This moist and flavorful berry cake is soft and tender and is loaded with bursting fresh berries and lemon zest aroma.
This easy one-bowl cake with berries is extremely easy and affordable to make which is one of my favorite parts about this cake. It stays moist for four days and is a great way to use fresh ripe berries!
Sour cream and vegetable oil make the crumb of this cake super soft and have the most tender crumb. This recipe does not use a stand mixer or an electric mixer, and there is no creaming butter involved.
All you will need is basic ingredients, fresh or frozen berries, a bowl, and a whisk.
For more berry cakes, check out my blueberry cake, strawberry bundt cake, blueberry sour cream coffee cake, strawberry shortcake birthday cake, fresh strawberry sheet cake, and strawberry crumble cake.
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Why this recipe works
- Flavor- the flavor of this cake is fresh, and zesty with juicy berries in every bite with the aroma of lemon zest.
- Fresh berries- this berries cake is loaded with fresh berries of your choice which is a great way to use up those ripe berries and also can be made with frozen berries!
- One bowl- this cake is very easy and straightforward and comes together in one bowl!
- No butter cake- butter is getting expensive, so this cake is perfect for a budget-friendly cake that is made with oil instead and still has the softest crumb.
- Texture- this cake has the softest crumb from the sour cream and vegetable oil and it also gets lots of moisture from the fresh berries.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this mixed berry cake recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe, cake flour will work great as well.
Eggs- you will need 2 large eggs for this recipe. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Baking powder– to allow the cake to rise. Ensure your baking powder is not expired.
Vegetable oil – we used vegetable oil for this recipe. canola oil will work great for this recipe.
Lemon zest- you will need 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon zest for this recipe.
Sour cream- use either sour cream or Greek yogurt, both will work great.
Vanilla extract- vanilla extract adds extra flavor. For extra vanilla flavor, use vanilla bean extract or an actual vanilla bean!
Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
Berries- for berries, we used fresh blueberries and strawberries for this cake, but frozen berries will work great as well. Do not thaw the frozen berries.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180c (350f) and prep a parchment paper-lined 9-inch cake pan.
Into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and kosher salt and mix with a whisk until well combined.
Add the berries to the dry ingredients and mix until the berries are coated. This will prevent from the berries from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract, and mix with a whisk until just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible.
Pour the cake batter into a 9-inch cake pan. Smooth it out with a spatula and top with more berries!
Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Top with powdered sugar and serve next to a cup of coffee or tea!
Expert Tips
- Coat your berries in flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist cake and not dense and dry cake.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cake will release easily from the pan.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Add some of your favorite add-ins! Make this recipe your own and add your favorite cake add-ins: chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, chocolate chunks, banana slices, chopped fruit, and more! Be creative!
- Be patient! I know it's extremely tempting to eat this cake as it is pulled out of the oven, but let this cake cool for at least 1 hour so it will be firmer and won't crumble up.
Faq's
I love decorating this cake with fresh berries on top and powdered sugar. You can also top it with a simple glaze or top each slice with freshly made whipped cream.
Yes. We used fresh berries for this cake, but frozen berries will work great as well. Do not thaw the berries before adding them to the mixture. Before adding them to the cake batter, toss them in flour.
We use all-purpose flour for this cake. Self-rising flour and cake flour will work great as well.
Yes! You can double or even triple this recipe. If you double this recipe, I recommend using a 9x13 inch baking pan!
Storing
Store this cake at room temperature for up to 2 days if it's hot and moist. If the weather is cooler and dry, you can store it for up to 3 days. After 2-3 days, transfer it to the fridge for another day to two.
Make sure that you store the cake in an airtight container so it won’t dry out.
Freezing
This cake is very easy to freeze. After baking, let the cake cool to room temperature, transfer it into a freezer-friendly Ziploc bag, or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw: place the cake in the refrigerator overnight or place it a room temperature for a few hours until it's thawed.
Substitutions
Dairy-free - If you are dairy-free, replace the sour cream with plant-based sour cream.
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour.
Healthy- you can make this recipe healthy by swapping the sugar with your favorite sweeteners like coconut sugar or maple syrup and using almond flour or whole wheat flour.
Variations
Crumble- you can top this cake with our favorite crumble recipe (find it in this strawberry crumble cake post) for an extra crunch and delicious texture.
Cream cheese glaze- top this cake with cream cheese glaze instead of topping it with powdered sugar. You can use the recipe from my cinnamon roll cheesecake recipe.
Fruit- If you don't like berries or are allergic to them, you can simply replace them with your favorite fruit like peaches, pears, etc.
Serving Tips
- Whipped Cream and Berry- Add whipped cream on the berry cake to create a light and creamy texture that complements the fruity flavors.
- Berry Coulis Drizzle- Drizzle a homemade berry coulis over the top of the one-layer cake for an added burst of flavor and visual appeal.
- Toasted Almond Crunch- Sprinkle toasted almond slices on top of the berry cake to add a crunchy texture contrast to the soft cake and juicy berries.
- Vanilla ice cream- add a large scoop of ice cream next to a slice of this cake.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
- 8-inch cake pan
- Rubber spatula
More easy cake recipes
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake- This chocolate chip banana cake is moist and filled with melty pockets of chocolate and is topped with our rich and silky smooth chocolate frosting.
Chocolate Poke Cake- This chocolate poke cake is made with a moist one-bowl chocolate cake, and chocolate pudding filling, and topped with chocolate whipped cream!
Easy Carrot Cake- This easy carrot cake is made with a moist and easy one bowl carrot cake and is topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Moist Mixed Berry Cake (One Bowl)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Flour AP
- 1 ¼ cups Granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
- ½ cup Vegetable oil
- 2 Eggs
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup Sour cream
- ⅔ cup Blueberries
- ⅔ cup Strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180c (350f) and prep a parchment paper-lined 9-inch cake pan.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and kosher salt and mix with a whisk until well combined.
- Add the berries to the dry ingredients and mix until the berries are coated. This will prevent from the berries from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract, and mix with a whisk until just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible.
- Pour the cake batter into a 9-inch cake pan. Smooth it out with a spatula and top with more berries!
- Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Top with powdered sugar and serve next to a cup of coffee or tea!
Notes
- Coat your berries in flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist cake and not dense and dry cake.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cake will release easily from the pan.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with the back of a knife.
- Add some of your favorite add-ins! Make this recipe your own and add your favorite cake add-ins: chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, chocolate chunks, banana slices, chopped fruit, and more! Be creative!
- Be patient! I know it's extremely tempting to eat this cake as it is pulled out of the oven, but let this cake cool for at least 1 hour so it will be firmer and won't crumble up.
Connie says
Thank you!!! This recipe is awesome! I made it using cake flour and doubled the blackberries since that's what I had. I followed it exactly and yummmmm! 😋 This is definitely a keeper!
Janice says
Loved it! Made it exactly the same as recipe and served with whipping cream!
Rach says
I made this for a group of people at uni and they all loved it and said it was the best thing I have baked for them yet. I didn’t have lemon but added some cinnamon (maybe a teaspoon)
Vivian Poettgen says
This recipe is Amazing! My husband is VERY particular, given he grew up with a mother who baked well and a lot. He liked it so much that I had to make it again. I didn’t change a thing and it was so moist and flavorful that his slices became bigger and bigger with each helping. This cake is definitely a staple in our household now.
Thank you for sharing an easy but stellar no-fail recipe, soon to be classic around here.
Oana says
Made this recipe last night, I replaced the flour with cake flour and the sugar with coconut sugar( used only half cup)..it came out moist and unbelievably fluffy, was well enjoyed be my husband and daughter for movie night. Thank you!
Maureen says
I made this cake for a church gathering and it was all eaten! The only change I made was I didn’t have sour cream so I substituted strawberry yogurt. I didn’t put powdered sugar on it….not needed! Thank you for this recipe! God bless.