This easy and moist blueberry cake is made entirely in one bowl and loaded with bursting blueberries and fresh lemon zest flavor.
Made with simple pantry staples and zero butter, it takes just 10 minutes to prepare before popping into the oven.
Top it with a light dusting of powdered sugar and serve alongside a cup of coffee or tea for the ultimate morning treat or afternoon dessert!
One reader, Dee, commented: “Easy, Moist and delicious… The only thing I did different was sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on the top before I put it in the oven. It was gone in one day. ★★★★★”
One reader, Mary, commented: “BEST EASY & MOIST BLUEBERRY CAKE WE HAVE EVER TASTED!!! ★★★★★”
One reader, Sandy, commented: “This cake was delicious… I couldn’t wait a full hour for it to cool either. ★★★★★”
If you like making easy cakes, check out my orange cake, moist honey cake, banana coffee cake, chocolate biscuit cake, small chocolate cake, and strawberry crumble cake.
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Why this recipe works
- Thick Sinking-Proof Batter: A thick batter combined with a cornstarch toss keeps the blueberries evenly suspended throughout the cake rather than falling to the bottom.
- One-Bowl Simplicity: Whisked together in a single bowl with simple pantry staples for fast prep and minimal cleanup.
- Butter-Free & Budget-Friendly: Uses vegetable oil for an ultra-moist crumb that stays tender for days with no waiting for butter to soften.
- Bright Citrus Contrast: Fresh lemon zest cuts through the sweetness of the berries for a bright, bakery-style flavor.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the baking process goes smoothly. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
All-Purpose Flour: Creates the structure for a tender, soft crumb. Cake flour works great as well.
Cornstarch: Tossed with the blueberries to absorb surface moisture and keep them floating in the batter while baking.
Vegetable Oil: Creates an ultra-moist cake texture that stays soft at room temperature for days. Canola oil works as well.
Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt: Adds moisture and slight acidity to react with the baking powder for a soft lift.
Large Eggs: Binds the batter and provides structure. Ensure your eggs are at room temperature.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps create soft, golden edges. Caster sugar works too.
Lemon Zest: Freshly grated lemon zest adds a fragrant, citrus aroma that complements the blueberries.
Baking Powder, Vanilla Extract, & Kosher Salt: Gives the cake its rise, enhances vanilla notes, and balances sweetness.
Blueberries: Fresh or frozen blueberries work wonderfully. Do not thaw frozen blueberries before adding them to the batter!
Instructions
Prep & Preheat
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
Coat the Blueberries
In a medium bowl, combine the blueberries and cornstarch. Stir with a spoon until the berries are completely coated, then set aside.
Whisk the Wet Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, add the vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and granulated sugar. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
Fold the Batter
Add the flour and baking powder to the wet mixture, stirring until almost combined.
Gently fold in the coated blueberries with a spatula just until no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix!
Bake and Cool
Pour the batter into your prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and scatter extra blueberries over the top.
Bake in your preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving!
Expert Tips
- Coat Your Blueberries: Tossing the berries in cornstarch absorbs extra juice and keeps them evenly distributed instead of sinking straight to the bottom of the pan.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring your eggs and sour cream to room temperature before starting so the mixture emulsifies smoothly and bakes evenly.
- Do Not Overmix: Fold the flour and berries gently into the wet mixture. Overmixing develops gluten, resulting in a dense, tough cake rather than a tender crumb.
- Measure Flour Accurately: Avoid scooping directly with a measuring cup. Fluff your flour with a spoon, scoop it gently into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
- Let the Cake Cool Before Slicing: Let the cake cool for at least 1 hour so the internal structure sets and slices stay intact without crumbling.
Faq's
No. Adding liquid lemon juice alters the moisture balance and makes the crumb dense or gummy. Stick to lemon zest in the batter, or mix lemon juice with powdered sugar to make a glaze for the top.
Yes. Wild blueberries work great because their smaller size keeps them suspended easily. If using frozen, do not thaw them—toss straight in cornstarch and fold in gently.
It is underbaked. Blueberries release steam as they burst during baking. Leave the cake in the oven for an extra 5–10 minutes until a toothpick inserted into a berry-free section of the center comes out clean.
Storage and Freezing
Room Temperature: Store cooled cake in an airtight container or under a cake dome at room temperature for up to 3 days. It stays remarkably soft and moist.
Freezing Whole or Sliced: Wrap cooled cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or place in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thawing: Thaw frozen cake slices on the counter at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
Dairy-Free Option: Swap the sour cream or Greek yogurt with plant-based sour cream or plain dairy-free yogurt. Since this cake uses vegetable oil instead of butter, no other dairy swaps are needed!
Gluten-Free Option: Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free measure-for-measure baking flour blend.
Crumble Topping: Top the batter with a simple mixture of flour, cold butter, and brown sugar before baking for an extra crunchy texture.
Fruit Swaps: Replace blueberries with raspberries, blackberries, or diced fresh strawberries.
Cream Cheese Glaze: Top the cooled cake with a quick cream cheese glaze instead of powdered sugar.
Pan Size Conversions
You can easily adapt this batter for different baking pans. Adjust your bake times as follows:
- 12-Cup Muffin Tin: Fill cups ¾ full and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops spring back when touched.
- 8-Inch Round Pan: Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 50 to 60 minutes. The cake will be slightly taller, so it requires a few extra minutes in the oven.
- 9x5-Inch Loaf Pan: Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 55 to 65 minutes. Line the pan with a parchment sling to lift the loaf out easily after cooling.
- 8x8-Inch Square Pan: Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 40 to 50 minutes.
Equipment
- Toothpick or cake tester
- 9 inch springform pan
- Parchment paper
- Medium & large mixing bowls
- Whisk and rubber spatula
More blueberry recipes
If you love blueberry desserts, check out my blueberry coffee cake, blueberry lemon coffee cake, or buttery blueberry biscuits!
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📖 Recipe
Easy Moist Blueberry Cake (One Bowl)
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅔ cup Sour cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
- 1 ¼ cups Granulated sugar
- 2 cups Flour AP, plain flour
- 3 teaspoon Baking powder
- 2 cups Blueberries fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the blueberries and cornstarch. Stir with a spoon until the berries are completely coated, then set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and granulated sugar. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
- Add the flour and baking powder to the wet mixture, stirring until almost combined.
- Gently fold in the coated blueberries with a spatula just until no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix!
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and scatter extra blueberries over the top.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving!
Notes
- Fresh vs. Frozen Blueberries: Either works! If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before tossing them in cornstarch. Fold them into the batter cold to prevent color bleeding.
- Flour Measurement: For the fluffiest, moistest cake, fluff your flour with a spoon, scoop it into the measuring cup, and level it with the back of a knife. Packing flour directly into the cup will result in a dry, dense cake.
- Sour Cream Substitutes: You can substitute sour cream with an equal amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt or plain whole-milk yogurt.
- Preventing Sinking Berries: Don't skip tossing the blueberries in cornstarch! This absorbs excess surface moisture and creates friction so the berries stay evenly suspended in the thick batter rather than sinking to the bottom.
- Dairy-Free Adaptation: Swap the sour cream for a plant-based plain yogurt or vegan sour cream. Since the recipe uses oil instead of butter, no other swaps are necessary.
- Gluten-Free Adaptation: Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free measure-for-measure baking flour blend containing xanthan gum.
- Storage: Store the completely cooled cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–4 days. Freeze slices tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 3 months.
Dee says
Easy, Moist and delicious… The only thing I did different was sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on the top before I put it in the oven. It was gone in one day.
Sandy says
The only thing I changed was that I used butter instead of oil and I only used 3/4 cup of sugar. This cake was delicious……. I couldn’t wait a full hour for it to cool either.
Hanna says
A wonderful blueberry cake, not too sweet or light, just perfect with my afternoon coffee.
Mary says
BEST EASY & MOIST BLUEBERRY CAKE WE HAVE EVER TASTED!!! 🫐🫐🫐🫐
Raquel M. says
I made this cake and it was the best I have ever made. I reduced the sugar to 1 cup in the batter, I made a topping of mixed sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle on top. I used plain Greek yogurt and added a little cinnamon to the batter. My cake was moist and delicious. My husband was very happy.
Rachel says
This cake is incredibly moist and delicious. I modified it somewhat to ingredients I had on hand (almond flour vs regular flour, olive oil vs vegetable oil, yogurt vs sour cream, lime vs lemon) and I reduced the sugar to 1 cup because I prefer less sweet. I loved it and will make it again!
RichandDelish says
Hi Rachel! Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so glad you liked them!
Maryam says
Hi Rachel,
If you use almond flour will the cake be fluffy and moist?
Thanks
Jill says
The cake was delicious, but no way would it fit into an 8" pan! I had to dump it out of the prepared 8" pan, and start over with a 9" pan. It came to the top of that pan and baked beautifully. In an 8" pan, it would have overflowed all over my oven!
Helen Foster says
Loved this recipe!! Was moist and fluffy and the blueberries didn't sink (always a bonus). Was all gone in no time ❤️