Ingredients You’ll Need

For this pineapple blueberry lemon poppyseed snack cake, you’ll need:

• Eggs: I used a couple of large eggs
• Cooking oil: I have found that vegetable oil and cooking oil work best. Olive oil makes this quite dense and seems to conflict with the other flavors
• Granulated sugar: if you want to keep this refined sugar-free, monkfrujit sweetener can be used instead
• All-purpose flour: gluten-free flour can be used instead
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Lemon zest
• Lemon juice
• Poppyseeds
• Frozen blueberries: fresh blueberries can be used instead. 
• Fresh pineapple: I used a ripe, sweet fresh pineapple. however, frozen pineapple can also be used, but you might want to taste it to make sure it is sweet. I have found that fresh sweet pineapple results in the best version of this cake.

How to Make Pineapple Blueberry Lemon Poppyseed Cake

1. Prep

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray the parchment with cooking spray.

Using a microplane grater, zest the lemon. Then, cut it in half and squeeze about 2 tbsp of lemon juice and set aside. Also, peel and chop the pineapple.

2. Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppyseeds. Mix until the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.

3. Add the Lemon Zest

Add the lemon zest to the dry ingredients and mix again. Mixing the zest into the dry ingredients helps distribute the lemon flavor throughout the batter.

4. Add the Wet Ingredients

Add the eggs, oil and lemon juice to the dry mixture. Stir until the ingredients are combined. The batter will be thick.

Don’t overmix the batter. Once the flour has been incorporated, you’re ready to add the fruit.

5. Add the fruit

Toss the frozen blueberries with a bit of flour in a separate bowl. Then, gently fold the blueberries and the chopped fresh pineapple into the batter.

Try not to overmix once the fruit is added. You want to keep the blueberries intact as much as possible so they create juicy blueberry pockets throughout the cake.

6. Add the Batter to the Pan

Scrape the batter into your prepared 9×9-inch baking pan.

Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the batter into an even layer.

7. Bake the Cake

Place the pan in the preheated 350°F oven.

Bake for approximately 30 to 33 minutes, or until the cake is baked through and the top is lightly golden.

Because ovens can vary, start checking the cake toward the end of the baking time.

8. Enjoy

Remove the cake from the oven. Let the cake cool completely to room temperature before slicing.

Once cooled, use the parchment paper to help lift the cake from the pan if desired. Then, make an icing with 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1.5 tbsp of lemon juice. Drizzle this on top of the cake. If you have any lemon zest leftover, then sprinkle the lemon zest on as well.

Slice into squares and serve.

Tips for Making the Best Blueberry Lemon Snack Cake

Don’t overmix

Mix the batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing can result in a denser cake.

Chop the pineapple small

Small pieces of pineapple distribute more evenly throughout the cake and make each slice easier to eat.

Don’t thaw the blueberries

For this recipe, frozen blueberries can go directly into the batter. Thawing them first can introduce additional liquid and may make the batter more difficult to work with.

Use fresh lemon zest

The lemon zest provides a concentrated burst of lemon flavor. Since this recipe uses both lemon zest and lemon juice, it has a bright citrus flavor.

Line the pan with parchment

Parchment paper makes removing the finished cake much easier and helps with cleanup.

Like this pumpkin cake, this cake is delicious plain. My daughter says this pineapple poppyseed blueberry lemon is so good it doesn’t need any icing or frosting.

A slice of this cake can be served smeared with some unsalted butter or vegan butter, this is my guy’s favorite way to enjoy it.

However, my favorite way to enjoy this cake is with a sweet and tart lemon glaze and a hot cup of coffee.

This blueberry lemon poppyseed pineapple cake is also delicious with a dollop of Greek yogurt and honey, a cream cheese frosting, or a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.

Can You Use Fresh Blueberries Instead of Frozen?

Yes. Fresh blueberries can be used if you have them available.

However, this recipe is designed to make it easy to bake the cake using frozen blueberries. Frozen blueberries make this recipe especially convenient because you can make the cake year-round. They also release beautiful pockets of blueberry flavor as they bake.

There is no need to thaw the blueberries before adding them to the batter. Using them frozen can also help prevent them from breaking down too much while you’re mixing the cake.

Why use Fresh Pineapple over frozen or canned?

Fresh pineapple brings a naturally sweet and tropical flavor that pairs so well with blueberries and lemon. The pineapple also makes this cake feel different from a traditional lemon blueberry cake.

For the best texture, chop the pineapple into small pieces before adding it to the batter.

Frozen pineapple sometimes isn’t too sweet and can change the taste and texture of this. And canned pineapple tends to be a bit too sweet and less textured.