Blueberry Pound Cake

A simple blueberry pound cake is a fantastic way to use extra berries and make a quick dessert when you have little time. This basic pound cake stores well, so it’s a perfect dessert for those weeks when you can’t spend a lot of time in the kitchen but still want something homemade. This is also an excellent recipe for beginner bakers, and you can make a couple of loaves to slice and freeze for future meals.

Blueberry Pound Cake Ingredients

• Butter and sugar: Creaming butter and sugar helps incorporate air into the batter, making the cake lighter in texture.
• Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients and give the cake a more stable structure.
• Milk: Milk adds moisture and richness without including too much fat in the batter.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla gives the cake itself a nice, light flavor.
• All-purpose flour: Pound cakes should be dense and have a good, stable structure. The amount of protein in all-purpose flour makes it the best choice for this recipe.
• Baking powder: Baking powder helps the cake batter rise when baking.
• Fresh or frozen blueberries: These berries will soften during baking but won’t totally disintegrate.

TOPPING:

• Sugar: Simple sugar gives the top of the cake a crackly sheen when baked.
• Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a subtle warm flavor that goes well with the berries and the vanilla flavor of the cake.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the batter

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is fluffy and light, five to seven minutes. Beat in the eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Mix the flour and baking powder in another bowl, and add the dry mix to the creamed mixture until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Step 2: Bake the cake

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Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Pour the batter into the pan; combine the cinnamon and sugar, and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the batter. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes. When the cake is done, a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in its pan, and then remove the cake and place it on a wire rack. Let it cool completely.

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Blueberry Pound Cake Variations

• Add other berries: Add some raspberries or chopped strawberries to the batter in addition to the blueberries. Don’t add too many, as the more berries you add, the more moisture you add. You could also substitute other berries for some of the blueberries; for example, use 1/2 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup chopped strawberries.
• Make it vegan: You can try making this cake with vegan substitutes for the butter, eggs and milk.

How to Store Blueberry Pound Cake

Leftover blueberry pound cake can be stored on the counter in an airtight container for up to two days, but after that, you should refrigerate it. Store it in an airtight container and eat it within five days.

Can you freeze blueberry pound cake?

Yes, pound cakes freeze very well, including those with fruit. Slice the remaining pound cake and wrap each slice in two layers of plastic wrap, followed by one to two layers of foil. Store the packets in a freezer-safe bag or container, and eat them within three months. You can let the slices thaw in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before you eat them.

Blueberry Pound Cake Tips

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Should you eat this warm or cold?

While the recipe calls for a cooled cake, you can eat this warm if you prefer, especially if you want to pair it with a scoop of ice cream. Let the cake cool a bit when fresh out of the oven so that the hot berries don’t burn your mouth.

Can I use a different topping?

You can try this cake with a variety of toppings, such as a glaze; not everyone likes that flavor combination. Try the glaze on this lemon-blueberry pound cake or the blueberry sauce option in this other blueberry pound cake recipe.

Why don’t some blueberry cakes have a lot of flavor?

Baking tends to make berries taste more intense, so if your blueberry baked goods don’t have a lot of berry flavor, it’s possible you have some blah berries. Baking can help make mediocre berries taste better to an extent, but sometimes they’re just too blah. Taste the berries you plan to use to ensure they have some flavor. Just don’t end up eating the whole bunch before you bake the cake!