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The Best Blueberry Cake

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Bright, juicy blueberries are a vibrant surprise right through the middle of this scratch-made cake. It's those sweet berries that set this apart from any other dessert you'll serve and truly deserving of the title, The Best Blueberry Cake (ever!). If you love blueberries from morning til night, be sure to try Blueberry Baked Oatmeal too!

blueberry cake on a plate with lemon garnish
The cake is tender and rich and the topping has just a touch of lemon. It's so good. I've been making this cake for years and it's a hit for dessert, brunch or even a special occasion.

Ingredients to have on hand

  • fresh blueberries
  • lemons
  • almond extract
  • blueberry jam
  • pecans
  • sweetened condensed milk

This cake is such a wonderful treat. Like your favorite blueberry muffins, it’s especially delicious served warm from the oven. But it’s also perfectly yummy after it’s cooled. The warm sauce on top also goes well with ice cream on the side.

Ingredients for blueberry cake spread out on a cutting board.
These simple ingredients combine for a very special dessert treat.
Can walnuts be substituted for the pecans?

For sure, you can substitute walnuts for the same amount of pecans. I have made this cake using walnuts, but the pecans have a sweeter taste and slightly softer texture, which is why they are my personal favorite for this blueberry cake.

Cake batter in a round pan.
It starts with a layer of sweet cake batter.

Use One Whole Lemon

Be sure to have a fresh lemon on hand when you make this blueberry cake. You'll use all of the juice and the zest from one whole lemon rind when you make the topping.

Pecans on top of the cake batter in a pan.
Thanks pecans! The next layer adds a lightly sweetened "crunch" to the the cake.

Fresh or Frozen Blueberries?

I like to use fresh blueberries in this recipe. But frozen berries are certainly an option. I like how the King Arther Baking Company explains the difference between the two. If you opt for frozen berries, allow them to thaw for about a half hour, then rinse and pat the berries dry with paper towels. That will help keep the color of the blueberries from spreading throughout your cake batter.

Blueberries on top of cake batter in a pan.
Though it's tempting, try not to use more blueberries than the recipe calls for, that can affect cooking time.
Cake batter on top of fresh blueberries.
Run a knife through the top layer of batter to combine the it with the blueberries.

Special Topping for Blueberry Cake

The cake bakes in just under an hour, allowing plenty of time to cook the blueberry topping. Blueberry jam combines with sweetened condensed milk, lemon and a touch of salt. It's delicious!

topping ingredients in a pan
While the cake cooks, create the topping.

Serve the Topping Warm

Bring the special topping ingredients to a boil and whisk until about the half the moisture evaporates and the sauce has thickened. Serve the topping warm. I like to spoon about a tablespoon of topping over each serving of blueberry cake. (A scoop of ice cream on the side creates additional wow factor for each serving!)

Bubbly and the perfect blend of berry and lemon flavor for the topping on your cake.

Serve for Brunch or Dessert

This cake reminds me of the most perfect blueberry muffin! But the blueberry topping and it's fresh lemon juice (and zest!) is what transforms this into a very special family favorite for dessert or for brunch.

A wedge of blueberry cake on a plate.
Serve warm or cold, this blueberry cake is delicious.

Other Dessert or Brunch Ideas

Here are a few other recipes that are the perfect way to wrap up a great meal or serve alongside your savory brunch entrees.

Be sure to give a star rating to the recipes you make from the Crinkled Cookbook. I always love hearing from you. Sharing is great too! Use the buttons after the recipe to text it with just one click or send it to family and friends on Pinterest and Facebook. Enjoy.

Recipe

blueberry cake on a plate with lemon garnish

The Best Blueberry Cake

Sweet, juicy blueberries run through the middle of this made from scratch cake and it's those berries that set this apart from any other dessert. This cake will remind you of the best blueberry muffin ever!
5 from 119 votes
Print Rate Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 697kcal
Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler

Ingredients 

Pecan Layer

  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • ⅓ cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup pecans chopped
  • ⅓ cup butter cold

Cake

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries or frozen, but fresh is best

Topping

  • 1, 13 ounce jar blueberry jam
  • ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • juice from one lemon
  • zest from one lemon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Grease Pan

  • Preheat oven to 350°
  • Grease a 9" springform baking pan or spray with Pam, set aside.

Prep Pecans, Make Cake Batter

  • In a small bowl, combine the first four ingredients, including the pecans, cut in the cold butter until crumbly and set aside.
    In a mixing bowl, cream softened butter and sugar.
    Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in almond extract.
    In another small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
    Alternately, add the dry ingredients and milk to the creamed mixture in the mixing bowl. Combine, but don't overmix.

Layer Ingredients in Pan

  • Spoon two thirds of the batter from the mixing bowl into the pan. Sprinkle with two thirds of the reserved pecan mixture.
    Top with blueberries and push gently to secure the berries in the batter.
    Dollop the remaining batter on top of the berries and smooth the batter so its spread evenly over the berries. Top with remaining pecan mixture.

Bake

  • Place in hot oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing sides of the pan.

Prep Topping

  • While the cake cooks, combine jam, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt in a small saucepan.
    Bring to a boil and stir until about half the moisture evaporates and the jam mixture is slightly thick.
    Remove from heat and keep warm until you are ready to serve your cake.

Notes

If you opt to use frozen blueberries, allow them to thaw for about a half hour, then rinse and pat the berries dry with paper towels. That will help keep the color of the blueberries from spreading throughout your cake batter.

Nutrition

Calories: 697kcalCarbohydrates: 108gProtein: 8gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 283mgPotassium: 266mgFiber: 3gSugar: 67gVitamin A: 748IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 112mgIron: 3mg

Please note, the nutrition details are estimated using a food database and are offered here only as a guideline for informational purposes.

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  1. Tyanne says

    5 stars
    This cake was so amazing! I love baking with blueberries.

    Reply