This homemade blueberry cake is great for breakfast, dessert, or as a great snack for small gatherings. Made with fresh or frozen blueberries and pantry staples, top it with the optional glaze to make it extra special.
Introduction
Homemade buttermilk blueberry cake will become one of your family's go-to special treats. But so easy, you won't keep it for only special occasions.
Blueberry season is here in Michigan. And my wife is the biggest blueberry hound on earth—so great blueberry recipes are always welcomed.
Today's recipe is inspired by a raspberry buttermilk cake from Gourmet Magazine 2009. While the original recipe is raspberry, almost any fruit should be okay, like blueberries. I also did a little simplification and added a very nice glaze.
My Rating
This is a solid five. Almost a five-plus if you add the glaze.
The Blueberries
You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. Be sure to pick them over for stems.
They do not need to be thawed if using frozen berries, but frozen berries are generally frozen without washing. So rinse frozen berries well with running cold water and then pat dry.
A dusting of flour before adding to the recipe may help keep the berries from sinking during baking.
📋Ingredients
- Butter-use salted or unsalted with a pinch more salt.
- Buttermilk- low-fat or regular. If you don't have buttermilk, use ½ cup of milk, remove 1 ½ teaspoons and add 1 ½ teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice (my choice). Allow it set 5 minutes before use.
- Baking Powder- use aluminum free.
- Flour- I have only tested standard all-purpose flour. Usually you can use up to 25% whole wheat without adjustments to recipes. More may require more fluid.
👨🍳How to Make Blueberry Cake
A 9-inch round pan is what I generally use, but an 8-inch square or 6 by 10 oblong dish.
A double recipe is best in a 9 by 13 standard cake pan. A double recipe may take a bit longer to cook, so go by color and the toothpick test.
Generally 30 minutes. You should see the edges being dark brown and the top being golden brown. A toothpick should come out clean.
Just a sprinkle of some sugar before baking will give a nice top, but I'm a big fan of the suggested glaze.
Store at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or frozen for 2-3 months.
📖Blueberry Recipes
Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.
Prep a 9-inch baking pan with a coat of butter and dusted with flour.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
In a large mixing bowl, add ¼ cup butter and ⅔ cup sugar. Beat with mixer until creamy—about 2 minutes. Add one egg and one teaspoon of vanilla to the butter/sugar mixture and mix in.
Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture and ⅓ of the half cup of buttermilk. Mix well. Repeat twice.
Place in the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Sprinkle on 1 cup of blueberries. Sprinkle the top with 1 ½ tablespoons sugar if not doing the glaze.
Bake on the middle rack until a toothpick comes out clean—about 30 minutes. Allow to cool in a pan for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and invert on a rack to cool more.
Optional glaze. Combine ⅔ cup powdered sugar, ⅛ teaspoon vanilla, and 3-4 teaspoons milk. Move the cake back to a plate and apply the glaze.
📖Full Recipe
Easy Blueberry Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour - AP
- ½ teaspoon baking powder - aluminum-free
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 egg - large
- 1 cup blueberries - fresh or frozen
Optional Glaze or a dusting of sugar
- ⅔ cup powder sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla
- 3-4 teaspoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Prep a 9-inch baking pan with a coat of butter and dusted with flour.
- In a separate bowl combine 1 cup of flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon baking soda.
- In a large mixing bowl, add ¼ cup butter and ⅔ cup sugar—beat with mixer until creamy—about 2 minutes. Add one egg and one teaspoon of vanilla to the butter/sugar mixture and mix in.
- Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture and ⅓ of the half cup of buttermilk. Mix well. Repeat twice more.
- Place in the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Sprinkle on 1 cup of blueberries.
- Bake on the middle rack until a toothpick comes out clean—about 30 minutes. Allow to cool in a pan for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and invert on a rack to cool more.
- Optional drizzle. Combine ⅔ cup powdered sugar, ⅛ teaspoon vanilla, and 3-4 teaspoons milk. Move the cake back to a plate and apply drizzle.
My Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Use fresh or frozen berries. Frozen berries should be rinsed off but not thawed.
- Use aluminum-free baking powder.
- No buttermilk, no problem. Use ½ cup of milk, remove 1 ½ teaspoons and add 1 ½ teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice (my choice). Allow it set 5 minutes before use.
- The 400° oven temperature looks high but is correct.
- While I added the glaze as optional, you definitely want to do it.
- This cake will fall apart if you try to cut before mostly cooled.
- Nutrition data includes optional glaze.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published July 24, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Dana Stieferman
Dr. Dan, I’m sure your wife got the buttermilk so you would get the message to make this Easy Buttermilk Blueberry Cake! It worked!! Not a big fan of blueberries but do like any other berry, esp blackberries. Will p/u the bmilk & berries on next grocery run. Can’t wait to try it; I’m anticipating it will be a 5-star rating.
Thanks for all your recipes. Since my DH’s injury, I’ve even done a few steaks following your great instructions. I’m 74 and just now really cooking- thanks to my husband actually liking to cook since shortly after we were married.
Gotta go - TMI ! 😜
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Diana,
Welcome to the blog.
I usually do the shopping or we do it together but she went and I asked for a quart of milk. I had just wasted most of a gallon. I believe she grabbed the buttermilk by mistake but I had the berries and the buttermilk and went searching for a recipe. I anticipate a scone or cake. But the raspberry recipe was more my style. I'm sure the blackberries will be fine.
Just a tip, there is a very nice dried buttermilk that works great in baking. Lasts for months refrigerated and of course you can cheat with regular milk and lemon juice.
Glad you are enjoying the site and thanks for the note.
Dan
Sandra
I commented back in 2017 and I’m doing so today because this is still my favourite cake. I change it up with different berries all are wonderful but raspberry is my fave. Try it you’ll like it.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Sandra,
Thanks for commenting again and the rating.
My wife loves raspberries and I just got some today to go with a fresh pineapple. We make a fruit salad with berries and fresh pineapple if there is a good looking pineapple. I could divert them to the cake but that might cause wife issues.
I'm out of blueberries at the moment (as of yesterday). I need to go to the farm this week and get 10 pounds for the freezer. Nothing like fresh from the blueberry farm.
Dan
Sandra
I made this with raspberries today, ooh, you must try it! Wonderful, easy too.
Cary
i love this easy, delicious cake! tried to multi-star it, but doesn't want to take.
DrDan
Hi Cary, Thanks for the note. I'm having some issues with the star rating and will try to get it fixed soon.
Dan
Sandra
Delicious. I used a lemon glaze, went nicely with blueberries. Quick and easy to put together
Joan Garneau
Oh, thank you! Here I am in Michigan visiting family and while I have helped eat four pounds of blueberries since I have been here, I am going to run to the blueberry farm to get some more and make this cake. My daughter will love it as will I.
DrDan
Our normal blueberry farm is still closed but others are open. My wife sent me for 25# for the freezer. So that will have to wait.
I got these from the local market. But still Michigan berries.
Julie
Looks delish and I have all ingredients except for the buttermilk, so I will be picking it up today. I see I need 1:2 cup in the description, but I don't see it in the ingredient list.
By the way, your convection baked drumsticks are superb! Crispy outside, juicy inside! New favorite in our house.
DrDan
I do like the drumsticks...
Thanks for the proofread and fixed.
You can sub for the buttermilk with regular milk with lemon juice or vinegar. However, I do like the buttermilk a little better. I keep powdered buttermilk for cooking, and it is very nice since I rarely have buttermilk on hand otherwise, but my wife got it for some reason.
Thanks for the note
Dan