Berry Cake is the recipe that Lucia makes on any summer morning when the berry bowl on the counter is full and she wants to make something genuinely warm and beautiful and buttery in under an hour without any complicated technique, any electric mixer, or any special equipment whatsoever beyond a bowl and a whisk. She beats the melted butter and sugar together, adds the egg, milk, and vanilla, folds in the flour mixture, folds in half the berries, pours the whole beautiful thing into a buttered baking dish, tops it with the remaining berries pressed gently into the batter, sprinkles the reserved sugar over everything, and bakes it for forty minutes.
The kitchen smells extraordinary from the first ten minutes and by the time it comes out golden and bubbling at the edges she already knows it is going to be completely wonderful.
Berry Cake is the one-bowl buttery summer cake that requires eight simple ingredients, one bowl, one baking dish, and forty minutes in the oven to produce the most beautiful and deeply satisfying berry-loaded cake imaginable. Blueberries and raspberries folded through a buttery simple batter with vanilla and milk, topped with more berries and a sprinkle of sugar that bakes into the most irresistible golden and slightly crunchy top. Come follow us on Pinterest where we share beautiful summer berry recipes and easy one-bowl baking favorites from our kitchen every single week.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Berry Cake Recipe
This Berry Cake recipe is the summer bake that asks the absolute minimum of you in terms of technique, equipment, and time and gives back the most in terms of aroma, flavor, and the kind of genuinely warm and comforting buttery berry cake that makes every kitchen feel like the most beautiful place in the world on a summer afternoon. One bowl from beginning to end, no electric mixer required, no creaming of cold butter, no alternating wet and dry additions. Simply melt, whisk, fold, and bake.
The technique of folding half the berries into the batter and placing the remaining half on top of the poured batter before baking is the approach that produces the most beautiful visual result. The berries on top burst and caramelize slightly during baking and the sprinkled sugar over everything creates the most irresistibly golden and slightly crunchy sugar-baked top that contrasts beautifully with the soft and buttery crumb beneath. Our Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes make a beautifully individual and equally berry-vibrant companion for a complete and vibrant summer berry baking spread.
Ingredients Needed for This Berry Cake Recipe
- 1 stick (113g) Unsalted Butter, melted
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar plus ½ tbsp extra for topping
- 1 large Egg
- ¾ cup Whole Milk
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1¼ cups Mixed Berries (blueberries and raspberries recommended)
How to Make This Berry Cake Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish thoroughly with melted butter.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder until combined. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the melted butter and the three quarters cup of granulated sugar using a hand whisk until smooth and well combined. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract until the wet ingredients are combined and smooth.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and use a spatula or whisk to incorporate gently. Do not overmix, cara mia. Stir only until the flour is just incorporated and no visible dry streaks remain. Overmixing develops gluten and produces a tougher and denser cake.
Gently fold half the mixed berries into the batter with two or three wide sweeping strokes of the spatula. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared and buttered baking dish and spread into an even layer.
Place the remaining berries over the top of the batter in a single even layer, spacing them across the entire surface. Sprinkle the reserved half tablespoon of sugar evenly over the top of the berries and batter. The sugar sprinkled over the top before baking is what creates the most beautifully golden and slightly crunchy top crust that makes this cake so completely irresistible.
Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes until a toothpick tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The top should be golden and the berry juices should be bubbling at the edges of the pan.
Serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for the most completely perfect and indulgent summer dessert experience.
How to Serve This Berry Cake Recipe
Serve this cake warm directly from the baking dish for the most casual and completely charming presentation. The buttery golden top studded with burst berries looks genuinely beautiful in the baking dish on the table. Scoop generous portions into bowls with a large spoon and top each with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream that melts immediately into the warm buttery cake for the most completely satisfying summer dessert experience.
For a slightly more elegant presentation, allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, and invert onto a serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar for the most beautiful finish. Our Blueberry Lemon Curd Cake makes a beautifully elegant and equally berry-vibrant companion for a complete and stunning summer berry dessert celebration spread.
How to Store This Berry Cake Recipe
Store leftovers covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. The cake stays moist and flavorful throughout its storage period due to the melted butter and milk content. Reheat individual portions briefly in the microwave for 30 seconds before serving for the most pleasant warm texture.
Tips to Make This Berry Cake Recipe
Do not overmix the batter after adding the flour. The batter for this cake comes together very quickly and needs only the minimum amount of stirring to incorporate the flour without developing toughness or density. Stop the moment no visible dry flour streaks remain.
Do not sprinkle more than the specified amount of sugar over the top of the cake before baking. Too much sugar on the surface of the cake before it goes into the oven can cause the top to brown too quickly and burn before the interior of the cake is fully baked through. Half a tablespoon is the correct quantity for the most beautiful golden top without risk of burning.
Helpful Notes for This Berry Cake Recipe
Both fresh and frozen berries work beautifully in this recipe. If using frozen berries, thaw them completely and drain off any excess liquid before adding to the batter and placing on top. Excess liquid from insufficiently drained frozen berries can make the batter too wet and produce an under-baked center that will not set properly in the 40-minute baking time.
If the berries are particularly tart, add a small additional sprinkle of sugar over the top immediately after removing the cake from the oven while it is still hot rather than increasing the sugar in the batter, which can cause the top to burn during baking.
Variation of This Berry Cake Recipe
Maria made a version using a combination of blueberries, raspberries, and sliced strawberries for a triple berry cake that was even more vibrant and visually colorful than the two-berry original. Teresa tried adding the zest of one lemon to the batter alongside the vanilla extract for a lemon berry cake with a bright citrus note running through the buttery crumb that paired extraordinarily well with the raspberries.
For a more indulgent version, top each warm serving with a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream alongside the ice cream for the most completely extraordinary summer dessert moment imaginable. Our Strawberry Crunch Salad makes a beautifully fresh and equally berry-vibrant companion for a complete and joyful summer berry celebration spread.
FAQs About This Berry Cake Recipe
Can I use other types of berries in this recipe?
Yes. Any combination of berries works beautifully. Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and sliced strawberries are all excellent choices individually or in combination. If using strawberries or blackberries which are larger than blueberries and raspberries, chop them into smaller pieces of approximately half an inch before folding into the batter and placing on top to ensure even distribution and consistent baking.
Can I bake this in a springform pan for a more elegant presentation?
Yes. An 8-inch or 9-inch springform pan works perfectly for this recipe. Grease the base and sides with melted butter. The springform release allows the cake to be presented on a platter rather than served directly from the baking dish. Baking time remains the same.
Can I make this berry cake the night before?
The cake bakes and stores well overnight covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving or warm individual portions briefly in the microwave. The berry juices will have soaked further into the crumb overnight which many people find even more flavorful and moist than the freshly baked version.
Conclusion
This Berry Cake is the summer bake that makes every warm afternoon feel completely and genuinely special and every kitchen it fills with its buttery berry fragrance feel like the most joyful and completely welcoming place imaginable. Simple, warm, buttery, and deeply vibrant with berries in every single bite. We hope it brings the same easy summer warmth and the same completely satisfied table to your kitchen that it has always brought to ours. Make it, share it, and come back to tell us all about it. With all our love, Maria, Lucia, and Teresa.
Print
Berry Cake The Most Buttery and Easy One Bowl Summer Cake You Will Ever Bake
- Total Time: 48 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The most buttery and easy Berry Cake made in one bowl with melted butter sugar egg milk vanilla flour baking powder and mixed blueberries and raspberries folded half into the batter and half placed on top with a sprinkle of sugar baked until golden. A completely simple and delicious one-bowl summer berry cake.
Ingredients
1 stick 113g Unsalted Butter melted
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar plus 1/2 tbsp extra for topping
1 large Egg
3/4 cup Whole Milk
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/4 cups Mixed Berries blueberries and raspberries
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with melted butter.
2. Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat melted butter and 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth.
4. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined.
5. Add flour mixture. Stir gently until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
6. Fold half the berries into batter in 2 to 3 strokes.
7. Pour and scrape batter into prepared dish. Spread evenly.
8. Place remaining berries in a single even layer over the top.
9. Sprinkle 1/2 tbsp sugar evenly over the top.
10. Bake 40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean and top is golden.
11. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 72mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
Keywords: berry cake, easy berry cake recipe, one bowl blueberry raspberry cake, simple summer berry cake
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