Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

Super soft & moist blueberry buttermilk cake with a cream cheese glaze. Perfect for a lazy dessert or breakfast – this simple cake screams summertime!

On Sunday I came home with two cartons of blueberries. I made a salad with one carton – but I hadn’t decided what I’d use the other for.

There was no debate. A dessert was going to be made.

I made cake.

Delicious, blueberry cake with the softest crumb. Bursting with blueberries, a slight lemony flavor, super moist and with a drizzle of cream cheese glaze. The type of cake you could have for dessert at a lazy weekend BBQ, or while reading a magazine in the afternoon, or for breakfast with a big cup of coffee. This blueberry buttermilk cake is all these things.

What’s even better is that it’s super easy to make.  You don’t have to worry about pesky cake layers or frosting melting in the heat or spending your afternoon in the kitchen. This cake is so a zero stress cake. GO OUTSIDE! ENJOY THE SUN! EAT CAKE! (This will be my new intention at yoga).

The cake is fluffy and has the best texture. Creaming the butter & sugar makes your cake nice and fluffy – then the buttermilk creates the softest, moistest crumb without making it heavy.  If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own with vinegar and regular milk. To get the ⅓ cup of you’ll need, just add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to your liquid measuring cup then fill with milk to the ⅓ line & leave for 5 minutes to sour. Problem solved.

Then the blueberries and lemon zest take over – the perfect summer pairing. I added a cream cheese glaze because I love the combo of cream cheese & berries. (And cream cheese + glaze = delicious). But it’s totally optional. The recipe makes more cream cheese glaze than you’ll probably need, so feel free to half the batch if you have more self control than me. Or just eat a few spoonfuls as your reward for making something so delicious.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Super soft & moist blueberry buttermilk cake with a cream cheese glaze. Perfect for a lazy dessert or breakfast - this simple cake screams summertime!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 9 slices

Calories: 247kcal

Author: Fiona Dowling

Ingredients

For the Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

• ⅓ cup unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
• ⅔ cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg , room temperature
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ⅓ cup buttermilk , room temperature*
• 1 cup blueberries

For the Cream Cheese Glaze

• 3 tablespoons cream cheese , softened to room temperature
• 1 tablespoon cream , or milk
• 1 cup icing sugar sifted , plus more as needed
• ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line with parchment paper or grease an 8 x 8 inch square pan.
• Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Then add in the egg & vanilla and continue beating until combined (about 30 seconds).
• Turn down the mixer to low and slowly mix in the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until combined and no lumps remain. 
• Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Carefully fold in the blueberries using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 28-35 minutes. The cake will be done when the edges are starting to pull away from the pan and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• To make the cream cheese glaze, whisk together the cream cheese, cream, icing sugar & lemon juice until smooth. You may need to add more icing sugar or cream depending on your desired consistency.
• Drizzle the glaze over your cake and cut into 9 large squares

Notes

*You can make your own buttermilk by adding one teaspoon of vinegar to ⅓ cup milk and allowing to sit for 5 minutes.
**Cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal

For more blueberry recipes, be sure to try these treats too:

• Blueberry Coffee Cake. It has a moist, buttery vanilla cake with juicy berries and crumble topping.
• Blueberry Bread. It’s like having a big, warm slice of your favorite blueberry muffin.
• Blueberry Crumble Bars. These have a delicious shortbread base, a layer of juicy berries, and then crunchy, crumble on top.