Lime Blueberry Pound Cake

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!

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:

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

• 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

Prepare:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a loaf pan by buttering and lining it with parchment paper.

Whisk:

Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.

Beat:

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract and lime zest.

Combine:

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until well combined.

Fold In:

Gently fold fresh blueberries and lime zest into the batter.

Bake:

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for about 55 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting if desired.

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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 toothpick 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh?

Yes, but thaw and drain them well to avoid excess moisture, which can affect cake texture.

→ How do I prevent the cake from browning too fast?

Lightly tent the top with foil during baking if it browns before fully cooked inside.

→ Is cream cheese frosting necessary?

No, the frosting adds sweetness and tang but the cake is delicious on its own.

→ Can I substitute lemon zest for lime?

Yes, lemon zest works well and offers a slightly different but equally bright citrus flavor.

→ What is the best way to measure flour for this cake?

Spoon the flour into the measuring cup instead of scooping directly to avoid packing and using too much flour.