Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake
Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Wow, anyone else feel that? That 180-degree instant shift in mood? Kristen’s post about February blues resonated with me. February is so hard, but I also have the more generalized winter blues. I can feel the doom set in as soon as the blue skies change to gray and the rain, wind, and ice roll in. I can hardly enjoy fall anymore just because I know winter is on its way, and with it depression and lack of motivation. Ugh.

But this morning!!

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

This morning I felt like I should dance around the room, throw open the curtains (I don’t own curtains), and sing a song from Mary Poppins. IT FINALLY HAPPENED. Daylight Savings Time (also referred to as “The Worst Idea Ever” and “A Reason to Move to Arizona”) ended! The sun stayed out until almost 7pm! The sky was blue! My mood flipped like a light switch — the change was immediate.

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

It happened to also be 66 degrees here today, meaning I wasted no time after I woke up. I threw open the balcony door and let the breeze flow through the apartment, clearing the winter right out. Byrdie sat in the sunshine and enjoyed the day with me. Ahhhhh. You guys!! IT’S FINALLY SPRING.

Okay, well, it’s finally spring here. I apologize — sincerely — to those of you still buried in snow. I might yet get my just deserts for being so giddy while you’re freezing your tails off, because North Carolina weather is notoriously unpredictable.

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

So QUICK, before the ice comes back and we have 8 bajillion snow days and I have to wrap myself into my Snuggie like a burrito, let’s eat LEMON. LEMON and BLUEBERRY and SPRING. I don’t know how you eat spring, but I want to try.

This is another of my beloved gooey butter cakes, and probably my absolute favorite. Something about flavoring this texture of cake with lemon is so perfect. I piled it high with freshly whipped cream (I could eat a mountain) and blueberries (Mike’s favorite) and ate it right out of the skillet, as I’m wont to do. HAPPY SPRING! (If it’s going to be like 35 degrees tomorrow, don’t tell me. Just don’t.)

One year ago: Bailey’s Mint Oreo Icebox Cake

Two years ago: Bailey’s Hazelnut Chocolate Tiramisu

Three years ago: Tres Leches Coconut Cake Trifle

Four years ago: Soft Pretzel Dogs

Five years ago: Best Blueberry Pie with Foolproof Pie Dough

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

5 from 1 reviews
Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake
 
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Mike is a huge blueberry fan, so I've been on a blueberry kick! This gooey butter cake is beyond fantastic. The gooey, fluffy texture of this cake, its subtle lemon flavor, and the piles of whipped cream and berries was a downright ethereal combination. I make mounds of freshly whipped cream because I love it so much, so if you're a tiny dollop person, you might decide to cut it in half. By the way, if you don’t have a skillet, I believe you can bake this in a greased 9-inch square baking dish. Let us know how it goes if you try it this way for all the other skilletless people!
Author:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients:
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter, cold
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Filling Ingredients:
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • powdered sugar for dusting
Toppings Ingredients:
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 4 heaping tablespoons powdered sugar
  • fresh blueberries
  • lemon zest
Instructions
  1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together cake flour, zest, and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together. Press the mixture into the bottom (this step is a lot harder than it sounds, but be patient and use the back of a spoon to help spread/press the mixture down. I also stuck mine in the fridge for a bit to make the butter less sticky) and up the sides of a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
  2. Make the filling: Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow (about 2-3 minutes). Mix in the egg until just combined. Alternate adding the flour and evaporated milk, mixing after each addition. Mix in the corn syrup, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Pour the filling into the crust and sprinkle the top with icing sugar.
  3. Bake and assemble the cake: Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until cake is nearly set (mine was probably ready around 35). Some jiggle is fine — do not overcook! It’ll finish setting up as it cools. Sprinkle some more powdered sugar on top. Let the cake cool in the skillet for 2 hours. In the meantime, beat heavy cream and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar together in a bowl to stiff peaks. Pile heaps of fresh blueberries into the center of your cooled, set gooey butter cake, top with a mountain of freshly whipped cream and lemon zest, and serve.

 

by | 29 Comments

29 Comments on Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

  1. Catherine
    March 9, 2015 at 1:57 am (10 years ago)

    Dear Julie, I am quite excited about spring too! What a beautiful way to greet the new season. This sounds lovely and bright…simply beautiful. xo, Catherine

    Reply
  2. Yvonne [Tried and Tasty]
    March 9, 2015 at 2:56 am (10 years ago)

    Your photos are gorgeous and this looks crazy good – I love all things lemon so I can guarantee I would absolutely LOVE this!

    Reply
  3. Arman @ thebigmansworld
    March 9, 2015 at 4:02 am (10 years ago)

    Lemon and blueberry is one of my favourite combinations and this looks divine!

    Reply
  4. Melissa
    March 9, 2015 at 7:55 am (10 years ago)

    Blueberries and lemon are the perfect combination!

    Reply
  5. Meg @ The Housewife in Training Files
    March 9, 2015 at 8:49 am (10 years ago)

    This cake is too die for! Anything blueberry and lemon and I am there. Plus, spring is here in KC too! Well for this week at least! I am praying it stays!

    Reply
  7. heather @french press
    March 9, 2015 at 10:44 am (10 years ago)

    such a delicious way to welcome spring – and while I LOVE that is stays light late, the mornings are not quite as cheery :)this cake would certainly help

    Reply
  9. Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie
    March 9, 2015 at 2:06 pm (10 years ago)

    You know, I always thought that spring was the start of daylight savings, because everyone would groan about losing an hour of sleep and say they wish we would stop using daylight savings. I do think however that the entire country should get rid of it instead of one of a couple states. How confusing would that be is 10 states randomly didn’t do it and you were traveling to them or lived near their borders? Anyway I digress, this cake is fantastic and makes me so excited for spring!

    Reply
  11. Susan | LunaCafe
    March 10, 2015 at 12:16 am (10 years ago)

    What an interesting cake. No fresh blueberries here yet, but will try it as soon as they hit the farmers market.

    Reply
  12. sassygirl711
    March 10, 2015 at 12:30 am (10 years ago)

    hi!
    would love to make this….except for the one ingredient: light corn syrup. I can’t. any possibilities for a sub?

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      March 10, 2015 at 1:07 am (10 years ago)

      I’d use a different recipe. In this one, light corn syrup is what makes the gooey butter cake gooey. If your qualm is about high-fructose corn syrup, light corn syrup is a different thing (http://www.thekitchn.com/corn-syrup-vs-highfructose-corn-syrup-there-is-a-difference-196819). But if you just don’t like corn syrup, I’d suggest a recipe based on cream cheese like this Paula Deen’s. You can still add the whip and blueberries 🙂

      Reply
  14. Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits
    March 10, 2015 at 1:23 am (10 years ago)

    Can’t tell you how I jumped for joy when I saw streaks of sunshine in the sky when it was nearly 7pm! Ready for spring, just like you are!

    What a great to celebrate with this gorgeous cake!

    Reply
  15. Geraldine Saucier
    March 10, 2015 at 1:42 am (10 years ago)

    This cake looks delicious. I love blueberries. Thanks for sharing:)

    Reply
  16. Alyssa
    March 10, 2015 at 9:01 am (10 years ago)

    I am so glad that it has been staying light out later, it is finally starting to feel like spring. This cake looks wonderful and it is perfect for spring!

    Reply
  17. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
    March 10, 2015 at 10:05 am (10 years ago)

    Julie, I feel like screaming from the rooftops. . IT’S FINALLY SPRING!!!!! I am so happy I can’t even tell you. . we survived yo. and this cake?!!!! So beautiful. . I love it!

    Reply
  18. Linda
    March 10, 2015 at 10:14 pm (10 years ago)

    I just tried to copy this recipe to my word processing program so I could try it, but it always comes out with no print. I have tried several times, but no way to copy this to
    my small laptop so I can bake it right from there. I don’t
    usually print recipes…just keep them on my computer.
    Am I doing something wrong? I have never ran into this
    problem before. I really want to bake this.

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      March 10, 2015 at 11:43 pm (10 years ago)

      Hi Linda! I can help! On your small laptop, open the internet browser and navigate to http://willowbirdbaking.com. Then you can use the recipe straight from there. Let me know if there is any confusion!

      Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      March 10, 2015 at 11:43 pm (10 years ago)

      A Spoonful of Sugar FOR SURE!

      Reply
  20. cheri
    March 12, 2015 at 10:42 pm (10 years ago)

    Hi Julie, I will be making this gooey butter cake this week-end. I have a lemon tree and have them coming out of my ears looks delicious!

    Reply
  22. Kat
    May 22, 2015 at 10:33 am (10 years ago)

    Will the filling/cake part come out the same if I don’t make this with the crust?

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      May 23, 2015 at 7:16 am (10 years ago)

      Not sure, Kat. I’ve never tried! Let me know how it goes if you do!

      Reply
  23. Rachel
    May 27, 2015 at 3:39 pm (10 years ago)

    So I’ve been waiting MONTHS to make this for my own birthday dessert, and I finally did last weekend! Just to help out anyone else who doesn’t have a cast iron pan and/or is cooking for a bigger crowd, I multiplied the recipe by 1.5x and made it in a glass 9×13 pan and it worked fabulously. Such a delicious, fresh, spring-y dessert… it was a hit!!!

    Reply
  24. Marc
    October 29, 2021 at 6:24 am (3 years ago)

    This cake looks delicious. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    Reply

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