This Chocolate Blueberry Cake can be summed up in one word- INCREDIBLE. Four layers of moist, fudgy chocolate cake, with fresh blueberry filling, and creamy blueberry frosting. It's a rich, decadent cake that's actually quite simple to make, so get to baking and impress your guests!
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With summer rapidly approaching, the one thing I'm looking forward to the most is the fresh fruits! Strawberries for a crisp, blackberries for banana bread, and of course blueberries so I can make this indulgent chocolate blueberry cake!
It's a decadent, four layer cake with pronounced chocolate flavor, a fresh blueberry filling, and that dreamy (and naturally colored!) blueberry buttercream.
Though it may sound challenging, this summer cake is actually quite simple to make and is easy enough for anyone with a little bit of baking experience.
This tasty, yet unexpected combo, is sure to be a new favorite summer dessert! Fudgy chocolate cake matched with tart, juicy blueberries is surely the perfect pairing.
If you want something lighter, check out this lemon blueberry sheet cake or these lemon blueberry cookies instead!
Why You'll Love This Cake!
- The chocolate cake is super moist, fudgy, and rich
- The blueberry frosting is naturally colored and made with REAL blueberries!
- Together, the chocolate and blueberry are a match made in heaven
- This is the perfect cake to make in summer when fresh blueberries are in abundance
- The cake is a great dessert to bake for dinner parties, holidays, or for backyard BBQs
- This makes a great 4 layer cake, but could be 2 or even a sheet cake for a simpler option
Ingredients Notes
*the full list of ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card below*
For the Cake:
- Flour: Flour is the main structural ingredient in the cake. For the best results, use a high-quality all purpose flour like King Arthur or Gold Medal.
- Cocoa powder: This chocolate cake calls for Dutch Process cocoa powder. Unsweetened cocoa powder will also work, but DO NOT use jet black cocoa powder because the acidity level is different and will mess with the cake texture.
- Leavening: You only need baking soda because it reacts with the acid in the cocoa powder and leaves you with a moist, yet fluffy cake.
- Espresso powder: No, it doesn't make the cake taste like coffee, but it does enhance the chocolate flavor!
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar, not a sugar substitute or brown sugar. They are made with different ingredients and WILL NOT WORK.
- Oil: I made the cake oil based instead of butter to keep it super moist. You can use any neutral flavored oil like avocado (what I use), vegetable, or canola.
- Sour cream: The sour cream adds a nice richness and moisture, plus the 'tang' keeps the cake from being overly sweet. In a pinch, you can use whole milk Greek yogurt!
- Eggs: Unless otherwise stated, always use large eggs for a baking recipe!
- Boiling water: This recipe calls for boiling water because, what that does is actually 'bloom' the cocoa powder and make the batter smooth
For the Frosting and Filling:
- Butter: I make a regular American buttercream recipe, which calls for a base of butter. I prefer to use salted butter because it helps prevent the frosting from being overly sweet.
- Powdered sugar: Whenever you're making American buttercream make sure you're using powdered sugar. Granulated sugar will give you an unpleasant grainy texture.
- Vanilla: Just a splash of vanilla extract adds a nice florally sweetness to the blueberry frosting!
- Salt: This also helps keep the frosting balanced in flavor and not tasting like straight sugar.
- Blueberry Jam: Some recipes use fresh blueberries, but I found that I like adding in blueberry jam to the buttercream to achieve a delicious, concentrated blueberry flavor.
- Blueberries: You need from fresh blueberries for the filling as well as decorating (if desired)
Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease 2, 6 inch cake pans generously with non-stick cooking spray
STEP TWO: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt.
STEP THREE: To the dry ingredients add in the oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix well.
STEP FOUR: Finally, with the mixer on low, slowly pour the boiling water into the cake batter. Once it's all poured in, mix on low speed for 1 minute, or until the water is fully combined
STEP FIVE: Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake for
STEP SIX: Carefully take the pans out of the oven and allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Making The Filling:
STEP ONE: Set a medium sized pot over medium/low heat and add the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
STEP TWO: Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the berries are broken down and the juice is thick enough to cling to the back of a spoon.
STEP THREE: Remove the filling from the heat, transfer it to a clean bowl, and allow to cool completely before using it between your cake layer.
Making The Buttercream:
STEP ONE: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high for 2-3 minutes, or until light, fluffy, and pale in color
STEP TWO: To the butter, add the blueberry jam, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. Mix on low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated, then turn the speed up to high for 1 minute.
STEP THREE: Spread between cooled cake layers and enjoy! *see below for assembly instructions*
How To Assemble The Cake
When it comes to assembling a cake, there's a little more to it that just stacking and icing. Here's a few instructions/tips so you end up with the best result possible!
Don't decorate a warm cake. If the layers are warm, the buttercream will melt and the cake will not hold up. (you can also chill the layers slightly to help keep crumbs from spreading as well!)
First, use a large serrated knife to cut your cake layers in half horizontally so you have 4 even layers.
Choose your cake plate and spread 1 tablespoon of frosting onto the middle of it. Add your first layer of cake, spread a thin layer of frosting on top, pipe a ring of the blueberry buttercream around the edge, and fill the ring with that blueberry filling.
Place the next cake layer on top of the first one and repeat the same process.
Lay the final layer of chocolate cake on top and scoop the remaining buttercream on top. Use an offset spatula to spread it out so it's spilling over the edge, then scrape the frosting around the sides to get a good crumb coat.
I like the sides partially exposed, so I leave it as is. But you can definitely chill the cake for 20 minutes and then add more frosting so nothing is peeking through!
Expert Baking Tips
- No substitutions: For the best possible result, please don't make any substitutions with the ingredients. Each one is carefully chosen to produce a rich chocolate cake
- Room temperature ingredients: Another important aspect of creating a silky smooth cake batter is to use room temperature ingredients. If they're all the same temp, none of them will seize up and in turn, your cake will be lighter, fluffier, and taste amazing.
- Don't overmix: It is entirely possible to overmix your cake batter, and that can result in a tough cake. For best results, mix just until all the ingredients are combined.
- Fresh or frozen berries: You can make the blueberry filling with either fresh or frozen berries, both will work!
- Frost a cooled cake: Whatever you do, please do not try and frost a warm cake! The butter will melt, the frosting will slip off the cake, and (if you're like me) will probably end up in tears 🙂
- Bake ahead of time: If you want to save time, you can make the chocolate cake layers a day in advance, let them cool, then assemble the cake the day you need it!
- 2 layers: Want a smaller cake? Instead of cutting the cake rounds in half, leave them as is and have a thick, 2 layer chocolate blueberry cake instead!
Decorating Ideas
You can see in the photos that I was a little fancy with decorations, but that doesn't have to be the case! You can keep it as simple as you'd like. Here's a few ideas:
- Naked cake: Use a large offset spatula to scrape the frosting around the sides of the cake, so you see the chocolate peeking through, but it's still slightly covered.
- Exposed sides: This uses even less frosting than the naked cake. Simply pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of your cake, fill the ring with the blueberry filling, add your cake layer on top and repeat. The sides are completely exposed, yet you still see that beautiful buttercream in between each layer.
- Fruit on top: There's nothing better than giving your guests a hint as to the flavor of the cake! So go ahead and decorate with fresh blueberries right on top, some white flowers would also be pretty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use this recipe to make chocolate cupcakes! This recipe would make approximately 2 dozen cupcakes, so feel free to cut in half if you need less.
Yes, pour the batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan and bake at the same oven temperature for 33-40 minutes.
I have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour, but if you're going to try it, make sure to use a gluten free all purpose flour that contains xanthan gum.
As with most gluten free cakes, it will be a little more fragile!
Yes, you can bake the cake layers a day ahead of time! Just make sure to wrap them up tightly with plastic wrap so they don't try out.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
STORING: If you're storing the whole chocolate blueberry cake, you can press a piece of parchment paper into the cake where it's been cut to retain moisture, then keep in the fridge.
If storing slices, place with into a single layer in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. The cake is best at room temperature, so pull it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you want to eat it.
FREEZING: If you have a lot of leftovers, you can actually freeze individual slices of cake. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap then keep in the freezer for up to one month.
A quick notes about baking in grams...
You may notices that most of my newer recipe have the ingredient listed in grams, and that's because it's the most accurate way to measure. Using a scale eliminates a lot of room for error, and thus results in delicious baked goods every time.
I do try and include cup measurements, but I highly recommend investing in a $10 kitchen scale from Amazon.
More Cake Recipes
Did you make this recipe? If so, I would appreciate you leaving a comment and star review down below! You can also follow me on Instagram and tag me or use #incoleskitchen so I can see what you make and share it.
PrintChocolate Blueberry Cake
This Chocolate Blueberry Cake can be summed up in one word- INCREDIBLE. Four layers of moist, fudgy chocolate cake, with a fresh blueberry filling, and creamy blueberry frosting. It's a rich, decadent cake that's actually quite simple to make, so get baking and impress your guests!
- Prep Time: 1 Hour
- Cook Time: 28 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 28 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For The Cake:
- 180g all purpose flour (1 ½ cups)
- 200g granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 60g Dutch Process cocoa powder (¾ cup)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 126g neutral flavored oil- avocado, canola, vegetable (⅔ cup)
- 120g sour cream- room temperature (½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs- room temperature
- 150g boiling water (⅔ cup)
For The Filling
- 200g blueberries (1 ½ cups)
- 10g powdered sugar (2 tablespoons)
- 8g lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For The Frosting:
- 1 ½ sticks salted butter
- 6 tablespoons blueberry jam
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F and generously spray 2, 6 inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt together until well combined.
- Next, pour the oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients and mix.
- Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Finally, with the mixer on low speed, carefully pour the boiling water into the mixing bowl and mix for 1 minute, or until fully combined.
- Divide the chocolate cake batter between your 2 prepared cake pans and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Carefully take the pans out of the oven and let the cakes cool in them for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Make The Filling:
- Set a medium sized pot over medium heat and add the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice
- Stirring frequently, cook the berries until they're broken down and the juice is thick enough to cling to the back of a spoon.
- Turn the heat off, transfer the filling to a clean bowl, and cool completely before using between cake layers
Make The Buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high for 2-3 minutes, or until light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- To the creamed butter, add the blueberry jam, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix on low until the powdered sugar is combined, then turn the speed up to medium and beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed
Assembling The Cake:
- Cut your fully cooled caked layers in half horizontally so that you have 4 even chocolate cake rounds.
- Place the bottom round onto your chosen cake platter, spread a thin layer of the blueberry buttercream on top, pipe a ring around the edge, and fill with ⅓ of the blueberry filling.
- Add a cake layer on top of the bottom one and repeat the buttercream/filling process.
- Repeat steps 2-3 with the third layer, and add the final layer on top. Spread a thin layer of blueberry buttercream all around the outside to capture any crumbs, and chill the entire cake in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- After it's chilled, frost the entire cake, decorate as desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- No substitutions: For the best possible result, please don't make any substitutions with the ingredients. Each one is carefully chosen to produce a rich chocolate cake
- Room temperature ingredients: Another important aspect of creating a silky smooth cake batter is to use room temperature ingredients. If they're all the same temp, none of them will seize up and in turn, your cake will be lighter, fluffier, and taste amazing.
- Don't overmix: It is entirely possible to overmix your cake batter, and that can result in a tough cake. For best results, mix just until all the ingredients are combined.
- Fresh or frozen berries: You can make the blueberry filling with either fresh or frozen berries, both will work!
- Frost a cooled cake: Whatever you do, please do not try and frost a warm cake! The butter will melt, the frosting will slip off the cake, and (if you're like me) will probably end up in tears 🙂
- Bake ahead of time: If you want to save time, you can make the chocolate cake layers a day in advance, let them cool, then assemble the cake the day you need it!
- 2 layers: Want a smaller cake? Instead of cutting the cake rounds in half, leave them as is and have a thick, 2 layer cake instead!
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or up to 4 days in the fridge.
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