Blueberry Cake
Servings 12
Ingredients
For the Blueberry Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup blueberries
For the Blueberry Jam:
- 3 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
For the Blueberry Puree:
- 1 cup blueberries
- For the Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- 1/2 cup cream cheese 4 oz
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup blueberry puree
To Decorate:
- Fresh blueberries
- Mint leaves
Instructions
Making the Blueberry Cake:
- Preheat Oven: Set to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl or mixer, beat butter, oil, and sugar for 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add Eggs: Mix in eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Add Vanilla: Mix in vanilla extract.
- Combine Buttermilk and Dry Ingredients: Alternately add buttermilk and flour mixture to the batter in thirds, mixing on low. Start and end with flour. Avoid over-mixing.
- Layering: Spread about 1/2 to 1 cup of batter in each pan to cover the bottom, forming a 3/4-inch thick layer without blueberries.
- Add Blueberries: Fold blueberries into the remaining batter, then divide it among the pans.
- Bake: Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Making the Blueberry Jam:
- Cook Blueberries: In a medium saucepan, cook blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Thicken Jam: Mix cornstarch with water, then stir into the blueberry mixture. Cook for 2 minutes until thick.
- Cool Jam: Pour into a bowl, cover, and cool in the fridge.
Making the Blueberry Puree:
- Blend Blueberries: Blend 1 cup of blueberries into a puree.
- Reduce Puree: Cook puree in a saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Cool completely.
- Making the Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Beat Butter and Cream Cheese: Beat butter and cream cheese for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Add Powdered Sugar: Gradually add half the powdered sugar, then beat on medium.
- Add Blueberry Puree: Mix in blueberry puree.
- Finish Frosting: Add remaining powdered sugar and beat for 1 minute. Adjust consistency if needed.
Assembling the Cake:
- Start Layering: Place one cake layer on a plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top.
- Pipe Frosting: Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge.
- Add Jam: Fill the ring with blueberry jam.
- Repeat: Place another cake layer on top and repeat the frosting and jam steps.
- Top Layer: Add the final cake layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and sides for a crumb coat. Chill for 20-30 minutes.
- Final Frosting: Apply the remaining frosting smoothly on top and sides.
- Decorate: Garnish with fresh blueberries and mint leaves.
Notes
Storage Tips
- Refrigerate: Store leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freeze: Wrap in plastic and store in an airtight container. Remove fresh blueberries before freezing.
Notes:
- Using Store-Bought Jam: Store-bought jam works fine if you prefer not to make your own.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure butter, eggs, and buttermilk are at room temperature.
- DIY Buttermilk: Add 1 tsp vinegar to regular milk if you don’t have buttermilk.
- Blueberries: Both fresh and frozen blueberries work, except for decoration where fresh is best.