Simple Blueberry Cake Recipe and 3 Baking Tips
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 23, 2022 • 2 min read
A blueberry cake only deepens in flavor the longer it sits on your counter—making it a superhuman feat to resist sneaking a slice for breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea, and dessert.
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What Is Blueberry Cake?
Blueberry cake is a cake studded with fresh, juicy blueberries. Blueberry cakes can take many forms, from blueberry pound cakes baked in loaf pans to sky-high blueberry bundt cakes, streusel-topped blueberry coffee cakes, and layered lemon blueberry cakes.
Whatever form your blueberry cake takes, serve it as-is, or paired with homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
3 Tips for Making Blueberry Cake
You can easily add blueberries to most cake recipes. Here’s how to make yours sing:
- 1. Choose fresh over frozen berries. Use fresh blueberries, which typically release less liquid while baking and have a bright, tart flavor. If you use frozen blueberries, toss them in a quick coat of flour before folding them into the cake batter—this extra barrier will help them stay afloat in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom.
- 2. Experiment with spices and alternative flours. Change up the character of your cake with ground spices like green cardamom, floral herbs like thyme or lavender, or dry staples like almond flour, shredded coconut, or coconut flour.
- 3. Let the cake cool before frosting or glazing. To ensure a thick layer of zingy lemon glaze, cream cheese frosting, or buttercream frosting, allow the cake to cool completely before applying. If the cake is too warm, the icing will slide right off. (For fully frosted layer cakes, apply a crumb coat first; here’s how to crumb coat a cake.)
Easy Blueberry Cake Recipe
makes
1 8- or 9-inch round cakeprep time
10 mintotal time
50 mincook time
40 minIngredients
For the cake:
For the lemon glaze and assembly:
Note: Total time does not include 1 hour of inactive time.
Make the cake:
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
Lightly grease an 8- or 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
- 3
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt, and set it aside.
- 4
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 minutes. (Alternatively, combine the two in a large bowl and blend with an electric hand mixer.)
- 5
Add the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract, and mix until glossy and combined.
- 6
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed just until the flour mixture is fully incorporated.
- 7
Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the blueberries.
- 8
Scrape the cake batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top.
- 9
Bake until the surface is golden brown and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40–50 minutes.
- 10
Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake and continue to cool it, right-side up, on the rack.
Make the lemon glaze and assemble the cake:
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, melted butter, and lemon zest. Whisk well to combine.
- 2
Taste the glaze and adjust for consistency or flavor with more lemon juice or a splash of water until the glaze has a thick, pourable consistency, like maple syrup.
- 3
When the cake is cool to the touch, place the cake on a cake platter or tray.
- 4
Drizzle the cake with lemon glaze, and allow it to set for at least 1 hour before slicing.
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