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Blueberry Breakfast Cake

This Blueberry Breakfast Cake is a favorite for summer! Easy to make, moist and light, and studded with juicy blueberries, you’ll want to make this cake again and again. Especially since you can eat it for breakfast OR dessert!

Slice of blueberry cake on plate with whipped cream and blueberries

Easy Blueberry Breakfast Cake Recipe

It’s funny how we find some of our favorite recipes. I decided to make this blueberry breakfast cake after reading a discussion about it while browsing Chowhound. Sadly, I neglected to bookmark the thread, but I did manage to save the recipe, which is a variation of a cake from Martha Stewart.

I made a few changes, like replacing some of the granulated sugar with brown sugar, and I also sprinkled a little sanding sugar on top, because we all know how I love the way it dresses up simple desserts. This blueberry cake is just the right amount of sweet, a bit delicate, and all-around lovely.

While I made this with blueberries, you can certainly use your favorite fruit or a combination of ripe summer fruits. Strawberries and raspberries are always a good choice, but I think this cake would also work well with sweet cherries, juicy peaches, or even plums. Frozen fruit should work, too, if you have a hankering for this cake once summer has moved along.

(Can’t get enough blueberries? Here are 12 Blueberry Recipes to Make This Summer! Also, Blueberry Crumb Cake and Blueberry Coffee Cake are big favorites of mine at the moment.)

Why This Blueberry Breakfast Cake Works

Cake for breakfast? Count me in! Here are a few more reasons to love this blueberry breakfast cake recipe:

  • Sweet flavor. With a mix of granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and fresh blueberries, this cake has just the right amount of sweetness.
  • Perfect texture. The cake itself is super tender and fluffy, but the sanding sugar on top adds a delightful crunch to each bite!
  • Simple ingredients. There’s nothing too out of the ordinary here as far as ingredients are concerned. As long as you have some fresh blueberries on hand, you should be good to go!
  • Breakfast or dessert. That’s right, you can make this blueberry cake and eat it for breakfast or dessert! It goes great with a cup of coffee or with a scoop of ice cream.
Overhead view of ingredients for simple blueberry cake

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

  • All-purpose flour – Learn more: How to Measure Flour.
  • Baking powder – This will give your blueberry cake a nice lift.
  • Salt – This will enhance the sweet flavors of the other ingredients.
  • Unsalted butter – Learn more: Unsalted or Salted Butter: Which is Better for Baking?
  • Sugar – I like to use both granulated sugar and light brown sugar in this recipe. You’ll want to use light brown sugar in this cake, not dark; dark brown sugar has a more pronounced molasses flavor that won’t play well with the rest of the ingredients here.
  • Egg – Let this come to room temperature so it holds more air when beaten.
  • Vanilla extract – If you have almond extract on hand instead, it would be lovely in this recipe!
  • Milk – Whole milk is always best for baking!
  • Blueberries – You can make this cake with fresh or frozen blueberries. This post on Fresh vs Frozen Fruits might help you decide which to use!
  • Sanding sugar – This is optional. Sanding sugar adds sparkle and a delightful crunch to the tops of cookies, cakes, and muffins. Another coarse sugar, like Demerara, can be used as a substitute.

How to Make This Blueberry Breakfast Cake

If you can make blueberry muffins, you can make this blueberry cake! Here’s what you’ll need to do.

  • Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or cooking spray.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Mix the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until creamy. Then, beat in the egg and vanilla.
  • Finish the batter. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 portions, alternating with the milk. Mix until just combined.
  • Assemble. Pour the batter into the greased pan. Scatter the blueberries over the top and gently press them into the batter (you can use a straw or skewer if you don’t want to get batter on your fingers). Sprinkle the top of the cake with sanding sugar.
  • Bake. Place the cake pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes more, or until the cake is golden brown and firm.
  • Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges. Turn out the cake onto a plate, then flip it again onto a wire rack so it can finish cooling.
Overhead view of whole blueberry cake on wire rack

How Long Should I Leave a Cake in the Pan After Baking?

The general rule is to wait about 10-20 minutes before removing a cake from the pan, but different cakes need different cooling times, so always follow the recipe’s instructions!

Leaving the cake in the pan to rest gives it enough time to cool and solidify a bit so it doesn’t break or crumble when you try to remove it. That said, you don’t want it completely cool before turning it out either, because it will be more likely to stick to the pan. It’s one of those Goldilocks situations where you want it neither too hot nor too cool!

Overhead view of blueberry cake with 3 slices cut

Video Tutorial For Blueberry Cake

Want to watch this blueberry breakfast cake come together step by step? Check it out:

Tips for Success

This blueberry breakfast cake is easy as can be, but these hints and tips will help you make it perfect!

  • Don’t over-mix the batter. The more you mix the batter, the more the gluten in the flour will develop. This is bad news for your cake because it won’t have the light, fluffy texture you want!
  • Make sure the blueberries are dry. Wash them and let them dry in a colander, or if you’re short on time, pour them out onto a few layers of paper towels and pat them dry. You don’t want them introducing water into the batter when you fold them into the batter!
  • Use room temperature eggs, butter, and milk. When these ingredients are room temperature, your batter will hold more air, yielding a lighter cake texture. Keep an eye on your butter, especially if your kitchen is warm, so it doesn’t get too soft. Learn more: How to Soften Butter.
Sliced blueberry cake on cake stand

Serving Suggestions

This blueberry cake is delicious as-is, but you can easily dress it up, too, with:

  • Whipped cream. Serve it with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and a pile of fresh summer berries.
  • Lemon curd. Or, pair it with homemade lemon curd for a sweet-tart contrast.
  • Ice cream. Plate the cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (preferably the kind flecked with vanilla beans!) and spoon blueberry compote over the top.
  • Coffee or tea. If you’re enjoying this cake for breakfast, make sure you have a steaming hot cup of coffee or tea to go with it!
Overhead view of blueberry cake slices on plates

How to Store

This cake will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days. Wrap it well, or transfer smaller portions of leftovers to an airtight container.

Can I Freeze This Blueberry Breakfast Cake?

Yes, you can freeze blueberry cake for up to 3 months. Wrap it well or freeze it in an airtight storage container; let it thaw at room temperature before serving.

Slice of blueberry cake on plate with whipped cream and berries

More Blueberry Cake Recipes

There are so many blueberry cakes to try! These are a few more of my favorite recipes:

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Yield 8-10
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Turn fresh blueberries into a tasty blueberry breakfast cake! This moist, tender blueberry cake is perfect for both breakfast and dessert.

Overhead view of whole blueberry cake

Ingredients

  • 1 & 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (118ml) milk
  • 1/2-1 cup blueberries
  • 1-2 tablespoons sanding sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing well.
  4. Add the flour mixture in 3 portions, alternating with the milk. Mix just until combined.
  5. Transfer the batter to prepared pan. Scatter the blueberries over the top of the batter and lightly press them into the batter. Sprinkle the top with sanding sugar.
  6. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and firm.
  7. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the cake. Transfer the cake to wire rack to cool completely. (You'll need to flip the cake twice so it can cool right side up.)

Notes

  • Recipe slightly adapted from Martha Stewart.
  • To store. This cake will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days. Wrap it well, or transfer smaller portions of leftovers to an airtight container.
  • To freeze. You can freeze blueberry cake for up to 3 months. Wrap it well or freeze it in an airtight storage container; let it thaw at room temperature before serving.

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    51 Comments on “Blueberry Breakfast Cake”

  1. bookmarked-the word ‘simple’ suits me (no-my baking!)

  2. Gorgeous! I am definitely picking up some blueberries to make this right away…yum!!

  3. I love simple recipes. This one is begging to be made.

  4. Yumm!!! It’s definitely good to have a simple cake recipe like that in one’s repertoir…so versatile!!

  5. simply the best!it looks great! 🙂

  6. wow, simply delicious

    There I met with the review of Manfrotto

    I will follow with great pleasure

  7. this cake looks stunning! I love fresh fruit in cakes. All I want is a slice of this with a cup of tea!

  8. Simple enough that I can make this fresh in the morning while drinking my coffee… and hopefully not muffle it up!!! By the time Goalie wakes up to warm deliciousness I will be out of my fog and look like a hero!!!

  9. We have a family gathering in September and this will be on the breakfast table for sure! My hubby doesn’t care for sour cream and so many of these little cakes include that- so glad this one doesn’t and I don’t have to scramble for substitutions! Whatever berries are in the farmers market I will use for this! Thanks for simplifying my family weekend a bit.

  10. I made this cake last night with fresh blueberries from my yard and added raspberries. It was a hit with the family. Would be delicious with some homemade icecream.

  11. I made this cake today and since i had so much sour cream in the fridge i used it instead of butter, using the same proportions : it was soooo good ! Thanks for sharing this recipe !

  12. I have just made this cake – I struggled with measuring the tablespoons of butter as I don’t know if US tablespoons are the same size as English so I used about 90-100 ml of butter. Here we tend to use scales for measuring rather than cups but I managed fine. The cake is absolutely delic. I cooked it with a fan setting of 170C then turned down to 160C but only cooked it for 45 minutes altogether. I reckon this would be good with gooseberries or rhubarb mixed in. Thank you for a lovely recipe.

  13. Made this last night and it was delicious! The batter was quite thick when everything was mixed so I added milk so it would pour more easily into my cake pan. I used closer to a cup of milk than a half cup. But it turned out great! I will definitely be making it again.

  14. I am making this cake right now, for my daughter`s breakfast tomorrow. I hope it will turn good, definitely I will make it again on the weekend.

  15. I replaced 1/2 cup of flour with oats, and 1/2 C of sugar with honey.. oh my gosh, honey just adds a kick of different sweetness which goes wonderfully with the blueberries.

  16. I may have added too much almond milk(didn’t have the regular kind) or my flour just behaves differently, but I had to bake for nearly an hour and a half to get it not liquid… Will try again with some changes and report on results, but at the very least it looks pretty.

    • Hi, Chai. I’ve never baked with almond milk, so I can’t offer any advice as to how it behaves versus regular milk in baking. If you’re having trouble with other things taking a long time to bake, you might check your oven’s temperature with an inexpensive oven thermometer.

  17. I made it & really fantastic . Thanks a lot for recipe dear

  18. I just made this cake this morning–delicious!!! This is my new favourite blueberry cake recipe .. Thank you for sharing!!

  19. Made it with Black Mulberry jam. Excellent and very easy receipt!

  20. Very good. We really enjoyed topped with ice cream. Thanks for sharing.

  21. Would frozen berries work in this cake?

  22. disregard my ^ question, just read through and see that frozen will work too 🙂

  23. Turned out just like on the picture! Just lovely! Thanks for a wonderful recipe all the way from Russia 🙂

  24. Hi Jennifer, just wanted to enquire if we can use canned blueberries pie filling instead of the fresh ones?
    You see this is all the way from India, we don’t really have fresh ones available here easily.

    • I think all the liquid in pie filling would alter the cake too much and not give you the result that you want. If you have frozen berries, that would be a better choice. Or if you have access to other kinds of berries, you can certainly substitute.

  25. Hi, i am from India. We get dried blueberrys. How to use please.

  26. I love this cake & have been making it since it was first put on the website. I make 2 at a time. I freeze them for a winter treat. I baked 20 cakes this year and gave most as gifts. Everyone raves about the cake!!
    Thank you for your website

  27. Just made this cake rhis evening, as I picked fresh blueberries and wanted to use them.
    A beautiful easy cake to make, thay showcased my berries wonderfully.
    Will definately make again!

  28. Can you bake the cake on 350  for the whole time? 50-60 min?
    Thank you 

    • Hi, Jennifer. I’ve not tried that, so I can’t give you a definitive answer. It’s mostly baked at 325°F, so that long at 350°F is likely too long. It will also likely affect how the cake rises and what the final texture is.

  29. I made this recipe gluten free. It was wonderful! Thank you for sharing.

  30. I never leave comments on recipes, but I just wanted to say thank you for this wonderful recipe. I made it exactly as stated, but added some blackberries as well. I made a vanilla icing to drizzle over the cake and it was AMAZING! The whole cake was gone in an hour!

  31. Can you add nuts to this recipe? Pecans, or walnuts perhaps?

  32. This looks lovely.  Can i use 1 cup of granulated sugar instead of some brown sugar?  And can i top with regular sugar rather than sanding sugar?  And do you use your KA or hand mixer for this? 

    • You can use all granulated sugar if you like. Brown sugar generally makes baked goods softer, so just keep in mind that the texture may be a little different. Any sugar on top is fine, or you can omit it. For this small amount of batter, I like to use my hand mixer.

  33. Sorry, forgot to ask if I can test doneness with toothpick test.

  34. I made this recipe tonight, instead of only using blueberries i used mixed types of berries and added some black chocolate on top when was cooling. It came out delicious. Next time i’m going to double the batter. Thank you for this amazing recepi.

  35. Hi from South Africa. Thanks for this recipe. I’ve made it twice before, once with blueberries and once with raspberries both times were a hit. We like to eat ours with ice cream 😃

  36. I’ve made this recipe a few times and love it. I’m wanting to make it as cupcakes to take to picnic for easy serving. Have you tried that, or can you recommend possible adjustments to the cooking time?

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