Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Cake (Printable View)

Tangy blueberry and lemon sourdough cake with a sweet icing drizzle baked in a skillet.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1/2 cup active sourdough starter, unfed or discard
06 - 1/4 cup whole milk
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - Zest of 1 lemon
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
11 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
12 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
13 - 1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries, plus additional for garnish

→ Icing Drizzle

14 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
15 - 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch oven-safe skillet with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined.
05 - Mix in the sourdough starter until fully incorporated.
06 - Add half of the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour in milk, then add remaining flour mixture, stirring gently but thoroughly.
07 - Using a spatula, gently fold blueberries into batter, being careful not to overmix or crush the berries.
08 - Pour batter into prepared skillet and spread evenly. Sprinkle additional blueberries on top if desired.
09 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10 - Allow cake to cool in skillet for 15 minutes before proceeding with icing.
11 - Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice to achieve a thick but pourable consistency.
12 - Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • Your sourdough discard finally becomes the secret ingredient that makes people ask for your recipe.
  • Fresh blueberries burst with jammy sweetness while the lemon icing cuts through richness in the most satisfying way.
  • One skillet, minimal cleanup, and it looks like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen when really you didn't.
02 -
  • Sourdough starter varies in strength depending on how often you feed it—use discard that you'd normally throw away, not your peak starter, or the cake might rise too aggressively and collapse.
  • Don't thaw frozen blueberries if you're using them instead of fresh; bake them straight from the freezer so they hold their shape and don't turn the batter purple.
03 -
  • Room-temperature ingredients blend into each other more smoothly, so pull your eggs, butter, and milk out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking—it's a small step that changes the texture noticeably.
  • If your blueberries are frozen solid, toss them in a tablespoon of the flour mixture before folding them in; the flour keeps them from sinking to the bottom and gives you better distribution throughout the cake.
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