Ultimate Blueberry Cake Recipe for Moist, Flavorful Layers

Watch the recipe video above for a visual guide.

Layer this Cake using the Cut and Stack Method

I bake cakes in sheet pans and cut them with cake rings. The quick process: 1. Bake in a sheet pan. 2. Wrap and freeze in the pan. 3. Cut desired sizes with cake rings and layer from frozen. 4. Crumb coat. 5. Decorate and serve.

Can I use fresh blueberries instead of frozen?

Frozen blueberries are recommended here for consistent flavor and juiciness. Fresh berries will work, but results may vary depending on ripeness and moisture.

Can I freeze this blueberry layer cake?

Yes. The cake freezes very well. Freeze it after filling and either crumb-coating or finishing the decoration. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature for 2–3 hours before serving for best texture.

Can I turn this recipe into blueberry cupcakes?

Yes. This batter makes excellent cupcakes. Use a 2-oz (¼ cup) scoop to divide the batter—about 17 cupcakes per 1x batch. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, then reduce to 300°F for 3–5 more minutes, watching for doneness. Make extra filling to have enough to fill the cupcakes.

Thanks for reading. ❤️

This bakery-style blueberry layer cake is moist and full of natural blueberry flavor, with layers of homemade blueberry compote and blueberry buttercream. A 1x batch yields a 6″ three-layer cake; 2x yields an 8″ three-layer cake when cut with cake rings.

Equipment

• Cake ring(s)
• ¼ sheet pan (1x batch) or ½ sheet pan (2x batch)
• Parchment paper
• Kitchen scale (recommended)
• Small food processor

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 200 g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
• 200 g (1 cup) sugar
• 43 g (¼ cup) vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp natural blueberry emulsion
• ⅛ tsp liquid red food coloring (optional)
• 170 g (about ¾ cup) frozen blueberries — to be puréed

Additional Cake Ingredients

• ¾ stick (3 oz) salted butter, melted
• 1 batch prepared blueberry filling (reserve 70 g / ¼ cup for batter)

Blueberry Buttercream Ingredients

• 715 g (5 ½ cups) powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp instant clearjel (optional)
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 ½ sticks (10 oz) salted butter, soft
• 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp blueberry emulsion
• reserved blueberry purée for color and flavor

Decorations (optional)

• White chocolate ganache drip
• Fresh blueberries

Instructions

Prepare the blueberry compote filling and blueberry purée

1. Make 1 batch of the blueberry filling and cool. Reserve 70 g (¼ cup) for the batter; use the rest for filling the cake. You can make this a day ahead and refrigerate it.
2. Thaw 170 g frozen blueberries, then purée them with their juices until smooth. Reserve about 78 g (⅓ cup) of purée for the buttercream and 78 g (⅓ cup) for the cake batter.

Bake the blueberry cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a ¼ sheet pan with parchment and very lightly spray the parchment and sides.
2. Sift and whisk the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients with the reserved 78 g (⅓ cup) blueberry purée. Pour wet into dry and whisk until combined.
3. Stir in the reserved 70 g (¼ cup) blueberry compote. Pour in the melted butter and whisk until smooth and glossy.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared sheet pan. Bake on the middle or upper rack at 325°F for 18 minutes, then reduce the oven to 300°F and bake 3–6 more minutes until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Timing may vary by oven and batch size.
5. Allow the cake to cool, then wrap it well in the pan and freeze for at least 2 hours if layering from frozen. If freezing longer than a few days, brush with simple syrup first to lock in moisture.

Make the blueberry buttercream

1. If using instant clearjel, whisk it with the powdered sugar and set aside.
2. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add room-temperature butter and beat until no lumps remain.
3. Slowly add the powdered sugar (or powdered sugar/clearjel mixture) on low until incorporated. Add vanilla, blueberry emulsion and the reserved blueberry purée, scrape the bowl, then beat on high 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
4. If you didn’t use clearjel, add up to 1 cup more powdered sugar to reach a firmer consistency. Frosting can be made 1–2 days ahead and refrigerated; bring to spreadable temperature 1–2 hours before using.

Layer, decorate and serve

1. Layer the cake from frozen for easiest handling, or use chilled layers if serving the same day. Cut layers with cake rings.
2. Spread a ¼” layer of buttercream on the bottom layer, pipe a ½” ring of buttercream around the edge, and fill the center with blueberry filling (do not overfill). Repeat for the second layer.
3. Crumb coat the assembled cake, freeze 10 minutes until firm, then apply a final coat of buttercream. Add a white chocolate drip and fresh blueberries if desired. Use remaining buttercream to pipe decorations.
4. Refrigerate the finished cake, then remove it 2–3 hours before serving so it returns to room temperature for the best texture.

Tried this recipe? Mention @amycakesbakes or leave a comment—I’d love to hear from you!