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This blueberry pudding cake recipe is one of my favorite summer blueberry desserts. It’s a light and fluffy cake with a luscious blueberry filling that will have your guests begging for seconds.
The blueberry pie filling on the bottom bubbles up and thickens as the cake bakes, making this recipe a blueberry sauce and cake in one – the defining characteristic of a pudding cake.
If you love my fluffy Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins, you’re going to swoon over this treat.
So, let’s gather our ingredients and get started! It’s the best of pie and cake in one of my favorite warm, saucy dessert recipes.
Gather Your Blueberry Pudding Cake Ingredients
• Blueberries: The star of the show! It’s best to use wild, fresh berries for maximum flavor. They’re teeny tiny and unbelievably flavourful. And blue the whole way through! We can get them frozen anywhere in North America but any variety of fresh or frozen blueberries will do. We use a whopping 6 cups.
• Granulated Sugar: Used both in the filling and the cake batter, it helps to sweeten the dish.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the blueberry filling.
• All Purpose Flour: Provides structure to the cake batter and helps it to rise.
• Baking Powder: A leavening agent that helps the cake to rise and become fluffy.
• Salt: Balances out the sweetness of the cake batter.
• Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and flavor to the cake batter.
• Eggs: Provides structure and stability to the cake batter.
• Cream Cheese: Another source of richness and flavor in the cake batter.
• Vanilla Extract: A couple of teaspoons vanilla extract impart a delicious vanilla flavor to the cake batter.
• Milk: Used to create a moist and tender cake base.
• Confectioners’ Sugar: Optional but recommended to sprinkle the finished cake.
Grab These Tools
• A Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer: Whip up the perfect cake batter with ease using a stand mixer or hand mixer. It’ll save you time and arm muscles.
• A Spatula: When it comes to spreading the batter and filling, a good spatula is a must-have tool! You don’t want to leave any bit of that deliciousness behind.
• A 9″ Cake Pan or Square Baking Dish: Make sure you have one of these 1-1/2 quart baking dishes on hand to create the perfect cake to filling ratio.
• A Rimmed Baking Sheet: A rimmed baking sheet is a lifesaver when it comes to baking the Blueberry Pudding Cake. It catches any spills or overflows and protects your oven from a messy clean-up.
• A Toothpick or a Thermometer: Use either to check if your cake is done baking. The cake is ready when the temperature reads 190ºF. It’s the best tool to check if your cake is done baking without ever risking overbaking or underbaking it.
How to Make It: Step-by-Step Directions
• Preheat and Prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 1-1/2 quart baking dish and place it on top of a rimmed baking sheet.
• Make the Filling: Toss blueberries with sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl, then pour into the 9″ round cake pan (or square baking pan).
• Stir the Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• Mix the Wet Ingredients: Beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each egg. Beat in cream cheese and vanilla extract.
• Combine the Flour and Dry Ingredients: Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in one third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk. Repeat, ending with the final third of flour mixture.
• Assemble: Spoon batter over blueberry mixture, spreading it to the edges with a spatula.
• Bake: Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of cake portion comes out clean and the filling starts to bubble out. Check the cake frequently and cover it with foil if it’s getting too brown.
• Cool and Serve: Let the cake cool slightly before serving. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Enjoy!
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
• Prep Ahead and Save Time: You can make this Blueberry Pudding Cake ahead of time and store it in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• Freeze and Save for Later: If you want to keep this delectable dessert even longer, you can freeze it! Simply wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and pop it in the freezer. When you’re ready to enjoy it, just let it thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
• Reheat and Relish: To reheat the pudding cake, simply pop it in the microwave for a few seconds or in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- You can make this cake with fresh or frozen berries – but if you do go with frozen, you’ll need to bake a bit longer and cover the cake with foil about halfway through as it browns quickly.
- To tell if it’s done, stick a toothpick in the centre and wiggle it around a bit under the crust of the cake to see if there is still wet batter in there. It will look done to the naked eye before it is actually done – don’t under-bake it. The cake portion will be 190ºF when it is set.
- The filling will also start to bubble out around the edges of the topping when it is ready. For that reason, I strongly recommend you bake it (or any sticky, bubbly fruit dessert) on top of an old baking sheet, to avoid a mess (or even a fire) in your oven.
- This blueberry pudding cake is perfect for any occasion, from a family dinner to a holiday celebration. We hope you enjoy making and eating it as much as my family does! Serve it warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream if you know what’s good.
Why is it Called Pudding Cake?
The cake is called a “pudding cake” because it has a layer of pudding-like filling made from the blueberries, sugar, and corn starch. This filling is added to the bottom of the baking dish and then topped with the cake batter.
As the cake bakes, the filling rises to the top and takes on a pudding-like texture while the cake underneath becomes light and fluffy. The result is a delicious dessert that satisfies both cake and pudding cravings at once!
If you love pudding cakes, you must also try my chocolate pudding cake, lemon pudding cake, and strawberry rhubarb pudding cake recipes.
FAQs
What does pudding cake mean?
Pudding cake is a type of dessert that combines the characteristics of both cake and pudding. The cake batter is poured over a layer of pudding or sauce in a baking dish, and as it bakes, the cake rises to the top and the pudding sinks to the bottom, creating two distinct layers. The result is a dessert with a soft, cake-like top layer and a creamy, pudding-like bottom layer.
Which blueberry is sweetest?
The sweetest variety of blueberries depends on how ripe they were when picked, but generally, the sweeter varieties of blueberries include the Southern Highbush Blueberries, such as the “Sunshine Blue,” and “Sharpblue” varieties. Other sweet blueberry varieties include “Legacy,” “Ozark Blue,” and “Chandler.” It’s worth noting that the sweetness of blueberries can also depend on environmental factors such as soil, temperature, and climate. From grocery store options, frozen wild blueberries tend to be the sweetest.
Blueberry Pudding Cake
Ingredients
Filling:
- 6 cups blueberries
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Cake:
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup cream cheese
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter a 1-1/2 quart baking dish and place on top of rimmed baking sheet.
- To make filling, toss blueberries with 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch; transfer to baking dish.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a standing mixer on medium speed, beat butter with remaining 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each and pausing occasionally to scrape down sides of mixer bowl. Beat in cream cheese and vanilla extract.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in one third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk; repeat, ending with the final third of flour mixture. Scrape batter over blueberry filling, spreading to edges with a spatula.
- Bake 45-55 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean and the filling starts to bubble out. Check on the cake frequently and cover with foil if it is getting too brown.
Notes
- You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries for this recipe, but if you use frozen, keep in mind that the cake will need a little longer to bake. You should also cover the cake with foil about halfway through to prevent it from browning too quickly.
- To check if the cake is done, insert a toothpick in the center and gently wiggle it under the crust. If there’s still wet batter, the cake isn’t done yet. Don’t under-bake it! The cake will be fully set when the temperature reaches 190ºF.
- When the filling starts to bubble out around the edges, you’ll know the cake is ready. To avoid a mess (or even a fire) in your oven, it’s a good idea to bake the cake on top of an old baking sheet.
Nutrition
Calories: 405kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 202mgPotassium: 153mgFiber: 3gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 569IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 2mg
Last Updated on April 26, 2023 by Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD
YUM! This looks absolutely delicious! And topped with ice cream makes my mouth water. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks!
I’m always looking for new pie ideas for the holidays. This one is definitely on that list. It looks so good!
I love the step by step instructions to make this blueberry pudding cake recipe. It looks so yummy – I can’t wait to try it!
This looks amazing! The dark pie crust really does it for me! I love it when it’s not too under-done but not burnt either. Just between.
This is one of my favorite kinds of cake to make. I love how the juices of the filling soak into the cake itself. It’s sooo good!
Amazing recipe, I’ve been making this for years.