Simple Blueberry Cake
Make this simple blueberry cake recipe! This blueberry cake is tender and delicious, loaded with blueberries, and not too sweet. It's perfect.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
This blueberry cake is my official summertime dessert. I hope it becomes yours, too. It’s tender, fully loaded with blueberries, and simple to make—no mixer required. It’s a dream!
This blueberry cake recipe is naturally sweetened with maple syrup, which makes it extra delicious. Thanks to the blueberries and maple syrup, it’s nicely sweet but not over the top. Some cakes are so sweet that they give me a stomachache, but this one is just right.
This cake will absolutely be a hit at your Fourth of July festivities. Serve it as a “snacking cake” or make it celebration-worthy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. I’ve even enjoyed a slice with yogurt for breakfast.
Blueberry Cake Recipe Development
To create this cake, I started with my Healthy Blueberry Muffins and adjusted the recipe until I arrived at a perfectly sweet cake. Since we started from a recipe that I know like the back of my hand, I’m able to offer adjustments to make this cake gluten free, dairy free or vegan. Check the recipe notes for those details.
To make the recipe taste like a true cake, I substituted melted butter for the coconut oil or olive oil. I also traded buttermilk for the Greek yogurt for a fluffier texture with the same nice tang.
I managed to triple the blueberries, too. You’ll need 3 cups (1 1/2 pints) total. I trust that you can polish off the leftover blueberries on your own!
Watch How to Make Simple Blueberry Cake
Blueberry Cake Tips
Pan options: This cake bakes beautifully in a standard 9-inch springform pan. You could also use a 9-inch cake pan. I imagine that you could bake the cake in an 8-inch square baker. Any time you’re changing the baking pan size suggested in a baked good recipe, keep an eye on the oven and pay more attention to the visual cues provided for doneness than the actual timing (your cake could be done a few minutes sooner or later than specified).
This recipe works with a variety of flours. My favorite is white whole wheat flour, which is a variety of whole wheat with a very mild flavor closer to all-purpose. Use regular whole wheat flour for a faintly nutty flavor and a slightly rustic texture. Otherwise, all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose blends work, too.
You can make this cake with fresh or frozen blueberries. Do not defrost frozen blueberries before using.
Toss the blueberries with a small amount of flour so they don’t sink to the bottom of the cake. The extra teaspoon of flour in the ingredients list is there for good reason.
Sprinkle raw sugar on top. Raw sugar, also known as turbinado sugar, makes the blueberries sparkle and adds a lightly crackly burst of sweetness on top. You can buy raw sugar in the sugar aisle of most grocery stores these days. Or, just grab a few extra raw sugar packets from your go-to coffee shop (I won’t tell).
More Berry Desserts to Enjoy
Just a few of many recipes with blueberries, strawberries and raspberries:
- Blueberry Almond Crisp
- Gluten-Free Almond Cake with Berries on Top
- Mixed Berry Crisp
- No-Bake Greek Yogurt Tart
- Roasted Berry and Honey Yogurt Popsicles
Please let me know how your cake turns out in the comments! I’m so eager to hear how you like it.
Simple Blueberry Cake
Make this simple blueberry cake recipe! This blueberry cake is tender and delicious, loaded with blueberries, and not too sweet. It’s naturally sweetened and whole grain as written, too (check recipe notes for more flour options). Recipe yields one 9-inch round cake, enough for 8 slices.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups plus 1 teaspoon white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
- ⅔ cup buttermilk*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups blueberries, fresh (1 ½ pints) or frozen, divided
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (also called raw sugar), for sprinkling on top
- Optional serving suggestions: Vanilla ice cream, Greek yogurt or whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the base of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper cut to fit inside. Butter the sides of the pan to prevent the cake from sticking.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ¾ cups of the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir them together with a whisk.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the maple syrup and butter and beat together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then add the buttermilk and vanilla. Mix well. (If the butter solidifies in contact with cold ingredients, gently warm the mixture in the microwave in 30 second bursts, then stir again.)
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). In a small bowl, toss 2 cups of the blueberries with the remaining 1 teaspoon flour (this helps prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom). Gently fold the blueberries into the batter. The mixture will be thick, but don’t worry.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Distribute the remaining blueberries on top, focusing them more toward the center of the cake. Sprinkle the top of the blueberries with the turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 34 to 38 minutes, until the cake is golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (blueberry bits aside). Place the cake on a cooling rack to cool. Before releasing the springform sides, you might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan.
- Serve as desired. Store leftover cake covered, at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or, freeze leftover cake for up to 3 months.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Healthy Blueberry Muffins.
*How to make buttermilk: Combine 2 teaspoons vinegar with ⅔ cup milk of choice (any milk will do). Let the mixture rest for 5 to 10 minutes before adding it to the other liquid ingredients.
Flour options: All-purpose flour and gluten-free all-purpose blends also work well here. I bet that you could use 2 ½ cups oat flour instead, but haven’t tried to be sure.
Change it up: Know that the cinnamon and turbinado sugar are technically optional. You could try this cake with raspberries or sliced strawberries in place of the blueberries. Instead of buttermilk, you could use 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. For lemony cake, whisk the zest of 1 medium lemon (about ½ teaspoon), preferably organic, into the liquid ingredients.
Make it dairy free: Make your own buttermilk from your non-dairy milk of choice. Replace the butter with ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or mildly flavored extra-virgin olive oil, like California Olive Ranch.
Make it vegan: Follow dairy-free guidance above and substitute flax eggs for the regular eggs.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Made this yesterday. Fantastic! I used a round 9 inch pan and it came out just fine. I’ll be making this again and will add lemon zest.
I’ve made this twice in the past 8 weeks. It’s outstanding. And it looks really good too.
I love that, Winnie! Thank you for your review.
I love this recipe! I started making it at the beginning of the summer and have been making it pretty consistently every week since with fresh blueberries. It has definitely become a favorite in our household. Thank you Kate. My only issue is that I always seem to have to cook it for 20-25 more minutes than you’ve indicated. I’ve tried it in 2 different ovens and it still takes much longer than the recipe indicates. That’s ok though as it is worth the wait. I use gluten-free flour but I can’t imagine that’s the issue.
I’m sorry to hear it takes longer. The flour could be the issue. But, I’m glad you can still enjoy it!
I come to this site for delicious recipes regularly. The Simple Blueberry Cake uses eggs which is an allergy limiting what I bake. Do you have an alternative vegan recipe without the use of standard egg substitutes, i.e., ground flax seed, apple sauce, etc? Let me know if you have any suggestions.
My love for all things blueberries runs deep.
I’m sorry to disappoint, but I don’t have an option without an egg alternative.
Made it tonight- needed to use up fresh blueberries + added a few frozen.
Cake rose well and looked golden after 34 minutes so I took it out (used round standard metal pan).
It didn’t have time to cool down – my youngest who complained she doesn’t like pies jumped on it and even had a second serving and my husband who wanted a tiny piece had a second serving too.
I wondered about using extra large blueberries but it turned out really well.
I guess I will be making it again soon…
Thanks so much for the great recipe
This is my first ever post for recipe☺️. I have made your banana bread too which is as yummy as this blueberry cake. I swapped the butter for olive oil as you suggest. This cake is perfect for afternoon tea, or served warm as a desert too, it’s lip smackingly blueberry delicious and as you say … not too sweet. Thank you Kate.
I love your heathy recipes. I have been using them for a few years. I am 80 and they make my husband happy.
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoy them, Linda! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Hi Kate,
We love your recipes in general, but this recipe just didn’t work for us. After baking it for almost an hour the center was still batter, while the top was already hard and brown! It smells delicious though. What do you recommend so that it cooks faster and more evenly?
Hi Sharon, What size pan did you use? Are you certain you had the ratios of ingredients correct.
Dear Kathryn,
Thank your for your yummmmmmmacious and healthy recipes. I tried the veggie chili which was very good. Your presentations are very inspiring from A to Z and whilst I am a pretty good cook I am going to follow your email and newsletter and recipes. Happy new year and best regards from Switzerland
Thank you, Steve!
HELLO
i am so excited about making this cake….
sounds so good and healthy……
can i substitute butter for something healthier???
and can i use a loaf pan or a bundt pan???
please let me know if i will need to increase the recipe using the bundt pan so it will be tall enough
thankyou so much
love your recipes and all the options you give!!!!!
Hi Donna, I recommend this recipe as is. I hope you try it!
Made this today with my son and can confirm it is toddler approved! This tastes like a giant blueberry muffin, especially with the nice sugar top :) We will make this again for sure! Much easier than scooping out 12 muffins and then cleaning the muffin tin.
Hooray! I’m glad you loved it.
How confident are you that this could be topped with a cream cheese frosting? I know from using a few of your recipes that you don’t use refined sugars or artificial sweeteners (amazing!) but I’ve found a cream cheese frosting recipe using powdered erythritol (instead of regular powdered sugar) and am thinking about it. I’ve never used it before. Making my son’s first birthday cake and really loving this recipe of yours but also really needing a frosting for that messy first birthday cake experience haha!
Hi, I think you could try it. I recommend my Naturally Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting if you don’t want powder sugar. Let me know what you think!
Made this chopped pear and it was great! I also had little wholewheat flour so used mostly wholegrain spelt and it had a lovely flavour.
I’m glad it turned out with pear! I appreciate you taking the time to share, Dianne.
This is an easy and delicious recipe that works for dessert with vanilla ice cream or breakfast with plain Greek yogurt or really anytime (as this cake is usually gone in a day at our house;). Love your recipes. Love all the information you provide for altering as needed! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Karen! I appreciate your review.
This was the perfect cake for a summer night. So moist and delicious. Set some aside for breakfast tomorrow!
Thank you for your review, Gayle! I’m glad you loved it.
lemme try this see if it works works out sounds good
Thank you so much for this recipe Kate. I make mine with gluten free flour and it comes out so delicious. I love how easy it is to put together. I make your fabulous healthy blueberry muffins and now I’ve added this to my regular baking. Love these recipes!
I get so many compliments on them, but all credit goes to you!
Wonderful, Patrica! I’m so happy to hear that.
I used a 12×8” ceramic casserole pan (it’s all I had!). After 38min the middle was still just a tad underdone so I put a little foil over it and cooked an additional 3min. Turned out perfect! I also followed your cream cheese frosting recipe but added 2.5 tbsp lemon juice and some zest. My favorite part was licking the mixing bowl haha! Yum!!
I’m glad it still turned out, Jory! Thank you for your review.
Loving your recipes! Thank you! I tried the GF version and it was so popular and I made a double batch a few days later. Basically I ground 2.5 cups of old fashioned rolled oats and followed the rest of the recipe. I made a cream cheese and agave syrup frosting to serve on the side.
I’m glad it turned out so well for you, Palmo! I appreciate you taking the time to comment and review.
I make this often, with the following changes: I use oil instead of butter (a mixture of canola and olive oil), add a couple of tsp brown sugar to add a bit of additional sweetness, use natural almond milk with a bit of lemon juice for buttermilk, and add about a quarter cup of almond flour/meal. I grease pan with vegan margarine, with no parchment paper. Finally, I bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes (400 degrees scorches, for me). Also I add more cinnamon, and sprinkle top with some brown sugar. Always comes out delicious.
Thank you for sharing how you have adapted this, Richard!
Made this cake over the long President’s Day weekend. It was super easy to assemble and is incredibly moist and delicious! My husband gave it two thumbs up, so needless to say, I’ll be baking this again. I appreciated the use of honey instead of sugar and the buttermilk gave it a nice but subtle tang!
It’s loaded with blueberries so it’s not too cakey.
I made a blueberry compote with the leftover blueberries to top the cake then finished it off with whipped cream.
Thank you!
Great to hear! Thank you for sharing, Denisemarie.
The only thing I might change is replacing the cinnamon with another spice. Wonder if cardamom would work. Any other spice suggestions? Perhaps vanilla beans along with the extract?
Thank you!
If you try it, use only a little. It can be stronger than cinnamon.
Hi Kate, this recipe looks awesome and delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
The combination of sweet blueberries and fluffy cake makes for a delicious and versatile dessert that can be enjoyed on its own or with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. This cake is also relatively easy to make and can be customized to suit different tastes by adding in other fruits or spices.
I baked this cake a second time and instead of cinnamon, I opted for a vanilla bean which just happened to equal rhe 1/4 t. the recipe called for. I also used Madagascar vanilla extract instead of another brand.
We enjoyed these flavors much more so. We didn’t care for the cinnamon even though it was only a small amount. It seemed to overpower the blueberry flavor.
I also reduced the baking time by 3 minutes to 35 minutes, so the crust was much less browned.
Perfection!
This is SO good! I always add lemon zest to brighten it up.
Hello, I would like to try this recipe, but I am at my grand parents’ place and missing a key ingredient (maple syrup or honey). Have you ever tried with sugar instead? I have coconut sugar (and refined sugar but would prefer using coconut sugar).
That would change the recipe, sorry! I hope you were able to make something work.
I made this easy, delicious cake today. I used honey, the zest of a small lemon and my homemade yogurt instead of buttermilk. I omitted the cinnamon because of the lemon zest and only used 2 cups of blueberries, stirred into the batter, which was plenty. It has the taste and texture of a coffee cake. Will be making this again.
That’s great to hear, Denise! Thank you for your review.
An update from a previous post: I’m on a low fodmap diet, so I’ve made the following changes, which work well and make the cake low fodmap and gluten-free. I substitute 1/2 cup brown sugar for the honey, and sprinkle the cake batter before baking with a bit of brown sugar. I sub the wheat flour with about a cup of rice (white or brown) flour and 3/4 to a cup of almond meal, and if the batter seems a bit soupy I may add a bit more flour…sometimes a bit of sorghum flour. I use 1/2 cup oil instead of the butter, and some watered-down homemade cashew yogurt instead of buttermilk, to make it nondairy. I use at least 1 tsp cinnamon, and leave out the salt to reduce sodium. I bake it at 350 degrees F. in an oiled 9-inch round cake pan for about 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester comes our clean. It comes out great…it’s a forgiving recipe.
Just made this and added the lemon zest/juice. Served with cool whip. Very good! Everyone loved it. Like a huge blueberry muffin.
Love all your recipes Kate, been a fan for years! Made the above and it was amazing with 1/4 cup maple syrup (reduced the quantities mentioned by the recipe in half). Would it affect the end result if I took the maple syrup/honey out completely? Would I need to add more milk/oil to sub the liquid lost? Many thanks all the best and have a great day! Xxxx
Thank you, Gina! I’m glad you love this cake. If you remove the sweetener (and some of the liquid) it will impact your results.
Made this for supper tonight, using Grace’s recommendation for strawberries. Very tender cake and not too sweet at all. Made it vegan per Kate’s suggestions except used aquafaba instead of flax. And only had unbleached organic sugar on hand and instead sprinkled muscovado sugar rather than turbinado. Really didn’t add anything, flavor wise. All said, a nice little recipe…and happy birthday, little Grace!
Thank you, Jeanne!
This cake is gorgeous, bursting with blueberries – it was perfect for my daughter’s 4th birthday! The flax eggs substituted perfectly (egg allergy) and I added a chantilly cream on top. Utterly moreish!
I’m glad it worked well for her birthday party! I appreciate your review, Elli.
If using frozen berries, decrease oven temperature to 350 and increase baking time to 50-60 minutes. Otherwise a nice recipe. The result is reminiscent of buckwheat blueberry pancakes.
Hi Kate, I used almond meal and increased the quantity by about 1/2 cup plus a bit extra baking powder. I also use rice syrup as I am very aware of the health issues with fructose! I split the mix between 2 x 7′ /18 cm with removable bases and they turned out well! It is not always easy to find a recipe that I can adapt so thank you very much for this one!!
You’re welcome, Deltry! Thank you for your review.
Ver nice recipe of blueberry cake.
Thank you for the recipe! It was super easy to make. I made the cake for an afternoon tea gathering. I used 2 cups of frozen blueberries to mix into the cake and I sprinkled fresh blueberries on top. Everyone loved the it! It was not too sweet had loads of blueberries. I may add a bit more maple syrup for my next cake. Hubby says it needed just a little more sweetness
This is my go-to cake for any special occasion! My family loves it, especially my blueberry -obsessed toddler. I typically use frozen blueberries with fresh on top. Comes out great each time!
Great to hear, Colleen! Thank you for your review.
I tried this recipe and used only oat flour 2 and half cups like suggested and only used two cups of blueberries as three seemed like too many, once made the two cups turned out to be more than enough.
The cake turned out so good so pleased with it, I will definitely be making this again, best thing is you can eat it without feeling guilty.
I hear lemon goes well w/blueberry. Could I add some lemon zest? Wonder what that would do to the cake …
Sure, blueberry and lemon tend to go well together. Let me know what you think when you try it!
I enjoy many of your recipes but this one does not fully cook in the middle. I think there are too many berries in the recipe. Most of your reviews are comments from people who have not made the cake. Not sure how that adds up to a five star rating???
I’m sorry to hear that. I have made this recently and didn’t have any issues. Did you use frozen or fresh?
I used two cups fresh and one cup frozen. Two cups would have been plenty.
Just made this today, I have been baking for years now and will try almost anything, I made this today as my wife said she would like to try it. So yes I made it and now it goes into my library of items to make for events that I do for our Church.
Also great since we purchased 90 lbs.of blueberries this last season.
Thanks Again
I am looking forward to making this. I will be doing a couple variations. First one will be gluten and dairy free. Going to use oat flour mostly. I have to stay away from gluten free flour blends as I try to avoid the “gums”. The next one will be for my husband and I will be using his sugar free syrup. Uses monkfruit and erythritol. We are big blueberry fans here. Love your recipes. Everything I have ever made from your site has always turned out….even with my substitutions. Just yesterday made your blueberry baked oats.
Hi! I made your Healthy Blueberry Muffin recipe and it was amazing! I’m going to be making this recipe for my upcoming birthday but I noticed the coconut oil was subbed with butter. I really enjoyed the coconut flavor in the muffin recipe – would I be able to use coconut oil in this recipe as well instead of the butter? If so, how much?
That’s great to hear, Jess!
Love this cake! Can you freeze it?
Sure, you can try it. Let me know how it turns out for you, Toni!
Any suggestions for high altitude? We are at almost 9000ft
Since I am in Kansas City, I don’t have any tips. Sorry!
Had an abundance of blueberries and when I looked your recipe appeared. So of course i had to make it. I used whole wheat flour 1 cup snd the rest corn meal meal. thinned out yoghurt and coconut oil. Sprunkled with coconut sugar. Its in the oven as i type. Will be ready for brunch. Thanks again for a super recipe.
What a great recipe! I made the cake as directed with ap flour, and it was moist and delicious! My friends all asked for the recipe once they tasted it. I, of course, told them it was another win for Cookie and Kate, and sent them the link. Thanks for the recipe. Even yummier the next day!
Hi Kate,
Loving your banana bread recipe.
Planning to try out a few others.
What can be a dairy free substitute for the Greek yoghurt? I don’t use any other dairy free milks. So wondering if I can use a dairy free yoghurt.
Thanks
Hi Lisa! See the dairy free option in the notes.
Kate!!!!! Another terrific recipe just as my blueberry bushes are producing like crazy!!! Thank you, I love anything maple syrup, too! Happy 4th to you and your family, be safe
Awesome cake. I was able to use my fresh milled flour with very little adjustments. Thank you for your healthy, whole food recipes!