This lime blueberry pound cake recipe is so easy to make and loaded with fresh blueberries and zesty lime. With cream cheese frosting and cream cheese baked into the dough, this moist and tender pound cake is seriously irresistible!
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Test Kitchen Review
Juanita
We love this pound cake so much and use this recipe to make many different flavors now! Cranberry orange, lemon raspberry, and lemon blackberry have been some of our other favorites. It’s great with the frosting, but we also enjoy it un-frosted for something a little less sweet with coffee. I do cover mine loosely with foil about half way through baking to keep the top from getting too dark.
Why I Love This Blueberry Pound Cake Recipe
When it comes to quick bread recipes, I’m kind of the master! I’ve got a long list of sweet bread recipes I love… but this one might just be my favorite. Well, at least it’s certainly the most popular! When I bring this lime blueberry pound cake to potlucks and parties, it’s pretty wild to see just how fast it disappears. People eat with their eyes first and that blueberry speckled bread is simply stunning, especially when it’s topped generously with sweet cream cheese frosting. And when you take a bite to realize it’s even tastier than it is photogenic? Swoon. I could keep going on about this quick bread recipe, but I’ll narrow my love down to these bullet points:
- Double The Cream Cheese: With cream cheese in the dough, this lime blueberry pound cake has an extra moist texture. Top it with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting to take it over the top!
- Bright & Citrusy: The zesty lime flavor helps this cake be flavorful without being too sweet. You can also use lemon zest if you prefer.
- Simple To Make: All you need to do is beat the batter together, fold in the lime zest and fresh blueberries and pop it into the oven to bake.
- Party Perfect: With it’s beautiful colors and irresistible cream cheese frosting, this pound cake will be a hit at every party. It travels well and is easy to slice and serve!
If you love pound cakes, you should also try my vanilla bean pound cake, festive eggnog pound cake or boozy RumChata pound cake!
Key Ingredients
Made with mostly pantry/kitchen staples, you should not have to pick up much from the store! Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- All Purpose Flour: The best way to measure flour is to spoon it into the measuring cup. If you dunk the cup directly into the bag, you’ll end up really packing it in there. Packed flour is too much flour!
- Baking Powder: Make sure it’s not expired. Check the expiration date – if it’s past that date, your baking powder won’t be potent enough to get the job done.
- Lime Zest: You can also use lemon or orange zest!
- Blueberries: Fresh are best! See tips section below for how to use frozen berries.
- Cream Cheese: Softened to room temperature. You can use low-fat instead of regular, but you may notice a difference in consistency.
- Butter: Unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract: If you would like extra lime flavor, add 1 teaspoon lime juice and lime zest with the vanilla extract.
How To Make Blueberry Lime Pound Cake
The steps to make this moist and tender blueberry pound cake recipe are super simple and easy to follow. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.
- Prepare: Preheat your oven and prepare for a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk: Combine the flour, salt, baking powder. Set aside.
- Beat: Add the cream cheese, butter and sugar to a stand mixer or bowl with a hand mixer. Beat till light and fluffy. Then add eggs, vanilla, and lime zest.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until well combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Bake: Transfer the cake batter to prepared pan and bake until golden brown. Cool completely before frosting, if desired.
Chef’s Tips and Variations
- Room temperature: Allow your butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature before starting. If not, you will wind up with a lumpy batter and the cake will not have the correct texture.
- Butter & parchment paper: The recipe states to butter the pan and use parchment paper. I tested this three different ways and this resulted in a perfect cake release from the pan. Just cut your parchment paper to size with scissors.
- Fresh or frozen blueberries: This makes all the difference! I recommend using fresh blueberries if you can get them. If you use frozen blueberries, allow them to thaw on a paper towel, over a strainer, to get out any unwanted moisture. Extra ice on the berries will alter the texture of the cake!
- Frosting: The cream cheese icing is optional. It adds a ton of flavor, sweetness and tang to this blueberry pound cake, but can be skipped.
- Don’t over bake: It will dry out the cake and make it much less tender. So watch carefully and check the cake with a tooth pick to ensure it’s done. When there is no batter on the toothpick, pull the cake out right away!
- Browning too quickly: If your blueberry pound cake is browning on top too quickly, lightly tent aluminum foil over the top.
Yield: 8 slices
Lime Blueberry Pound Cake
⭐️Test Kitchen Approved!⭐️This Lime Blueberry Pound Cake is so easy to make. With cream cheese frosting and cream cheese baked directly into the dough, this moist and tender pound cake is bursting with flavor and color!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lime zest, lemon zest, or orange zest
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, see notes below for frozen blueberries
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×5 loaf pan. Butter the pan and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat to combine the cream cheese, butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, throughly mixing each time. Add vanilla extract and lime zest, mixing until combined.
- Pour the dry ingredients over the batter mixture. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture until it’s well combined and there are no pockets of dry flour. Fold in the blueberries.
- Transfer batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let pound cake cool for at least 30 minutes, then remove from pan.
Frosting:
- In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and salt and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth. Add in vanilla extract. Carefully frost on top of the cooled pound cake.
Video
Notes
Fresh or Frozen Blueberries: This makes all the difference! I recommend using fresh blueberries if you can get them. If you use frozen blueberries, allow them to thaw on a paper towel, over a strainer, to get out any unwanted moisture. Extra ice on the berries will alter the texture of the cake!
Don’t Over Bake: It will dry out the cake and make it much less tender. So watch carefully and check the cake with a tooth pick to ensure it’s done. When there is no batter on the toothpick, pull the cake out right away!
Browning Too Quickly: If your blueberry pound cake is browning on top too quickly, lightly tent aluminum foil over the top.
How To Store:
- Without Frosting: A cream cheese pound cake without frosting is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- With Frosting: Once frosted with cream cheese icing, store cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve it chilled, or let it thaw to room temperature on the counter for 30 minutes before serving.
- Freeze: You can freeze this blueberry pound cake with or without the icing. To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil (or in a large freezer bag). Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 511kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 116mg, Sodium: 307mg, Potassium: 99mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 42g, Vitamin A: 996IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 74mg, Iron: 1mg
More Blueberry Recipes To Try
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Tasty, and easy. Whipped up in a jiff. Thank you. I have blueberries in freezeras well as key lime juice. Lime is subtle for those questioning.
My first pound cake — delicious!! The lime is subtle so I’d definitely add a little lime juice or extra zest if you want more citrus. Bur the flavor combo is perfect, I’ve never combined lime and berries! You could almost halve the frosting recipe, mine was completely frosted pretty thickly on top and sides. Garnished with fresh blueberries! So pleased with how it turned out!
Do you think I could substitute the cream cheese for Greek yogurt in the cake?
Hi Laura! I haven’t tried it personally, but believe it would work. It may be a little less dense, but should still work out!
I don’t like lemon or lime. Can I leave that out or is there something else I can substitute for it. Not much of a citrus girl. Thank you.
You can skip it, or if you like oranges, orange zest would also go well in this cake!
It was good. I added lime juice and zest to the icing instead of vanilla. Next time I would add even more. I will also be adding more lemon/lime to the batter since the lime was hardly discernible.
OMG! This is one of the best pound cake’s I’ve ever tasted! I never leave reviews but this was so DELICIOUS I had to. I even froze half the cake so I would stop eating it and after 20 seconds in the microwave to thaw enough to slice- the cake was still absolutely delicious so I plan on making several to freeze and give as gifts! If anyone is worried about the lime- it just adds a subtle flavor but im sure it would be delicious even without it but it’s definitely worth it to keep the recipe as is. Thanks for the AWESOME recipe!!
Made this. It was DELICIOUS.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Have you ever made this with Strawberries?
I have not, but it should work! Just be careful not to add too many strawberries, as they hold a good amount of water when compared to blueberries, and can make your bread a little too moist/wet.
Used lemon instead of lime, used lemon juice instead of vanilla in the frosting. AMAZING!
I am an avid baker. This turned out wonderful and it is one of my signature recipes it turns out every time and people LOVE it. I don’t understand how people cannot follow directions though
I just made both the lime cheesecake and muffins with an abundance of blueberries I have this year and these are both the best recipes for this I have ever used! Really tasty, moist and full of the flavour of the berries and limes! Thank you!
I too added lime juice to the batter and icing, and it came out great Agree! I do agree with other comments though that although this is very tasty, it is definitely more of a quick bread than a pound cake.
Xan I use frozen blueberries?
Yes! I do recommending thawing them first, or at least making sure they don’t have any frozen ice in (or on) them before adding them to the batter.
OMG This was the bomb. I saw the recipe this morning and went to the store to get all the ingredients. I did add a little of the lime juice to the batter and frosting I could really taste the lime. I checked the cake after 50 minutes and it was done. I could barely wait the 30 minutes for it to cool. I ate two pieces and my husband ate two also. I’ll be making this again soon.
Hands down our favorite pound cake. So moist, flavorful and delicious!
Boyfriend rates it 10 out of 5. Couldn’t walk for an hour. Amazing results!
hi this looks amazing! would it be possible for me to sub the butter for vegetable oil instead? or perhaps crisco? thanks!
I would recommend crisco over oil for this cake! Hope you enjoy it!
I made this cake after reading the contents and god I’m not disappointed !!! Thank you ! I converted measurements to grams. And as I usually do did approximates. I usually alter little bit as I go. Depending on what I have at home. !!! I put lemon rind. Didn’t have enough so put half lemon juice as well. Did 1 cup sugar as we Indians have a really sweet tooth. Didn’t have enough blueberries. But still it was great. And was careful about over baking. Put some lemon juice in icing as well. It’s to die for ! Thank you. Everyone loves it. It was cut in the evening. Half already gone and the day isn’t over yet. It’s going to be another family favorite.
Dear God, this is deadly – had a slice for breakfast and thick slab in the afternoon! At this rate it will be gone by midnight LOL! Incredible recipe!
I love your recipe but weigh everything in grams, not sure if it converts so easily.
Shame
It was alright…..but I was expecting more lime flavor to come through. I really didnt taste any. If I make it again I will put the lime juice in the frosting I think. As it was I made a lime juice and sugar wash for the cake prior to frosting it. Still didnt really do anything for the lime flavor though.
Smelled fabulous baking.
This cake looked awesome! Blueberries, lime and cream cheese, how could anyone go wrong? Well it did! I followed this recipe exactly but the batter was thick, and just barely filled my loaf pan!
The frosting was sugary and just didn’t compliment this cake, or is it a bread?? Still not sure, unfortunately I won’t be keeping this recipe!
Icing was sugary on me, also.
Added more powdered sugar until it got to consistency I wanted it. My butter & cream cheese was prolly a bit warmer than they actually needed to be.
I did add 2 plus cups of blueberries. That made my pan fuller. They were also frozen blueberries.
Looks and smells great.
Took a pic. Don’t see anywhere to dowliad it.