very slight wobble.
✔ As the cake bakes, the blueberries soften and burst, releasing their juices over the creamy lemon filling.
Step 5 –. Cool before serving
✔ Place the cake on a wire rack and let it cool completely in the pan. The cream cheese layer will continue to firm as it cools.
✔ Once completely cool, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan and slice.
The finished cake has three lovely layers: a soft buttery cake, a creamy lemon centre and juicy blueberries on top, with toasted almonds adding a little crunch.!
Love this recipe? Please leave a comment. Your feedback, suggestions, and adaptations are very helpful to other bakers!
Blueberry & Lemon
Cream Cheese Cake
Blueberry & Lemon Cream Cheese Cake with a tender buttery crumb, creamy lemon filling, juicy blueberries and toasted almonds. A simple, delicious summer cake.
Serves: 8 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 45 min | Total: 1 h 5 min
Ingredients
For the Cake
210 g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
200 g (1 cup) light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
160 ml (⅔ cup) buttermilk
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Filling
225 g (8 oz) full-fat cream cheese, softened
100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
15 g (2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
For the Topping
300 g (about 2 cups) fresh blueberries
50 g (about ½ cup) sliced almonds
Method
Make the Cake Batter
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and lightly flour a 23 cm (9-inch) springform pan. You can also line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the brown sugar and beat for 1–2 minutes, until light and well combined.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture and mix briefly. The, add half of the buttermilk and mix just until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Do not overmix.
Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla extract. The batter will be thick. Spread it evenly into the prepared pan.
Make the Cream Cheese Filling
In a clean bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the flour, egg and lemon zest and beat just until combined.
Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the centre of the cake batter, leaving about a 2.5 cm (1-inch border of cake batter visible around the edge.
Gently scatter the blueberries over the cream cheese filling. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the exposed cake batter around the edges, keeping most of the cream cheese centre visible.
Bake
Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the cake is golden around the edges and beginning to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan. The cream cheese filling should be set around the edges with just a slight wobble in the centre.
Place the cake on a wire rack and allow it to cool completely in the pan before removing the sides and slicing.
Enjoy!
N0tes |
1. If you don't have buttermilk, mix 120 g Greek yoghurt with 40 ml water until smooth and use it in its place. I used this version and loved the soft, moist texture it gave the cake.
2. Let the cake cool completely before slicing. The cream cheese layer firms as it cools, making the cake easier to cut and giving you those beautiful layers.
A Thought Among Flavours
“People don’t notice whether it is winter or summer when they are happy.”
— Anton Cehov
Have you tried making this Peach Upside-Down Cake? I'd love to hear about your experience! Share your thoughts and any creative twists you added to the recipe in the comments below. Or, tag me on Instagram (@FeliChic'Cuisine) when you post your recipe creations. Let's inspire each other. Thank You!
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