Lovely, moist and full of blueberries, this blueberry sour cream cake is lightly sweet, so it’s perfect to enjoy any time of day.
Full of flavour and blueberries, this Blueberry Sour Cream Cake is the perfect snacking cake to have on your counter. Not only does it keep well for several days, it also freezes well.
This cake bakes in a tube pan (see below, if you’re not sure what that is). The benefit of baking in a tube pan is that it bakes right side up, as opposed to a bundt pan, which bakes upside down. Baking this cake right side up, means you’ll get to enjoy a pretty, blueberry topped cake, that is sure to entice.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Sour Cream: This is a sour cream cake, so sour cream would be the recommended ingredient here :) For best results, use a full-fat sour cream. I haven’t tested this cake with a low or no-fat sour cream.
Oil: Any neutral-tasting oil is fine here, such as vegetable, canola, sunflower etc. I don’t recommend olive oil.
Blueberries: You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries for this cake. There is no need to thaw the frozen blueberries.I think frozen blueberries actually hold their shape a little better, especially the smaller wild blueberries (used in the main photos here). Fresh blueberries will tend to burst, especially larger ones (as shown in the step-by-step photos, where fresh blueberries were used). You can use whichever you prefer.
What is a Tube Pan? Can I use a Bundt Pan instead?
A Tube Pan is not a bundt pan. A Tube pan is usually in two pieces, with a centre tube, attached to a round base. This centre tube part then sits inside of an outer piece that makes the sides and has a lip at the bottom to hold the centre tube. Tube pans sometimes come in one piece, as well. They are essentially the same, though I find the two-piece easier to remove the cake from.
A tube pan will bake a cake right side up, as opposed to a bundt pan, which is baked upside down and then flipped over.
I haven’t tested this cake in a bundt pan. At the very least, to bake it in a bundt pan, you wouldn’t be able to add the blueberries to the top of the cake, since the top of the bundt cake will become the bottom of the cake when it is flipped out. If you wanted to try it in a bundt pan, you would have to just fold the blueberries directly into the batter.
While both bundt pans and tube pans have a centre cone, tube pans are used either for more delicate cakes that might stick to a bundt pan or in cases where you want to bake a cake right side up, instead of the inverted style of a bundt pan.
In the case of this Blueberry Sour Cream Cake, we are using a tube pan to be able to load the top up with fresh blueberries, for a pretty cake. If we were to use a bundt pan here, the bottom of the bundt pan would end up as the top, so all the blueberries would be on the bottom of the cake. I think the only way to make this cake work with a bundt pan would be to just fold the blueberries directly into the batter.
As noted above, a two-piece tube pan makes it easier to remove the cake, but if you only have a one-piece tube pan, it will work here as well. Grease well, line the bottom with parchment (with a hole cut in the centre) and allow to cool in the pan slightly longer before removing from the pan.
Step-by-Step Photos
Step 1: Start this cake by adding the sugar, eggs and sour cream to a large bowl of the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat this mixture for a FULL 3 MINUTES!. You’ll only be able to beat it at about Speed 4 or medium, as it is quite liquid and will splash out of the bowl otherwise. The mixture won’t thicken much, but will be quite foamy with lots of small bubbles.
Step 2: With the mixer on low, slowly add the oil and mix in.
Step 3: With the mixer still on low, gradually add the flour and mix until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat the mixture about 30 seconds.
Step 4: Spoon the batter into your well greased tube pan and level.
Step 5: Sprinkle the fresh or frozen blueberries on top of the batter, sprinkle with a bit of white sugar and bake. Note that the top of the cake will stay very pale, so don’t judge to the colour of the top of the cake when assessing when it is done. Test with a skewer. The skewer should come out clean.
Recipe Tips
- You’ll want to be sure to follow the technique of this cake closely, for best results. In particular, be sure to use the spoon and level method to measure your flour (or better yet, use a scale and the gram measurements). Have your eggs and sour cream at room temperature and most importantly, be sure to beat the eggs, sugar and sour cream for the full 3 minutes (set a timer!).
- If you’d like to add a touch of lemon to this cake, add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter.
- Don’t skimp on the blueberries. Put as many on top as you can. Some will sink into the cake a bit as it bakes.
- This cake stays very pale on the top, so don’t judge the done-ness of the cake by colour on the top of the cake, as there will next to none when the cake is actually done. You can check the edges of the cake for some colour though and to see if the cake has pulled away from the sides of the pan. That’s a good time to test with a skewer. A skewer should come out clean.
Storing and Freezing
This cake keeps well for several days stored wrapped or covered on the counter. This cake will also freeze well up to 3 months.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Sour Cream Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, measured using the stir, spoon and level method
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream, full fat, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 g) white granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoon vegetable oil, or canola or other neutral tasting oil
- 2 cups fresh blueberries, or frozen blueberries (not thawed), for topping
- 1-2 Tablespoons white sugar, for topping
- Confectioners/icing sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340F (regular bake/not fan-assisted) with rack in centre of oven. Grease a 9-inch, two-piece tube pan (*see note) and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, eggs and sour cream at medium speed (Speed 4 on stand miser) for A FULL 3 minutes. *Don't skimp on this process, as it is important for the finished texture of the cake. The mixture won't thicken a lot, but will become lighter in colour and be foamy, with lots of small bubbles).
- With mixer on low, slowly add the oil and mix in until combined. With mixer still on low, spoon in the flour mixture until combined, then beat the mixture at medium speed for about 30 seconds.
- Spoon batter into prepared tube pan and smooth the top. (*Note that the batter will only fill the pan about 1/3 the way up).
- Scatter the blueberries on top of batter, then sprinkle with the white sugar.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 55- 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. **The top of the cake will stay very pale, even when done, so don't judge the readiness of the cake on the colour of the top of the cake. Look at the very outside edges, which should be golden and pulling away from the side of the pan, then test with a skewer.
- Remove from oven and let cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the outside of the cake, then gently push up from the bottom, removing the cake from the sides, but still sitting on the base. Allow to cool a bit more, then carefully run a knife around the centre tube. Gently lift the cake off the base/tube and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Serve dusted with confectioners/icing sugar, if desired.
Notes
More Blueberry Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
can i use spring mold 8″ or 9″ insted the tube form?
Hi Miki, I haven’t tried it myself, but an 8″ springform might work. Baking time would change (longer), so be sure to test the centre well and bake until it tests clean.
Is there a reason this cake bakes at 340 degrees or is that a typo?
Hi Deb and no, not a typo. It’s 340F as 350 is too hot and 330 is not hot enough.
I made this lovely cake yesterday, and followed your suggestion of adding a bit of lemon zest. The cake was light, delicious, and rose beautifully! I wanted a small cake, so I used the embedded tool to reduce by one half and baked it in a cute little 7 inch clay baker. It was perfect! Thank you for the great recipe and all the knowledge you share!
So glad you enjoyed it, Karen. It sounds lovely :) Thanks so much!
This looks great, but can I use a Bundt pan ? And if so what cup size ? Thanks 😊
Hi Paula and no, I’m afraid this doesn’t adapt to a bundt easily, as the blueberries are scattered on top and that is impossible to do with a bundt pan, as it bakes upside down.
Thank you very much .
When you say un-thawed frozen blueberries, do you mean to keep them frozen? Just looking for clarification please and thanks!
Hi Wendy and yes, I mean to use them in their frozen state. It’s a rather awkward way to phrase it, admittedly, but when I said just “frozen blueberries”, people kept asking me if they should thaw the first :)
This recipe looks awesome. I don’t have a tube pan. Can I make it in a 9×13” cake pan?
Hi Sophie and yes you could :) As it will be thinner, it will cook more quickly. Can’t say exactly how much more quickly as I haven’t tried it, so check often and test regularly. Just bake until it tests clean in the centre :) Enjoy!
Hi Jennifer, just made this cake, had creme fraiche to use up so used that and only had coconut oil but it turned out lovely. Had a bit of leakage from my tube pan and difficulty getting it out but who cares it tastes great. Grateful for the gram measurements but how come all US conversion tables are different – from 118- 140 grams for a cup of flour?
Thanks again for the recipe.
Hi Jan and glad you enjoyed it :) And yes, I have found that too with the gram measurements. My recipe card calculates the grams automatically and I’m never completely sure it is doing so correctly. I have on my to-do list to verify weights in my own kitchen, but with over 800 recipes, that’s going to take a while :)
Oh my goodness, if this blueberry cake isn’t perfection I don’t know what is!!! The texture looks absolutely heavenly and those pops of fresh blueberries are making me swoon! I will NOT be sharing this cake! ALL for me!
Thanks so much, Cheyanne! The more blueberries the better, I always say :)
What a gorgeous cake. This gives me a reason to get that tube pan out, which as been in the back of my cabinet collecting dust!
Thanks so much, Abbe! And yes, a great reason to bust out that pan :)
I love cakes like these, it just looks delicious. Every time I have a sour cream cake I think of the sour cream Timbits at Tim Hortons, which is no bad thing, but I imagine this cake tastes a 1000 times better!
Yes, there is that distinct sour cream goodness here (and I love those timbits, too :)
Love the new site Jennifer! And this cake! Will be adding to my Saturday baking lineup shortly.
Thanks so much, Mary Ann :)
All the comfort! I love the texture, color and look of the berries dotting the top of the cake! Pinned!
Thanks so much, Annie :)
This is the perfect cake! I love that you baked it in a tube pan. I don’t use mine often enough. LOVE your new site design – very pretty!
Thanks so much, Tricia :)
Jennifer, I have a tube pan but the tube is not removable. Would it work for this cake? I am diabetic and notice this cake does not have much sugar in it like a lot of cakes do so I thought I might make it. Any suggestions?
Hi Linda, This cake came out of the pan quite easily, as I recall, so I feel like you wouldn’t have to battle to get it out of your one-piece pan. Grease well and if you can, may cut a round of parchment (with a hole :) for the bottom of the pan, just to help a bit. I might leave it to cool in the pan a touch longer, before removing, too. Enjoy!
Thank you, Jennifer, for the good advice and I will heed it, you may be assured.
This cake makes me want to go out and buy a tube pan! Love the blueberries studded along the top of the cake, and it looks so fluffy and tender! Perfect for blueberry season, which is a little late around here.
Thanks Leanne :) I use my tube pan alot. It’s a nice change from bundt baking.
I am loving how light the texture of this cake is. And quite intrigued to get to use a tube pan – sounds like the perfect solution for using fresh blueberries. Pinned!
Thanks Milena! Blueberries are plentiful around here right now, so I’m overflowing with them :)