Blueberry Muffin Cake โ This fast and easy cake tastes like a big buttermilk pancake that ran into a blueberry muffin on the way to the oven. Itโs fluffy, tender, and moist from both the buttermilk and sour cream thatโs incorporated into the batter!
Easy Blueberry Breakfast Cake
I was going to make blueberry muffins but didn’t want to deal with the one-by-one nature of muffins. I thought about blueberry pancakes, but didn’t want to be held hostage to the stove flipping them.
So I made batter that was a hybrid of muffin batter and pancake batter, poured it into an 8-inch square pan, and baked it as a cake. It turned out to be one of the softest, moistest, and best little cakes. And so easy.
It tastes like a big buttermilk pancake that ran into a blueberry muffin on the way to the oven.
It’s the kind of cake that I’d want served for breakfast in bed or leisurely Sunday mornings with coffee and the newspaper. Since those things never happen for me, it’s also a great Wednesday cake.
The batter comes together like standard pancake or muffin batter in 5 minutes flat. A bowl of dry ingredients and a bowl of wet. Pour the wet over the dry, stir, pour into a pan, and bake. No mixer, nothing complicated or fussy.
The cake is like a good muffin or pancake should be. Light, soft, fluffy, and tender with just enough density to give it some heft and dimension, with a springiness to it that I loved.
I loathe dry cake and muffins so I used buttermilk, sour cream, and oil to keep it moist. And boy, it’s falling apart soft and moist. That could also have something to do with the abundance of blueberries. They’re juicy and add so much moisture.
They sank a little, but I don’t mind blue walls at the bottom of my cake. A trick to prevent sinking is to roll them through flour before folding them into the batter.
However, with this cake, it’s thinner and I used a ton, so they’re bound to be near the base, no matter what tricks are used.
I’m so glad I decided not to make muffins or babysit pancakes and made this cake instead.
We polished it off in 12 hours. In our defense, it’s a small, thin muffin cake and not some big Bundt that’ll be lingering for a week.
I’m wondering what this blueberry breakfast cake would taste like with strawberries, apricots, raspberries, or peaches. I’ll have to find out.
What’s in the Blueberry Muffin Cake?
To make this easy blueberry cake, you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Egg
- Buttermilk
- Sour cream
- Oil
- Vanilla extract
- Blueberries
- Confectioners’ sugar (optional, for topping)
How to Make Blueberry Muffin Cake
Simply whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another, then combine them. Gently fold in the berries.
Pour the batter into an 8×8-inch baking dish. Bake the muffin cake until the center is slightly domed and set, golden in color, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Can I Use Frozen Blueberries?
Absolutely! I actually used frozen blueberries in this recipe because I’m cheap and don’t bake with fresh. I save those for eating and bake with frozen.
When baking with frozen blueberries, add them into the batter frozen because they’ll run and bleed less than if you thaw them first.
Can I Double This Recipe?
I imagine so! Double the ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch pan.
Tips for Making a Blueberry Breakfast Cake
The baking time listed reflects using ice cold, frozen berries. If you’re using fresh, the baking time could, and likely will be, dramatically less. This is definitely a recipe where you should watch your cake, not the clock. Bake until it’s done. Simple as that.
At any time your cake is beginning to look a bit too golden brown before you suspect the center will set up, tent it with a sheet of foil laid across the top.
Optionally dust the blueberry muffin cake with confectionersโ sugar or a simple glaze. This lemon glaze, this buttery vanilla glaze, this browned butter glaze, or this vanilla cream cheese glaze are all excellent, quick, and easy options.
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Blueberry Muffin Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ยพ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 large egg
- ยฝ cup buttermilk
- โ cup sour cream, thick, full-fat Greek yogurt may be substituted
- 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ยผ cups frozen blueberries, donโt unthaw, add them to the batter frozen; see below about using fresh
- confectionersโ sugar, optional for dusting or see glaze suggestions below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 6 dry ingredients (through optional salt); set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the next 5 wet ingredients (through vanilla).
- Add the wet mixture to the dry, mixing lightly with a spoon or folding with a spatula until just combined. Lumps will be present and this is okay. Donโt overmix or try to stir them smooth.
- Gently and briefly fold in the frozen blueberries.
- Bake until done. I hesitate to give a baking range because you must watch your cake, not the clock. Bake until center is slightly domed and set, golden in color, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. At any time your cake is beginning to look a bit too golden brown before you suspect the center will set up, tent it with a sheet of foil laid across the top. I baked for 52 minutes total, and at the 45 minute mark, I tented with foil. Baking times will range dramatically based on if baking with fresh or frozen berries; ranging from 30 to 60 minutes depending on the temperature of the berries going into the batter and how much water they release.
- Place pan on a wire rack and allow cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Optionally, dust with confectionersโ sugar or a simple glaze. This lemon glaze, this buttery vanilla glaze, this browned butter glaze, or this vanilla cream cheese glaze are all excellent, quick, and easy options.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Blueberry Breakfast Recipes:
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Pumpkin Blueberry Dutch Baby Pancake โ One big oven-baked pancake so thereโs nothing to stand around waiting to flip!! The batter is made in the blender making this the EASIEST pancake ever!
The Best Vegan Blueberry Muffins โ An avocado replaces the butter (and much of the oil) youโd typically add to muffin batter. These are fluffy, moist, and so easy to make!
Blueberry Zucchini Bread โ This blueberry zucchini bread is a quick, no-mixer recipe thatโs sweet, but not too sweet. Each bite is bursting with fresh blueberries!
Extra Soft and Moist Blueberry Muffins โ These are hands down the best homemade blueberry muffins EVER. Theyโre fluffy and moist thanks to the addition of sour cream in the batter. Not to mention theyโre bursting with fresh blueberry flavor.
Blueberry Dutch Baby Pancake โ This oven-baked pancake has the chewiness of crepes with the thickness of clafoutis, and making it is as easy as making pancake batter!
Blueberry Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping โ An EASY, no-mixer cake studded with juicy blueberries and topped with big buttery streusel nuggets that are just SO GOOD!! Not overly sweet and PERFECT with a cup of coffee for breakfast, brunch, or a snack!!
You take the prettiest pictures Averie, I swoon at them all the time. And this recipe – basically perfect. I’d have this for breakfast, for dinner, or anytime in between! I love that blue wall of goodness at the bottom!
This is one perfect idea. Sometimes I am too lazy to make pancakes as well, so I’ll try this pancake/muffin treasure.
Mmm…muffins and pancakes in one magical delicious cake? It’s the best of both breakfast worlds! I love how easy this is to whip up, Averie. I’m running out of new ways to use blueberries so I can’t wait to try this recipe.
I sort of felt the same way – and then this one hit me :) And it’s EASY and fast!
Oh Averie! It’s a gorgeous pancake/muffin cake! How creative to combine the best of both worlds. I love both items for breakfast. I nearly died of laughter: “Since those things never happen for me, itโs also a great Wednesday cake.” hahaha. BReakfast in bed doesn’t happen for me either. I’m up at the crack of dawn, as you know. But I sure wouldn’t mind digging into this cake. You explain it so wonderfully! The sour cream, buttermilk, the abundance of juicy blueberries. Everything works so well together and I don’t doubt that this baby was gone so quickly in your house! I could demolish it without blinking an eye!
And it was thinner and so if someone normally eats 3 big pancakes, that would basically be like half this cake, by volume. So between the 3 of us, it was pretty much a one-sitting cake. And Sally, one of the best little cakes I’ve ever made with such SIMPLE ingredients and a simple methodology. It’s those random recipes that sometimes turn out so well – and the complicated ones that don’t always live up.
Yum! this looks incredibly delicious! I think that is the perfect snack to serve at a tea party with friends.
God is Real….i’m literally drooling over this.
LOL :)
This looks beautiful Averie, I love blueberries in cake so much :-)
Looks scrumptious! Thank u for sharing this yummy recipe!
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I am a blueberry fiend lately, and omg, this cake is just brilliant!!! I need a slice right now :) xo
This looks just wonderful. I will definitely be making it this weekend. I have just one question about the cake pictured above. It is obviously not a 8×8 square pan, what size pan did you use for this one? Why post a picture of the cake that is not what the recipe would call for?
I baked it in an 8×8 square pan. The photo on the large white platter is 2/3rds of the cake. I cut one-third off to make a few pieces to put on plates, one of those pieces is on the gray/birds plate, and the remaining 2/3 of the cake is on the white platter.
I am somewhat offended by your comment that you assume I am somehow using photography or featuring something other than what I say I am. The pictures of the cake are what the recipe calls for. No trickery here.
No need to be offended. I didn’t imply “trickery”. I simply asked why the obvious difference in size. I use pictures of finished recipes to gauge how my version turned out, what I should be looking for in thickness, coloring etc.. I’m actually a big fan of yours and follow you on pinterest and other venues. I’m sorry if you took offense where none was meant. I’ll put it down to your maybe having a bad day and try not to be offended by your testy reply to a fan.
that is genius Averie – blueberry pancakes are my favorite breakfast, and cake form is SO much easier
Way easier! And you know with kids/husbands, to make enough pancakes to feed them all, it takes awhile!! at the stovetop. None of that here :)
I love my blueberries in any way I can get them, and this cake looks like another great way to enjoy then. So pretty and mouthwatering too! Now I need to run to the store for blueberries.
And I saw on both your site and on FB that you have something super exciting happening!!! CONGRATS!!!! :) xoxox
This is such a great idea! Really love the simplicity!
This is so original, I love it! And how pretty loaded with blueberries! Pinning!
Thanks for pinning! :)
Love those blueberries bursting through, this is my kind of cake!
Look at ALL those blueberries!