Blueberry Muffin Cake
Blueberry Muffin Cake is a simple homemade cake that is so moist with lots of blueberries and a delicious crumble topping!
A Delicious Homemade Blueberry Cake
Blueberry Muffin Cake is one of the best cakes you’ve ever put in your mouth! Moist and incredibly flavorful with fresh blueberries and a simple crumble topping. The light lemon combined with the blueberries is just the perfect combination. I make this cake so often, especially when blueberries are in season. Everyone loves it!
I have made this several times and loved it each time! Everywhere I take it, I come home empty handed and people ask for the recipe. It really is a delightful homemade cake!
– Annie
Frequently Asked Questions:
Usually when I share any recipe with buttermilk, folks will ask for a substitute. I know you can add a bit of lemon or vinegar to milk but it’s not exactly the same. Buttermilk is thick and not just tangy. So just tanging up some milk is not exactly the same. The closest comparison would be to add a bit of lemon juice to heavy cream since that has a similar thickness and consistency. You can make the buttermilk substitute but I would encourage you to use the real stuff if at all possible for best results with this particular recipe.
I like to use the nonstick spray that has flour in it. Baker’s Joy is a common brand and Pam has their own version as well (not paid affiliate links). I’ve never had a single issue since using it. Spray your bundt pan very well (making sure to get in all the little bumps and grooves.) Once your cake cools, it should easily pop out of the pan.
This batter is pretty thick and I don’t usually have issues with them sinking. And honestly, I find that coating them in flour only works sometimes, some of those bigger berries are determined to sink no matter what! Ha! If you are afraid of yours sinking, you can definitely try to coat them in the flour first to try to prevent it. The taste will still be good no matter what.
If you don’t have a bundt pan, you can use loaf pans or a 9×13-inch baking pan. You may need to adjust the baking time needed. I haven’t personally tested this recipe with other pans so I can’t give you baking times. Use the toothpick trick to be sure the cake is done baking though.
For this cake I prefer fresh blueberries but you could use frozen. Run the frozen berries under cool water then carefully pat them dry with paper towels. Then toss the berries in a bit of flour. This will help keep them from breaking up too much while gently mixing into the batter.
Leftovers can be covered or wrapped and left on the counter for two days or in the refrigerator for 5 days. It can also be frozen. Wrap in plastic wrap then aluminum foil (to prevent freezer burn) and it will keep for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator when ready to eat.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below for the Full Recipe)
- salted butter – the butter needs to be fully softened to room temperature. Do not use melted butter. I like to put my butter on the counter for a few hours or use my tips for Softening Butter Quickly.
- sugar – I have not tried this wit ha sugar substitute so can’t say how that would work but theoretically it should work.
- eggs – your eggs should be at room temperature if possible. This will help the eggs blend much better and easier into the batter.
- vanilla and lemon extracts – the lemon extract really brings out the flavor of the blueberries so try not to skip this one! I like the concentrated lemon flavor in lemon extract but you can use lemon juice or lemon zest as well. We just want that hint of lemon flavor in this cake. However, if you can’t stand lemon flavor with blueberries, just skip it.
- all-purpose flour – you don’t have to sift the flour for this recipe but you can if you prefer to do that for baked goods. The important thing is to not overpack your measuring cups with flour. Don’t press down the flour into the measuring cup or you’ll end up with way too much flour and a very dry cake!
- baking powder and baking soda – yep, you need both for this recipe. Make sure you check that they are both fresh. The reason why most baked goods do not turn out properly is because the leavening agents were expired or no longer fresh.
- buttermilk – buttermilk keeps this cake so moist – even better if you can get your hands on the full fat stuff!
- fresh blueberries
- 2` – see the FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) section above about using frozen blueberries. You could use blackberries or raspberries instead.
- oats – I like to use the smaller and thinner quick cooking oats since they are easier to eat when not cooked. You could use regular oats though if you prefer.
How to Make Blueberry Muffin Cake:
Preheat your oven to 325F degrees. Spray your bundt pan with nonstick baking spray (the kind with flour added). Spray the heck out of your pan with this stuff. Get it into all of the nooks and crannies. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. It should look nice and fluffy when combined.
Then beat in eggs, vanilla extract and lemon extract into the sugar/butter mixture.
Next, in a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together with a fork until combined. At this point, you are going to alternately add in the flour mixture and buttermilk. Add a little flour, then a little buttermilk, a little more flour and a little more buttermilk…until it’s all incorporated. Don’t overmix it. You want to stir just until it’s all come together. If you have a stand mixer, be sure to occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gently stir in HALF of the blueberries. Be very careful when stirring so you don’t bust open all the berries. Just gently fold them in.
Now add the batter into the bundt pan. Then add the rest of the blueberries on top. Bake for about 65-75 minutes. Oven times do often vary for baked goods. So be sure to test for doneness by using a toothpick. It should come out clean when you insert it into the cake. Cake should be golden brown and shouldn’t be jiggly. Don’t turn off oven after you take out cake. And don’t even think about releasing the cake yet. It has to cool COMPLETELY. This could take an hour and a half or more.
While the cake is cooling, make crumble topping. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl using a fork or your fingers. Mix until crumbly. Then spread mixture into a small baking pan and bake in 325F degree oven for about 8-10 minutes. Then take it out of oven and allow it to cool completely. And now it’s safe to turn off the oven.
Once cake has been allowed to cool completely, you can release the cake from the bundt pan. This is the key to getting the cake to come out clean. The pan needs to be totally cooled, then it should release easily. Start making the glaze. Combine powdered sugar, lemon extract and milk. Stir well. I like my glaze a little on the thicker side but if you need to thin it out, just add a tad more milk until you reach desired thickness. Whisk together until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake.
Then immediately sprinkle on crumble topping so that it sticks to the glaze. Then slice and serve!
Craving More Recipes?
- Biscuit Blueberry Cake
- Blueberry Butter Swim Biscuits
- Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
- The Best Blueberry Cobbler
- Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake
- Blueberry Cheesecake Crescent Rolls
- Blueberry Cinnamon Roll Cups
- Blueberry Yum Yum
- Blueberry Dump Cake
- Blueberry Pie Filling
- Blueberry Cookies
Blueberry Muffin Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ Tablespoon lemon extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup whole buttermilk (try not to use lowfat)
- 1 pound fresh blueberries
For the crumble topping:
- 2 Tablespoons real butter, softened (not melted)
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 2 Tablespoons oats (quick-cooking is fine)
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Spray bundt pan (REALLY WELL) with nonstick baking spray (I like the kind that has flour in it – like Baker's Joy).
- Using an electric mixer, cream together cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature and 2 cups sugar. It should look nice and fluffy when combined.
- Then beat in 3 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract and 1/2 Tablespoon lemon extract into the sugar/butter mixture.
- Next, in a separate bowl, combine 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir together with a fork until combined.
- At this point, you are going to alternately add in the flour mixture and buttermilk to the sugar/butter mixture.
- Add a little flour, then a little buttermilk, a little more flour and a little more buttermilk…until it's all incorporated. Don't overmix.
- If you have a stand mixer, be sure to occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gently stir in HALF of the blueberries. Be very careful when stirring so you don't bust open all the berries. Just gently fold them in.NOTE: You can coat the blueberries in flour if you prefer before mixing them in. I find this only works some of the time to keep them from sinking. It really just depends on the size of the blueberries, etc. This batter is pretty thick so they do pretty good not sinking but if your berries are big, they will probably still sink a bit anyways.
- Now add the batter into the bundt pan. Then add the rest of the blueberries on top.
- Bake for about 65-75 minutes. Oven times vary but the top should be golden brown and a inserted toothpick should come out with no batter on it.
- Allow the cake to cool COMPLETELY before releasing (about an hour and half or so.)
- While the cake is cooling, make crumble topping. Combine all ingredients (2 Tablespoons real butter, softened 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons flour, and 2 Tablespoons oats) in a small bowl using a fork or your fingers. Mix until crumbly.
- Then spread mixture into a small baking pan and bake in 325F degree oven for about 8 minutes. Then take it out of oven and allow it to cool completely.
- Once cake has been allowed to cool completely, you can release the cake from the bundt pan. This is the key to getting the cake to come out clean. The pan needs to be totally cooled, then it should release easily.
- Start making the glaze. Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon extract and 2 Tablespoons milk. Stir well. Whisk together until smooth.
- Drizzle glaze over cake. Immediately sprinkle on crumble topping so that it sticks to the glaze.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: February 2015
Updated photos and republished: April 2026
YUM!!!! “Muffin Cake”?….Boy does this sound and look absolutely GREAT!!!! Time to pull out the Bundt pan that’s been hiding in the cupboard for ages….
Very good and tasty. Add more berries like raspberries.
Can frozen Blueberries be used instead of fresh??
I go into more detail about that above in the frequently asked questions section 🙂