Vanilla Blueberry Cake

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Vanilla Blueberry Cake: A classic combination of the sweetness of vanilla and bursting blueberry flavor with every bite.

a slice of vanilla blueberry cake on a dessert plate, with a slice being removed from the cake.

The cake itself is incredibly easy to make and also tastes great on its own. The ermine buttercream frosting is optional but adds a touch of elegance. This Vanilla Blueberry Cake is perfect for an afternoon tea or simply to satisfy your baking cravings.

Notes

This cake isn’t overly sweet; the yogurt adds moisture while also reducing the sweetness. If you prefer cakes that are delicately sweet, this recipe is just for you.

The buttercream adds a soft texture, very pleasant, but keep in mind that like any buttercream, the blueberry flavor is not very pronounced. But it works well as the cake itself bursts with blueberry flavor.

I use the seeds of a vanilla pod to have an intense vanilla flavor. But if you prefer to use vanilla extract, that works too, take a good quality one.

a vanilla blueberry cake frosted with a purple buttercream.

Ingredients

Here are a few notes about the ingredients. Full measurements are provided at the end.

Dry ingredients:

All-Purpose Flour: Sieved – it’s important to measure the flour accurately. I recommend using a kitchen scale, as measuring cups can lead to overpacking the flour, which may result in dry cakes

Sugar: caster sugar or granulated sugar

and baking powder, fresh blueberries

Wet Ingredients:

2 larges Egg

Unsalted Butter: melted

Plain Yogurt, full fat: don’t choose a light version

Vanilla pod for a true vanilla flavor, otherwise 1.5 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Plus for the Frosting: all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, milk, softened butter and more blueberries to make a blueberry puree.

How to make this Vanilla Blueberry Cake?

Here are step-by-step photos along with a quick summary of the steps to give you an idea of the process to make this Vanilla Blueberry Cake. Full details at the end in the recipe card.

Mix all-purpose flour, baking powder and sugar until well combined. Add the blueberries and gently stir them until fully coated. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs for about 1 min, and then add the yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla seeds (from the pod). Mix.

vanilla blueberry cake in process: dry ingredients combined in a bowl on the left side, and on the right side, the wet ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

vanilla blueberry cake in process: the final batter in a mixing bowl and then, the batter in the cake pan.

Bake the cake.

Allow the cake to cool before decorating it.

Prepare the Ermine Frosting: This is an adaptation from my classic ermine buttercream recipe. I’ve halved the quantity and opted for a hand electric mixer over a stand mixer because of the small quantity.

blueberry buttercream in process.

Allow the cake to cool before decorating it.

vanilla blueberry cake in process: the baked cake on the left side and on the right side, the cake with the frosting.

Tips

  • Before using your yogurt, ensure to drain any excess liquid.
  • Ingredients at room temperature
  • To use a vanilla pod: slice the pod lengthwise and scrape out the vanilla seeds.
  • Do not overmix the batter
  • Do Not overbake; it will dry your cake.
  • full tips for the frosting in my ermine buttercream blogpost. The main issue you may have, is a grainy buttercream, especially after adding the blueberry purée. The reason is often a difference in temperature between the ingredients. Place it in the microwave for 10 seconds intervalls at medium heat to bring everything back to the same temperature, then whip again. But make sure not to melt it.
  • Don’t add too much blueberry purée to your buttercream, or it will have too much liquid and the consistency will be too loose.

FAQs 

How to store this Vanilla Blueberry Cake?

The cake is best enjoyed the day it is made, as it contains butter. Store any leftovers for up to 2 days at room temperature if your room doesn’t exceed 21°C (70°F); otherwise, store it in the fridge, but bring it back to room temperature before serving or the buttercream will be too firm.

Can we freeze this cake?

You can freeze this vanilla blueberry cake, without the frosting, for up to 2 months. Simply cover it with cling film and store it in an airtight container. You can freeze the ermine buttercream separately.

vanilla blueberry cake on a marble cake board with 2 slices cut, one of them is on a dessert plate in the background.

Variations

Instead of the buttercream frosting, you can:

  • Serve it on its own
  • Add a dollop of whipped cream
  • Replace the frosting with a lemon glaze
  • Or sprinkle with icing sugar, but just before serving it.

For the cake itself, you can replace the blueberries as long as you pick fruits that don’t release a lot of water.

a slice of vanilla blueberry cake on a dessert plate with a spoon and a pink napkin in the foreground.

More cakes to try

If you tried this Vanilla Blueberry Cake or any recipe on the blog, I’m eager to hear all about your baking adventures and successes! Dive into the comments section below to share your experiences.

Vanilla Blueberry Cake

  • Prep time: 45 minutes
  • Cook time: 50 minutes
  • Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Serves: 8

Vanilla Blueberry Cake: A classic combination of the sweetness of vanilla and bursting blueberry flavor with every bite.

Ingredients

Vanilla Blueberry Cake

  • 280 g (2 cups + 1/4 cup) all-purpose flour - sieved
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 200 g (1 cup) caster sugar
  • 260 g (2 cups) fresh blueberries - and more for the frosting, see below
  • 2 large eggs
  • 115 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter - melted
  • 240 g (1 cup) plain yogurt - full fat
  • 1 vanilla pod

Blueberry puree for the frosting

  • 160 g (1 cup + 1/4 cup) blueberries
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Buttercream Frosting

  • 15 g (2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
  • 50 g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
  • 115 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 60 ml (4 tbsp) blueberry puree

Method

Vanilla Blueberry Cake

  • 1)

    Line a 9-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, set it aside and preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), fan off.

  • 2)

    Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.

  • 3)

    In a large mixing bowl, mix all-purpose flour, baking powder, and sugar until well combined. Add the blueberries and gently stir them until they are fully coated. Set aside.

  • 4)

    In another bowl, whisk the eggs for about 1 minute. Add the yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla seeds (from the vanilla pod). Mix well.

  • 5)

    Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and with a spatula, stir only until just combined. Do not overmix; stop as soon as everything is integrated. The batter should be thick.

  • 6)

    Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and springs back when touched. (For this cake, the toothpick test does not work very well.)

    Note: It takes me 37 minutes to bake perfectly.

  • 7)

    Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it from the pan to a cooling rack and let it cool completely at room temperature before decorating.

Blueberry puree for the frosting

  • 1)

    Add the blueberries and sugar into a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, frequently stirring, until the berries boil and begin to break down.

  • 2)

    With a hand blender, blend the berries until they completely break down and the mixture is smooth.

  • 3)

    Pour the blueberry mixture through a sieve suspended over a medium-sized bowl. With a rubber spatula, push the mixture to get it through the sieve and remove the excess skin. You should have a blueberry sauce, which is quite runny.

  • 4)

    Return the puree to the saucepan. On medium heat, heat the puree until it starts to boil and continue for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Then, pour the blueberry puree into a bowl to cool.

    Note: you should get about 60ml of blueberry puree.

Buttercream Frosting

  • 1)

    In a small saucepan, combine flour, sugar and salt.  Add in your milk. Cook over medium heat until a simmer, stirring constantly until the mixture is fully combined, no lumps remain, and it thickens to a pudding-like consistency. It usually takes between 7-11 minutes, depending on your stovetop or the size of your saucepan.

  • 2)

    Pour the mixture into a heat-proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Make sure to touch the surface of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Cool to room temperature.

  • 3)

    Continue the recipe when your pudding base is cooled and give a stir with a spoon to soften a little bit.

    Note: pudding base, softened butter and blueberry puree must be at the same temperature.

  • 4)

    Place your butter in a mixing bowl, and with an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

  • 5)

    While the mixer is running on a medium speed, add one tablespoon at the time of the pudding mixture, making sure it’s fully incorporated with the butter before each addition.

    Once all the pudding base is fully incorporated, add your blueberry puree, 1 tablespoon at the time and whip on medium speed until fully incorporated.

  • 6)

    When every is full incorporated, whip the ermine buttercream on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.

Notes

– The quantity for the frosting was just enough to decorate like in the picture. If you want a more elaborate decoration, like rosettes, you will need more buttercream.

– US/UK standard Baking Spoons:  teaspoon: 5ml / tablespoon: 15ml / cup: 240ml

– Scroll back to read tips, suggestions, step-by-step photos and FAQ within the blog post that you might find helpful.

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