This gluten-free Blueberry Cake is chock-full of fresh blueberries and topped with cream cheese icing. Make it for a super simple summer dessert!
When it comes to cakes, sometimes the simpler they are, the better. I’m talking about one-layer snacking cakes that feature a special ingredient to help them stand out, like my pistachio cake and vegan apple cake recipes. The best part? You DON’T have to wait for the next birthday party to make them.
I always whip out this Blueberry Cake recipe as soon as the weather gets a little warmer. With fresh and juicy blueberries in every bite and a tangy cream cheese frosting on top, it’s a sweet treat that practically screams “summer!” What’s better is that I made this blueberry cake with oat flour, making it naturally light, airy, and gluten-free.
Just like my almond flour blueberry scones and blueberry coffee cake, this is a blueberry dessert not to be missed!
Recipe features
- A simple snacking cake with bursts of fresh blueberries in every bite.
- Making this cake with oat flour gives it a uniquely light and delicate crumb. Plus, it’s naturally gluten-free!
- The perfect treat for berry lovers and the best way to use up a bunch of fresh summer blueberries.
- It’s topped with an irresistible cream cheese frosting and extra blueberries. Yum!
Ingredients
Oat flour – This was my gluten-free flour of choice because it keeps the texture light and fluffy and adds a subtle nutty flavor. Oat flour is easy to make from scratch, too! All you need are gluten-free rolled oats and a blender.
Sugar – White sugar or cane sugar sweetens the cake. Coconut sugar should work as an alternative but it might make the cake slightly drier.
Applesauce – Use unsweetened applesauce if you can! It adds moisture to the cake without needing butter, oil, or extra eggs.
Blueberries – Fresh juicy blueberries are baked right into the cake, adding bursts of berrylicious flavors to every bite. Remember to save a few extra blueberries for decorating!
Cream cheese icing – This simple cream cheese frosting is made from cream cheese, butter, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together, then add the applesauce, milk, and vanilla.
Step 3: Finish the batter. Beat the wet and dry mixtures together with an electric mixer until just combined. Stir in the blueberries by hand.
Step 4: Bake. Pour the batter into a prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set the cake aside to cool.
Step 5: Make the icing. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese frosting ingredients together until smooth and fluffy.
Step 6: Decorate, then serve. Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake, then garnish with extra blueberries. Slice and enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
- Gently mix the wet and dry ingredients together just until everything is combined and no dry flour remains. A few lumps left behind in the batter is okay!
- Use certified gluten-free oat flour to keep this cake 100% gluten-free (or make it yourself using gluten-free oats). Not all oats or oat flour is inherently gluten-free since oats are often processed with other wheat products.
Tip
This shouldn’t happen but if you’re worried about the blueberries sinking to the bottom of the cake, toss them with some oat flour before folding them into the cake batter.
Variations
There are a handful of ways to put your own spin on this easy blueberry cake recipe:
- Make it a lemon blueberry cake – Blueberries and lemon are heavenly together and you’re more than welcome to give this cake a bright burst of citrus if you love the pairing. To do so, just combine a heaping 2 tablespoons of lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice with the wet ingredients.
- Oil-free variation – The cake itself is oil-free but you can omit the cream cheese frosting if you don’t want any oil.
- Dairy-free variation – Again, omit the frosting, and make the cake with your favorite non-dairy milk instead of regular milk to keep it dairy-free.
- More topping ideas – Instead of the cream cheese icing, decorate the cooled cake with vanilla buttercream, a simple vanilla glaze, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
- Instead of blueberries – Make this cake with any type of berry you like! Raspberries, chopped strawberries, halved cherries, or blackberries would all be good.
Can I make the blueberry cake with frozen blueberries?
I haven’t tested this recipe with frozen blueberries but I’d recommend sticking with fresh berries if you can. Frozen blueberries will cool down the batter and require the cake to be baked longer.
If frozen blueberries are all you have, go ahead and use them as a substitute. No thawing needed—just fold the frozen berries directly into the batter.
Does this recipe work with another flour?
I’ve only tested this recipe with oat flour and love it most for this cake because it lends a light and airy crumb.
If you don’t have oat flour on hand (or don’t want to make it yourself), try using all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend instead. Oat flour is lighter than these flours, which means you’ll need to use less all-purpose flour for this recipe (instead of 2 cups of oat flour, experiment with using 1 ⅔ cups of an alternative flour).
Storage
Room temperature: The decorated cake will keep for up to 3 days on the kitchen counter. Cover it with plastic or keep it in a covered cake stand to help it stay moist.
Refrigerator: You can also refrigerate the cake for up to 5 days but the crumb may dry out a little.
Freezer: Wrap the cooled and unfrosted cake in a few layers of plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake in the fridge or on the kitchen counter before decorating and serving it.
More easy blueberry treats
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Blueberry Cake
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Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups oat flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ¾ cup fresh blueberries plus more for topping
For the icing:
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoon butter softened
- 2 tablespoon milk or more as needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°. Line a round 9” cake pan with a parchment round and grease the sides with coconut oil or nonstick spray; set aside.
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Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
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In a separate bowl, whisk eggs together, and then add applesauce, milk and vanilla.
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Combine wet and dry ingredients with an electric mixer, and then stir in blueberries by hand.
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Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, then bake cakes for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully inverting onto a cooling rack. Wait until the cake is cooled to room temperature before icing.
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For the icing: cream the cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla together, then add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.
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Place a large dollop of icing on top of the cake, then use the back of a spoon to smooth it. Continue this process until all of the icing is used. Top the cake with fresh blueberries (optional), slice and enjoy!
