Meet your new favorite afternoon snacking cake, a luscious blueberry yogurt cake that's loaded with juicy berries and a sweet cinnamon swirl. Gluten-free option included!
Have a slice of blueberry yogurt cake for a mid-morning snack or, why not?, breakfast. And, of course, it's always wonderful in the afternoon served with a piping hot cup of tea. Soft, moist, packed with jammy pockets of blueberries and a brown sugar-cinnamon ribbon, this cake lasts and lasts. Like oat flour blueberry muffins or sweet gluten free blueberry banana bread, blueberries are the star here and if you are a true blueberry-lover you will be so pleased with this easy yet elegant cake.
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The Best Sweet + Tender Blueberry Cake
My youngest and I created this cake one rainy afternoon, and it has become a family favorite recipe. It's almost a one-bowl cake and doesn't need a mixer, so little hands can definitely be involved without any angst. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries and add a little whole grain flour (or turn it gluten free) if you like. I love how simple yet pretty this cake turns out. Here are some more highlights:
- Blueberries! Lots of juicy blueberries infuse this cake with that quintessential blueberry flavor we know and love.
- Not too sweet. There's just ½ cup of sugar in the batter, which means the cake is not overly sweet (though feel free to add more if you wish!).
- Keeps well. Yogurt-based cakes contain extra moisture, so this cake stays fresh and moist for days!
- That sweet swirl ... I love the pairing of cinnamon and blueberries (I always add a pinch of cinnamon to my gf blueberry muffins), and I ramped it up in this cake with a cinnamony-sugary swirl.
Ingredients You Need
I've outlined everything on the ingredients list below. Don't forget to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
- Swirl - A combination of cinnamon and (light or dark) brown sugar.
- Yogurt - I use full-fat plain yogurt, but you could also use low-fat yogurt.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs - Large eggs at room temperature are best.
- Dry ingredients - All-purpose flour (see gluten-free and other substitution notes lower down if needed), baking powder, fine salt.
- Oil - I use (melted) coconut oil or vegetable oil in this recipe, and avocado oil works, too.
- Blueberries - Fresh or frozen blueberries are fine.
Variations
- Add lemon zest - Rub the zest of 1 lemon into the sugar to release its oils, then continue with the recipe. This will infuse the cake with a light lemon flavor.
- Try another fruit - I love swapping the blueberries for raspberries or chopped strawberries!
- Add vanilla yogurt - There's no vanilla extract called for in this cake, so feel free to use vanilla yogurt if you want a little note of vanilla.
- Swap whole grain flour - Substitute ½-1 cup of the all-purpose flour for whole grain pastry flour or spelt flour.
Let's Make It Gluten-Free!
Here's how to easily make this cake into a gluten-free blueberry yogurt cake: swap your favorite gluten free flour (I love using my homemade gluten free flour blend here) for the all purpose flour. You will need 210 grams (about 1 ¾ cups) of gluten-free flour, and try to let the batter rest and hydrate while the oven heats for the best results.
How to Make Blueberry Yogurt Cake
Here's an overview in photos of how to make this beautiful cake:
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350℉ and grease a bundt pan.
- Make swirl: Whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, and oil until well combined, then stir in the dry ingredients. Fold in the blueberries.
- Assemble: Add about half of the batter to the prepared pan, then sprinkle it evenly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and then top it with the remaining batter.
- Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool in the pan cake for 20 minutes; then turn it out of the pan to cool completely.
Baking Tip: Grease the Pan
I love baking this cake in a bundt pan, but bundts always take a bit more work to get right. First, grease the pan very well with softened butter, oil, or spray it with non-stick spray and lightly dust the pan with flour. This will help the cake release more easily. Then, be sure to let the cake rest 10 minutes in the bundt pan after it's baked before tipping it out onto a rack to cool.
Blueberry Cake Tips
- Try another pan. This cake can be baked in an 8 or 9-inch greased and parchment-lined cake round. You can also try it in a loaf pan. You can layer the cinnamon swirl or simply stir it into the batter.
- Use fresh or frozen berries. Fresh berries will give a more intense flavor, but I use frozen blueberries interchangeably. No need to defrost them first!
- Skip the swirl. For a simpler, more traditional cake, omit the cinnamon swirl! Alternatively, try it with ground ginger instead of cinnamon for a flavor twist.
- Dairy-free: Swap non-dairy yogurt for the yogurt.
Proper Storage
- Counter - Cover the cake or transfer it to an airtight container and store it on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Fridge - Place the cake in a sealable bag or container and store it in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Freezer - Cut slices and wrap them in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag, or wrap the whole cake in plastic then foil, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the fridge before eating it.
More Blueberry Recipes
If you try this blueberry recipe, please let me know! And if you have any questions, always feel free to reach out in the comments or by email. I hope you love it! ❤️
Blueberry Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ cup plain full-fat yogurt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup coconut oil , or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour , or 210 grams (1 ¾ cups) gluten-free flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup blueberries , fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease a bundt pan or a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon brown sugarand set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the ½ cup plain full-fat yogurt, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, and ½ cup coconut oil, stirring and whisking until well blended. Add the 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, mixing just to combine. Gently fold in the 1 cup blueberries.
- Add about half of the batter to the prepared pan, then sprinkle it evenly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, then top it with the remaining batter. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- Cool cake in the pan on a rack for about 20 minutes; then turn it out of the pan to cool completely.
Notes
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- Try another pan. This cake can be baked in an 8 or 9-inch greased and parchment-lined cake round. You can also try it in a loaf pan. You can layer the cinnamon swirl or simply stir it into the batter.
-
- Use fresh or frozen berries. Fresh berries will give a more intense flavor, but I use frozen blueberries interchangeably. No need to defrost them first!
-
- Skip the swirl. For a simpler, more traditional cake, omit the cinnamon swirl! Alternatively, try it with ground ginger instead of cinnamon for a flavor twist.
-
- Dairy-free: Swap non-dairy yogurt for the yogurt.
- Add lemon zest - Rub the zest of 1 lemon into the sugar to release its oils, then continue with the recipe. This will infuse the cake with a light lemon flavor.
-
- Swap whole grain flour - Substitute ½-1 cup of the all-purpose flour for whole grain pastry flour or spelt flour.
- Try another fruit - I love swapping the blueberries for raspberries or chopped strawberries!
I'd love to hear from you! Please leave me a note.