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Lemon Sheet Cake with Blueberries and Mascarpone

5 from 7 community reviews

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This recipe makes a moist lemon sheet cake, topped with a creamy lemon glaze and fresh blueberries. If blueberries aren’t your thing, decorate the cake with blackberries, raspberries or sliced strawberries.

Square slices of

A good lemon sheet cake recipe can really the perfect party-ready dessert, and takes a lot less time than making cake layers in multiple pans and fussing around with decorating them.

My ideal cake texture is moist and spongy, so this recipe includes mascarpone cheese in the batter (as well in the lemony icing) to aid in tenderizing.

For extra lemon flavor, I added pure lemon extract to the batter — I can promise you makes this cake so fragrant you can smell it across the room.

A slice of lemon sheet cake with creamy icing and fresh blueberries on top.
Three cake plates with slices of lemon sheet cake topped with creamy icing and fresh blueberries.

Lemon Sheet Cake with Blueberries and Mascarpone

Karen Tedesco
This recipe makes a light and tender lemon sheet cake topped with a creamy mascarpone glaze and fresh blueberries. It's a pretty, party-ready cake!
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5 from 7 community reviews
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Desserts
Cuisine Baking
Servings 16 servings

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 tablespoon butter + 2 tablespoons flour, for prepping the cake pan
  • 2 ½ cups (310 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (125 ml) olive oil or neutral vegetable oil such
  • 8 ounces (225 g) mascarpone cheese
  • ½ cup (125 ml) whole milk
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract, optional

Icing:

  • 2 cups (240 g) confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese, or heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Garnish

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • Fresh mint sprigs, torn into small pieces
  • Fresh grated lemon zest

Instructions 

Make the cake

  • Heat the oven to 350 (175 C) degrees with the rack placed in the center. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with the butter and sprinkle with the flour. Rotate the pan to coat and tap out the excess flour.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
  • In a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed just to break them up. Add the sugar and beat 1 or 2 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Pour in the oil in a slow steady stream until the mixture looks emulsified. Add the mascarpone, milk, lemon zest, vanilla and lemon extracts and mix until smooth. 
  • Stir the flour mixture into the batter in two additions, mixing just until the flour is incorporated.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 35 – 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack.

Icing

  • Combine the sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir in the mascarpone until smooth. Add more sugar if you want a thicker icing, or more lemon juice to thin.
  • Spread the icing on the cooled cake (this is easier if you invert the cake onto a baking sheet, then flip right side up onto another baking sheet). Arrange the blueberries on top and sprinkle with the mint and lemon zest.

Karen’s Notes and Tips

  • Mascarpone cheese is rich and creamy, with a mild tangy flavor. It’s sort of like a cross between cream cheese and sour cream, only with more butterfat.  You can substitute full-fat sour cream for a lighter cake.
  • If you bake the cake one day ahead, just wrap it (without the icing) in plastic and store at room temperature.
  • Bake the cake in a rectangular cake pan that measures 9 x 13-inches. Butter and flour the pan well to prevent sticking, or spray with cooking spray before dusting with flour.
  • A rasp grater (such as a Microplane) makes fine, fluffy lemon zest. You can also use an old-fashioned, inexpensive zester (also known as a channel knife) to make thin, pretty ribbons of lemon zest.

Nutrition

Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 249mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 287IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

Recipe developer Karen Tedesco of the popular website Familystyle Food in her kitchen making a kale salad.

Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.

5 from 7 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love making sheet cakes and this one looks perfect! Lemon and blueberries is such a delicious combo, and the mascarpone cream sounds divine!

    1. Thanks Natalie. I don’t make sheet cakes that often, but it’s a good excuse to have a dessert party!

  2. 5 stars
    this looks absolutely amazing! XO