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This small blueberry cake is soft, buttery, and full of juicy blueberries. It bakes in one small dish, just enough for one or two people.
Featured Comment
“I made this today, the best blueberry cake!”
– Alice
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Equipment: 5×5-inch baking dish
- Cook Method: Oven-baked
- Servings: 4 servings
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Tender and moist, lightly sweet, and rich with butter and vanilla, studded with blueberries that soften and release sweet juice as they bake.
Made with fresh blueberries and a few pantry basics, this mini blueberry cake is easy to make and bakes up golden and loaded with fruit.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Blueberry Cake Recipe
A whole blueberry cake is more than I want to bake when it’s just me at home, so I created this small blueberry cake to bake in a 5-inch dish instead. It bakes up like a full cake, soft and golden, with no pan of leftovers to finish off all week.
The trick is in the creaming. I beat the butter and sugar for a couple of minutes, until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. As they whip together, the sugar cuts tiny air pockets into the butter, and those pockets expand in the oven to lift the cake. That matters here, because there’s only a little baking powder in the batter. Then I fold in a full cup of blueberries, and because the batter is thick, they stay scattered through the cake instead of sinking.
I dust the warm top with powdered sugar and cut a slice while the blueberries are still soft and juicy. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side makes it feel like more of an occasion.
If you like baking small cakes like this one, try my mini apple cake, small lemon cake, and single serve pineapple upside down cake next.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what goes into this simple blueberry cake and what each one does. If you have anything left over, my Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder will help you use it up.
Salted butter: Cream the softened butter with the sugar to beat in air. That air is what makes the cake rise and gives it a soft, tender crumb. The butter is soft enough when you press it and your finger leaves a dent. I use salted butter, but unsalted works too, just add a pinch more salt.
Granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens the cake and keeps it moist, since it draws in moisture and holds onto it as the cake bakes.
Egg: One whole egg holds the batter together and gives the cake its structure.
Lemon juice: A little lemon juice adds brightness and balances the sweetness. Fresh or bottled both work.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds warmth and rounds out the cake’s flavor.
All-purpose flour: Flour gives the cake its structure.
Baking powder: Baking powder gives the cake a little extra lift.
Salt: A little salt balances the sweetness.
Milk: Milk loosens the batter so it stirs together smoothly. Any kind works: whole, 2%, skim, or a non-dairy milk like almond or oat.
Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are best here. They hold their shape and stay spread through the cake instead of sinking. Frozen berries work too, as long as you thaw and pat them dry first so they don’t bleed into the batter (I cover how in the FAQs). Any leftover berries are good in my small batch blueberry scones or a blueberry muffin for one.
Powdered sugar (optional): A dusting of powdered sugar finishes the top. Leave it off if you’d rather keep the cake plain.
Recipe Variations
This blueberry cake recipe is easy to change up. Try one of these:
Add a lemon glaze: Whisk 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice until smooth, then drizzle it over the cooled cake. The lemon and blueberry play off each other, and the glaze adds a little tang against the sweet cake.
Add a streusel topping: Mix 4 tablespoons flour, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons softened salted butter until crumbly, then sprinkle it over the batter before baking. Use it in place of the powdered sugar.
Swap the berries: Use the same 1 cup of raspberries, blackberries, or a mix of berries in place of the blueberries.
Make it gluten-free: Use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.
How To Make A Small Blueberry Cake
These step-by-step photos walk you through this small blueberry cake recipe. See the recipe card below for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
Before You Begin: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly butter a 5×5 inch baking dish and set it on a rimmed baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix until fully combined.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until combined.
- Pour in the milk and mix again.
- Gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Top with a dusting of powdered sugar, homemade whipped cream, or a single scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Expert Tips
Use a 5×5-inch baking dish. This cake is sized for a 5×5-inch dish, and the bake time matches it. A larger dish spreads the batter thin and bakes faster, while a smaller, deeper one takes longer.
Soften the butter all the way. Soft butter is what lets you cream in the air that lifts this cake. Leave it at room temperature until your finger leaves a dent without the butter losing its shape. Cold butter won’t whip up the same way.
Check that your baking powder is fresh. Only ⅛ teaspoon does the lifting here, so stale baking powder shows up fast as a flat cake. To test it, stir ¼ teaspoon into ½ cup of hot water. If it bubbles right away, it’s still good.
Spoon and level the flour. With only ¾ cup of flour, scooping straight from the bag packs in too much and dries out the cake. Spoon it into the dry measuring cup and level the top with a knife.
Mix just until combined. Once the flour goes in, stir only until it disappears. Overmixing works the gluten and makes the crumb tough, so stop while the batter still looks a little rough.
Start checking at 40 minutes. Ovens run differently, so begin checking at the 40-minute mark. The cake is done when the top is golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Troubleshooting
If your small blueberry cake isn’t turning out quite right, here is how to fix common issues like a dry crumb, an underbaked center, or a cake that sinks in the middle.
Why is my blueberry cake dry?
Your blueberry cake turned out dry because it baked a few minutes too long or had too much flour. Start checking at 40 minutes and pull it as soon as a toothpick comes out clean, since even five extra minutes dries out a cake this size. If the timing was right, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level the top, because a packed cup adds more than the recipe needs.
Why is the center of my cake still wet?
The center is still wet because the cake needs more time in the oven. If the top is already golden, tent it loosely with foil, then keep baking and check every few minutes until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.
Why did my blueberry cake sink in the middle?
A cake sinks in the middle when the oven door is opened before it sets, or when it’s taken out before the center finishes baking. Keep the door closed until the last few minutes, and check the middle with a toothpick before pulling it, since a center that hasn’t set will fall as the cake cools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Thaw the blueberries and rinse them several times until the water runs noticeably lighter, then dry them well between layers of paper towels. Stir them into the batter gently and quickly. A few streaks of blue are fine, but if the batter starts turning blue all over, stop stirring.
No. This batter is thick enough to hold the blueberries in place, so they stay spread through the cake without tossing them in flour first.
Store leftover blueberry cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes. Wrap the cooled cake tightly and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw it at room temperature, then add powdered sugar or glaze after it thaws.
Yes. Double all the ingredients and bake in two 5×5-inch baking dishes or one 6×8-inch dish.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve made this mini blueberry cake, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a star rating and a comment below, and if you take a photo, tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) so we can see it.
Small Blueberry Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter – softened to room temperature (¼ cup)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup blueberries
- powdered sugar (optional) for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and butter a 5×5-inch baking dish. Set the dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low just until combined.
- Pour in the milk and stir until the batter is smooth.
- Gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula, just until they're spread evenly through the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared dish and smooth the top.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool, then dust with powdered sugar if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Taste delicious! , I would definitely make the cake again. Thankyou.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Delicious! This cake turned out great. The cake itself is light and not too sweet with lots of blueberries throughout. I ate it with a little vanilla ice cream. I had purchased the 5 x 5 pan through this site and this was the first time I used it for baking. It worked out perfectly. And I have enough cake leftover for another couple of servings. Excellent recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad the cake turned out well and that you’re putting the 5×5 pan to good use. It’s perfect with a little vanilla ice cream.
Do you add the same amount of other fruit? You always use blueberries and I can’t eat blueberries.
Yes, use the same 1 cup of another berry in place of the blueberries. Raspberries, blackberries, or a mix all work well here. I have this listed in the Recipe Variations section of the post too, under “Swap the berries.”
Can I make this in a 5″ round cake pan
A 5-inch round can work, but it holds a little less than the 5×5 dish this cake is made for, so the batter sits deeper and there’s a chance it could rise over the top if the pan isn’t tall enough. To be safe, make sure your round is at least 2 inches deep and don’t fill it more than two-thirds full. Honestly though, the 5×5 dish is what I tested this in and what I’d recommend for the best result. If you fill the round, set it on a baking sheet to catch any overflow, and start checking the center at 40 minutes.