• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line 2 (8-inch) baking pans with parchment paper rounds, then grease those. Set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3 cups all purpose flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the sugar and lemon zest together to release the oils and impart lemon flavor into the sugar.
  2 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 5 Tablespoons lemon zest
• Next, add the butter and beat on high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
• Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Continue beating until well combined.
  3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
  4 large eggs
• Add half of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, stirring until just combined.
• Add the poppy seeds and buttermilk, mixing until just combined.
  2 Tablespoons poppy seeds, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• Add the remaining flour to the batter and stir slowly until just combined.
• Divide the batter equally among the two prepared baking pans.
• Bake for 30 minutes, checking to ensure the tops don’t brown. If they start to get dark, cover them with aluminum foil. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Place the baking pans on a wire rack and allow them to cool for 10 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans. Place the cake layers in the fridge for 45 minutes while you make the frosting.

For the Frosting

• Combine the cream cheese, butter, and lemon zest in the bowl of a clean stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until fluffy and light in color.
  16 ounces brick-style cream cheese, 1 cup unsalted butter, 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
  2 cups powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream, 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Place the first of the 2 chilled cake layers on a cake turntable and add one cup of frosting. Using an offset spatula, smooth out the frosting to the edges.
• Place the second cake layer on top of the first. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake (this is the crumb coat). The frosting does not need to look neat; it just needs to cover the cake and seal in the crumbs.
• Place the crumb-coated cake in the refrigerator to chill and set for 30 minutes.
• Frost the cake with the remaining frosting and garnish with lemon slices and blueberries.
  lemon slices and blueberries
• Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.