Thisย blackberry buttermilk coffee cakeย is the perfect blend of sweet, tangy, and tender. No special occasion required for this easy, comforting bake.
My one bowl blackberry buttermilk cake brings together blackberries, buttermilk, and vanilla in a simple but unexpected snacking cake recipe. It’s one of those perfect little surprises that brightens your day.
In my particular grocery store they come right at you with the berries, they’re placed front and center at the entrance. Could explain why so many of my recipes are berry-centric. But come on, you know you need a great one bowl breakfast cake in your life, if only to upscale your morning toast and peanut butter routine. Yolo.
I have a thing for casual snacking cakes!
blackberry buttermilk cake ingredients
It’s a from-the-pantry cake, just add berries.
- blackberries
- supermarket blackberries can be pretty big, so I suggest slicing them in half for this cake.
- flour
- I use all purpose flour, but you could also use cake flour for an extra tender cake. See my list of dietary substitutions below for more options.
- butter
- sugar
- eggs
- yogurt
- full fat, low fat, or non fat, it’s up to you.
- buttermilk
- cultured buttermilk is thick and creamy with a tangy flavor that works so well in cakes. It’s low fat, too!
- baking powder and salt
- vanilla bean paste
- I know, I know, it’s hard to find, and pricey. (You can buy it here.)Use extract if you prefer.
what makes this blackberry buttermilk cake work
Room temperature ingredients and the time you take in creaming the ingredients and blending the batter will pay off in a lovely texture in your cake. Don’t rush the process, take 3-4 minutes (set a timer!) to combine the butter and sugar ~ you’ll be surprised at the transformation, especially if you’re used to rushing. Why room temperature eggs? Instead of the curdled mess you get when you try to introduce cold eggs into your mixture, you’ll be rewarded with a silky smooth batter. (I pop my cold eggs in a bowl of hot water to warm them up.)
The yogurt and buttermilk are a dynamic duo. Their acidity reacts with the baking powder to boost it, resulting in a light and fluffy cake. They add a subtle tangy flavor as well.
Blackberries are a nice change from the more common blueberries and strawberries. Their flavor is rich and goes beautifully with the vanilla.
dietary substitutions and flavor variations
Gluten free blackberry cake: this is a no brainer, use a gluten free 1:1 baking mix from King Arthur Flour in place of the all purpose wheat flour.
Non-dairy blackberry cake: use your favorite vegan plant based butter, a plant based yogurt like almond or soy, and a plant based buttermilk substitute. You might not find this in your supermarket, but you can make your own homemade vegan buttermilk:
- Choose a plant-based milk:
- soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk (unsweetened.)
- Add an acid
- for every 1 cup of plant-based milk, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar) or lemon juice.
- Mix and let sit:
- stir the mixture and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. It will curdle slightly, and mimic the texture and tanginess of traditional buttermilk.
Add nuts: fold in a cup of chopped walnut or pecans to your batter.
Add a streusel topping: mix together 1/2 cup flour + 1/3 cup brown or white sugar + 1/4 cup butter until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the cake before baking. Add chopped nuts and extract if you like.
Almond blackberry cake: use almond extract, and add some sliced almonds on top before baking. You can sub about 1/2-1/2 cup of almond flour for some of the all purpose flour, too.
Blackberry Buttermilk Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch spring form pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract, buy vanilla bean paste here
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 14 ounces fresh blackberries, halved if large, about 2 heaped cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and lightly spray your springform pan.
- Cream the soft butter and sugar together in a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl a couple of times.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each egg. If your butter and eggs were at room temperature you should have a silky batter. Beat in the vanilla, the baking powder, and salt.
- With your mixer on low, blend in the yogurt, then half the flour. Blend in the buttermilk and then the final half of the flour. Mix until just combined, but don't over mix.
- Fold in the berries and turn into the prepared pan. Smooth out the top. Sprinkle the surface of the cake liberally with granulated sugar, about a tablespoon.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake no longer jiggles in the center and the top is golden and slightly crackled. The exact cooking time will depend on your oven and the pan you use, so use this as a guideline, but be vigilant and know that your cake may take more or less time. You can insert a toothpick in the center to test.
- Let cool briefly, and then unlatch the spring and remove the outer ring. I like to run a spreading knife along the edge first to loosen any parts of the cake that are sticking to the pan. The cake can be served warm or at room temperature.
- Store leftover cake on the counter loosely covered with foil or under a cake dome. The cake can be frozen after it has completely cooled.
So easy and really delicious. Made it exactly as written and it turned out great!