Blueberry Pudding Cake

An abundance of blueberries is never a bad thing, especially during the peak summer months. But these precious gems deserve to go toward a worthwhile recipe, and this blueberry pudding cake is just that. Why? Because the blueberries make the special sauce that’s baked right underneath the tender crumb, creating this sort of “self-saucing” cake that needs no extra accompaniments. Although, a little whipped cream never hurt.

Ingredients for Blueberry Pudding Cake

• Blueberries: Use fresh or frozen blueberries here. If they’re in season, I always use fresh blueberries. Otherwise, I find that frozen wild blueberries have the best flavor. If using frozen blueberries of any kind, thaw them and drain the excess liquid first.
• Cinnamon: Warm, sweet, cozy cinnamon is a subtle flavor among the juicy blueberries and tart lemon juice.
• Lemon: Fresh lemon juice breaks up the sweetness just a bit with its bright flavor.
• All-purpose flour: The cake should be tender and moist but stable and strong enough to soak up some of that yummy blueberry sauce.
• Sugar: The sugar in the cake sweetens and helps the cake brown. A little extra sugar is sprinkled on top too.
• Milk: While we suggest 2% milk, you can really use any type of milk or cream, like buttermilk, skim, whole, heavy cream or nondairy milk alternatives.
• Butter: Melt the butter so it mixes in with the cake batter easily.
• Cornstarch: The cornstarch will help thicken the blueberry sauce so it’s not overly runny.
• Boiling water: Boiling water activates the cornstarch and moistens the cake.

Directions

Step 1: Toss the blueberries with cinnamon and lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, toss the blueberries with the cinnamon and lemon juice. Pour the mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking dish and evenly spread out the blueberries.

Step 2: Make the cake batter

In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar and baking powder. Stir in the milk and melted butter.

Step 3: Layer the batter on top of the blueberries

Spoon the cake batter evenly over the blueberries.

Step 4: Add the toppings

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch, then sprinkle it all over the cake batter. Finally, slowly and carefully pour the boiling water over all.

Editor’s Tip: To limit movement, place the pan on the oven rack, then pour the boiling water on top.

Step 5: Bake the cake

Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Serve the cake warm. If desired, top each serving with whipped cream and additional blueberries.

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Recipe Variations

• Use other berries: Instead of blueberries, use raspberries, blackberries or strawberries. A mix of them offers complexity too!
• Make it vegan: It’s super easy to make this blueberry pudding cake recipe plant-based. Use cane sugar instead of granulated sugar, vegan butter in place of regular butter and a nondairy milk as the milk. To serve the cake, find the best vegan ice cream brand or coconut whipped topping in the frozen section.
• Go gluten-free: To make our cake gluten-free, omit the all-purpose flour and use one of the best gluten-free flour blends in its place. My favorite is King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour.
• Bump up the flavor: Add lemon zest, vanilla extract and/or a pinch of cardamom to the cake batter or blueberry sauce to up the flavor.

How to Store Blueberry Pudding Cake

Once the blueberry pudding cake has cooled to room temperature, cover it with storage wrap. Or, transfer slices of the cake to an airtight container. It should be kept in the refrigerator, where it can last up to four days.

How do you reheat individual servings of blueberry pudding cake?

Reheat individual servings in the microwave. I like to place a damp paper towel over the top to add some moisture back into the cake.

Blueberry Pudding Cake Tips

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Can you bake blueberry pudding cake in a different pan? Can you double the recipe?

Yes, you can bake our blueberry pudding cake recipe in a different pan. Instead of an 8-inch square pan, bake the cake in a 9-inch round pan. You could also use a 9-inch square pan, but just know the cake will be a little thinner and may not need as long of a bake time.

You can double the blueberry pudding cake recipe, too, and bake the cake in a 13×9-inch baking pan.

Why did my blueberry sauce come out runny?

The blueberry sauce may have come out runny if you used frozen blueberries that were not thawed first. Frozen berries expel a lot of excess water when thawed, and the extra water needs to be drained first. Next time, thaw and drain frozen blueberries before using them in this recipe.

How do you serve blueberry pudding cake?

Serve blueberry pudding cake while it’s still warm. Since the sauce is built into the recipe, you need to serve this cake with only a bit of whipped topping or a scoop of the best vanilla ice cream.