Learn how to make a fresh fruit cake this summer like this Blackberry Lime Cake. It’s bright in color and bold in fresh flavor.
This cake is brilliant for many celebrations like birthdays, baby and bridal showers, etc., there’s plenty of opportunities to show off these gorgeous hues that summertime has to offer. And today’s Blackberry Lime Cake does not disappoint.
This Blackberry Lime Cake is made with zesty lime cake and filled with sweet blackberry buttercream. It’s sweet and tart and perfect for summer.
The lime cake has fresh lime juice and zest that’s balanced between sweet and tart. Then cooked down blackberries make for a beautiful purple color buttercream.
What I like most about this cake is the simplicity of the design so anyone can make this cake. You don’t have to pull out all the tricks to make an impressive cake, and this is an excellent example of a simple yet delicious cake!
Tips for Success:
- Read through all the ingredients and instructions so you can get a better idea of how much time and what you need to make this cake.
- A single batch of this cake recipe makes three, 6-inch round cake layers or two 8-inch round cake layers. Double the cake recipe to make enough cake batter for three, 8-inch cake layers.
- In this cake recipe, you need 2/3 cup buttermilk; if you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can easily use 2/3 cup whole milk mixed with 2 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar to make your own.
- To make cake flour at home, mix 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch. Sift or whisk together to get rid of any lumps.
- Be careful not to overmix this cake batter, or else the cake will come out dense. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- You can bake the cake layers ahead of time. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze up to one month.
- You can make the buttercream a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight. Then take them out to come back to room temperature. Make sure the buttercream is at room temperature before re-whipping.
- Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
What Tools You’ll Need to Make This Cake:
- 5-quart, Stand Mixer with mixing bowl & paddle attachment
- 3, 6-inch cake pans or 2, 8-inch cake pans
- Offset spatula
- 8-inch or 10-inch white cake board
- Serrated knife or cake leveler
- Turntable
- Cake scraper or bench scraper
- Whisk or sifter
- Rubber Spatula
- Non-Stick Cooking Spray and Parchment Paper
- Ice Cream Scooper with Trigger Release (for dividing cake batter evenly)
- Piping Bags (I use reusable silicone bags)
- Piping tip – Ateco #844 star tip
- Cake Stand, optional
- Neon green gel food coloring, optional
- Purple gel food coloring, optional
Here’s how to make this stunning Blackberry Lime Cake!
Let’s Get Baking!
How to Make Lime Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Spray three 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk and stir together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, and sugar on medium-high for 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time to the stand mixer bowl and beat on medium until well incorporated.
- Turn the mixer on low and add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture then add buttermilk. Add in the remaining flour mixture and until fully incorporated.
- Pour in lime juice, vanilla, and zest. Mix on medium for another 30 seconds then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter among the three cake pans and bake for about 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely — wrap cakes in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Easy Blackberry Gel
- In a small saucepot, add the fresh or frozen blackberries. Place pot over medium heat for 5-10 minutes to bring to a boil and break down the berries occasionally stir to prevent from burning on the bottom.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Mix with a spoon until the mixture is lump-free. Add the mixture to the boiling blackberries, stirring constantly.
- Add lime zest to the blackberry mixture should be opaque and thick. Once thick, remove from the heat and place into the freezer to cool quickly.
Sweet Blackberry Buttercream
- In the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the cold blackberry gel, salt, and vanilla.
- Next, gradually add powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream. Mix on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Before using, turn the mixer on low and mix for 2 minutes to push out any air bubbles or use a rubber spatula to push out the air bubbles. (You may need to repeat this step when frosting the outside of the cake).
- Place ⅔ cup into a prepared piping bag fitted with #844 star tip.
Putting It All Together
- Remove the cake layers from the freezer and unwrap the cake layers. Next, use a serrated knife to cut off the dome of the cakes to make the layers flat and even.
- Add a small amount of buttercream onto the center of the cake board. Layer one cake layer, cut side up onto the cake board. Pipe ⅔ cup of buttercream and use an offset spatula to smooth the buttercream layer.
- Place another cake layer cut side down over the top. Repeat the process for another layer — Crumb coat with white buttercream and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Add a thicker layer of buttercream to the cold cake. Use an offset spatula and cake scraper to make the sides and the top as smooth as possible.
- Pipe buttercream swirls on top of the cake. Add blackberries and half lime slices in between the swirls.
- Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
You May Also Enjoy:
- Margarita Cake with Tequila Lime Buttercream (recipe)
- 14 Fun & Whimsical Cake Designs for Beginner Bakers (post)
- How to Decorate Your First Cake (free course)
- Cake Decorating Tool Kit (24-piece kit with free shipping)
- Cake Decorating Creator Program (ultimate bundle)
This Blackberry Lime Cake is simply stunning, and I can’t wait to see your cake creations at home!
Please feel free to email me here at xokatierosario@gmail.com with any questions you may have. I’m here to help!
Happy Baking!
Cake Decorating for Beginners | Free Course
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Watch The How-to Video Below:

Blackberry Lime Cake
Tender zesty lime cake with sweet blackberry buttercream.
Ingredients
Lime Cake
- 3 cups cake flour (or 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour + ¼ cup cornstarch)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large whole eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons lime zest
- Neon green gel food coloring, optional
Blackberry Gel
- 10 whole blackberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons lime zest
Blackberry Buttercream
- 2 cups (or 4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup blackberry gel (see recipe above)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream
- Purple gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
Lime Cake
-
Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Spray three 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper.
-
In a medium-size bowl, whisk and stir together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
-
In the stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, and sugar on medium-high for 5 minutes.
-
Add the eggs, one at a time to the stand mixer bowl and beat on medium until well incorporated.
-
Turn the mixer on low and add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture then add buttermilk. Add in the remaining flour mixture and until fully incorporated.
-
Pour in lime juice, vanilla, and zest. Mix on medium for another 30 seconds then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
-
Evenly distribute the cake batter among the three cake pans and bake for about 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
-
Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely — wrap cakes in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Blackberry Gel
-
In a small saucepot, add the fresh or frozen blackberries. Place pot over medium heat for 5-10 minutes to bring to a boil and break down the berries occasionally stir to prevent from burning on the bottom.
-
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Mix with a spoon until the mixture is lump-free. Add the mixture to the boiling blackberries, stirring constantly.
-
Add lime zest to the blackberry mixture should be opaque and thick. Once thick, remove from the heat and place into the freezer to cool quickly.
Blackberry Buttercream
-
In the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
-
Turn the mixer to low and add the cold blackberry gel, salt, and vanilla.
-
Next, gradually add powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream. Mix on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
-
Before using, turn the mixer on low and mix for 2 minutes to push out any air bubbles or use a rubber spatula to push out the air bubbles. (You may need to repeat this step when frosting the outside of the cake).
-
Place ⅔ cup into a prepared piping bag fitted with #844 star tip.
Assemble
-
Remove the cake layers from the freezer and unwrap the cake layers. Next, use a serrated knife to cut off the dome of the cakes to make the layers flat and even.
-
Add a small amount of buttercream onto the center of the cake board. Layer one cake layer, cut side up onto the cake board. Pipe ⅔ cup of buttercream and use an offset spatula to smooth the buttercream layer.
-
Place another cake layer cut side down over the top. Repeat the process for another layer — Crumb coat with white buttercream and freeze for 30 minutes.
-
Add a thicker layer of buttercream to the cold cake. Use an offset spatula and cake scraper to make the sides and the top as smooth as possible.
-
Pipe buttercream swirls on top of the cake. Add blackberries and half lime slices in between the swirls.
-
Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Read through all the ingredients and instructions so you can get a better idea of how much time and what you need to make this cake.
- A single batch of this cake recipe makes three, 6-inch round cake layers or two 8-inch round cake layers. Double the cake recipe to make enough cake batter for three, 8-inch cake layers.
- In this cake recipe, you need 2/3 cup buttermilk; if you don't have any buttermilk on hand, you can easily use 2/3 cup whole milk mixed with 2 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar to make your own.
- To make cake flour at home, mix 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch. Sift or whisk together to get rid of any lumps.
- Be careful not to overmix this cake batter, or else the cake will come out dense. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- You can bake the cake layers ahead of time. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze up to one month.
- You can make the buttercream a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight. Then take them out to come back to room temperature. Make sure the buttercream is at room temperature before re-whipping.
- Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
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Comment on frosting
The ingredient list for the frosting does not say lime juice but in the instructions on how to make the frosting it says it does. I was really confused when it said that. I also noticed that when I put the lime juice in the mixture, it began to separate and not look like frosting. I hope it’s just a typo
Hi Jay! Thank you for your comment! There is a typo in the instructions for the frosting, there’s no additional lime juice needed. If the buttercream is coming out loose or broken looking then try to add some extra powdered sugar. Also whip the frosting on medium high for 3 minutes to see if that helps too! Please let me know if you have any questions!!