Blueberry Bundt Cake

Whether it’s my Blueberries and Cream Muffins or this Blueberry Buckle, blueberry desserts fly off the table in my house. And this sour cream blueberry bundt cake is quickly becoming a new favorite. It’s packed with sweet, juicy blueberries (honestly, every bite has at least like three), and the sour cream keeps the cake itself irresistibly tender and supremely moist. As if that weren’t enough, I finished it off with a simple vanilla icing that not only adds a touch of elegance but also delivers just the right amount of extra sweetness to tie everything together.

I love that it’s an easy one-bowl recipe, too. You can even make the icing in the same bowl you did the cake batter in (after washing it, of course), while the cake bakes. Simple, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion, this blueberry bundt cake is bound to become a blueberry season staple.

This Blueberry Bundt Cake? Total Show-Off

Looking for a reason to go grab a couple of pints of fresh blueberries and unwind with some baking? Here’s why this blueberry bundt cake is just the excuse you need:

• Packed with blueberries. I didn’t hold back on the blueberries, folks. Every bite is loaded with juicy, sweet fruit. It’s a blueberry lover’s dream come true.
• Wonderfully moist and tender. Thanks to the sour cream, the cake is SO tender and moist. The juicy blueberries help with that, too. I love that it’s dense enough to be satisfying, but not too dense. You won’t be able to stop at one slice.
• Super easy. You’ll only need one bowl and a simple set of instructions to make this cake (you can just wash the bowl and use it to make the icing while the cake is baking). I love recipes like that. It makes the process (and the cleanup) so much easier!

What You’ll Need

Time to gather your ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to make this blueberry bundt cake. Scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.

For the Cake

• Butter – Start with room temperature butter. If it’s too cold or melted, it won’t cream properly with the sugar. Unsalted butter is ideal. If you opt for salted butter, leave the kosher salt out of the batter.
• Granulated sugar – You can use light brown sugar if you prefer a deeper, more molasses-y flavor.
• Eggs – It’s best if the eggs are at room temperature. They will mix more easily into the batter.
• Vanilla – To add a sweet, warming depth to the flavor profile.
• Sour cream – Let the sour cream come to room temperature before you use it. It will mix more easily into the batter that way.
• Kosher salt – You need a little salt to break up the sweetness of the cake.
• Baking powder – To give the cake the perfect rise.
• Flour – I used all-purpose flour, but a quality 1:1 gluten-free flour would do just fine.
• Blueberries. See my notes on using fresh vs. frozen berries below (in the section titled “Fresh or Frozen Berries?”). Either will work. You’ll just have to take a couple of extra steps if you choose to go with frozen.

To Make the Icing

• Butter – I prefer unsalted butter in this icing.
• Powdered sugar – Do not try to use a different kind of sugar. It won’t melt into the milk like powdered sugar does, thickening the icing while keeping it smooth.
• Vanilla – You can add a little almond extract (or lemon extract) as well if you’d like.
• Milk – I prefer to use whole milk here. That said, you can use a lower-fat dairy product (or your favorite unflavored, unsweetened plant-based milk. The icing might just be a tad runnier.

Fresh or Frozen Berries?

Either! This cake is outstanding when blueberries are in season! But, of course, they aren’t in season all year long…and since, in my world, it’s always cake season, I use frozen blueberries just as often as I use fresh.

If you do decide to use frozen blueberries, you’ll want to follow these steps before folding them into the batter:

• Thaw the berries. Let the berries thaw overnight in the fridge or, if you’re in a rush, seal them in a ziploc bag and submerge them in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes until thawed.
• Rinse. Thoroughly rinse the thawed berries in a colander to remove any ice crystals, debris, and/or traces of bacteria/pesticides.
• Pat them dry. Use a paper towel or a clean dishcloth. Patting the berries dry helps remove any excess moisture that could negatively impact the texture of the cake.

Once you’d properly thawed, rinsed, and dried your blueberries, you can use them just as you might use their fresh counterparts.

What Can I Use Instead of Sour Cream?

I feel like people have mixed opinions on sour cream. Some people love it. Some people think it’s terrible. In this recipe, it makes the cake ultra moist and tender, and you can’t even taste it. That said, if you’re an adamant sour cream hater (or just don’t have any on hand), you can replace it with any of the following as a 1:1 substitute:

• Greek Yogurt – Plain, full-fat Greek yogurt would be my top pick. Although you can use a lower-fat version if you prefer.
• Buttermilk – Buttermilk is much thinner than sour cream, but it still works here.
• Creme Fraiche – If you don’t like the sour flavor of sour cream, creme fraiche is a great option. It’s much milder.
• Cottage Cheese – If you’re worried about the little lumps of cottage cheese impacting the texture of your cake, you can blend it a bit before adding it to the batter. I will say that cottage cheese is a tad salty, so leave the salt out of the cake batter if you’re using it.

Tips for Success

Get this blueberry bundt cake recipe perfect the first time by following these simple tips and tricks:

• Use the right bundt pan. The right pan makes a big difference! I have been using this bundt pan for years, and I swear by it! Nothing ever sticks, as long as the pan is prepped properly (see my next point)!
• Prep the pan properly. It is essential to spray your pan liberally with nonstick just before adding the batter. I find that spraying the pan too long before pouring the batter in can lead to sticking when it comes time to remove the baked cake from the pan.
• Room temperature eggs and dairy. Let your butter come to room temperature before you get started. If it’s too cold (or melted), it won’t cream properly with the sugar (see my next point). It’s also best if your eggs and sour cream are at room temperature. They will mix more easily into the batter.
• Don’t skimp on creaming time. When creaming together the butter and sugar, do so until the mixture has lightened in color and become fluffy. This process incorporates air into the batter, which helps keep the cake fluffy and tender.
• Don’t over-mix. When mixing the dry ingredients into the batter, and then again when folding in the blueberries, mix just until everything is incorporated. Mixing past this point can overdevelop the glutens in the flour, causing your cake to come out overly dense and tough.
• Fold gently. When folding in the blueberries, do so gently so as not to break open the fruit.
• Let the cake cool. Give the cake ~15 minutes to cool in the pan before removing it. Otherwise, it will likely fall apart. Then, let it cool until it’s almost reached room temperature before adding the icing. If it’s too warm, the icing will melt into the cake as opposed to sitting on top of it.

Variation Ideas

Want to throw your own spin on this blueberry season staple? Here are some fun ideas for you:

• Try a different fruit. Blackberries or raspberries would be great. So would strawberries, although they can sometimes make the cake a little “mushy”. But it will still be good, I swear!
• Additional mix-ins. If you’d like to fold some walnuts or white chocolate chips into the batter, go for it! Coconut flakes would be fun, too!
• Citrus twist. I love the combo of blueberries and citrus. So, sometimes, I will mix some lemon (or orange) zest into the batter and replace a bit of the milk in the icing with fresh lemon juice.
• Dress up your icing. The icing for this cake is a super simple vanilla. If you’d like, you can replace some of the milk with a little lemon juice or add a splash of almond extract. For a colorful icing, consider blending a handful of freeze-dried blueberries and whisking them in!

How to Store a Bundt Cake

• Countertop. Once it’s cooled and the icing has set, leftover blueberry bundt cake can be stored in an airtight cake carrier at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you don’t have a cake carrier, wrap the dessert in a double layer of plastic wrap or arrange slices in an airtight container.
• Freezer. Once the icing has set, wrap the cake (the whole thing or individual slices) in a double layer of plastic wrap. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw on the counter before serving.

I don’t love storing this cake in the fridge because it tends to dry out.

More Blueberry Recipes to Try

Keep the good times rolling this blueberry season with these other fabulous recipes (let me know which is your favorite!):

• Blueberry Crisp
• Blueberry Shortcake
• Blueberry Cobbler
• Blueberry Muffins Recipe