This Berry Cake is a tender buttery cake studded with pops of sweet fresh berries throughout. Lightly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and fresh lemon zest, this cake is light, fresh and warming all at once. Plus, it comes together quickly, in just one bowl, with standard pantry ingredients, which means you can bake this up at the last minute for any dinner party or gathering.
I’ve been developing this recipe for months and have tested iteration after iteration. No variable was left untested! So I can guarantee this recipe is foolproof and will work every time. The base of the cake is a stiff buttery batter that bakes up into the most tender and moist cake imaginable.
The stiff batter feels counterintuitive, but it’s important for holding up the berries during baking so they don’t end up sinking to the bottom of the pan.
The crumb is very resemblant to coffee cake, and luckily, can hold up to a streusel topping if you’re interested in adding that. I like to use a combination of diced strawberries and blueberries, but raspberries and blackberries are also a great addition to a mixed berry cake.
Serve the cake on its own as a tea cake, breakfast cake or elegant no-fuss dessert. For something a bit more dressed up, top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream or Strawberry Whipped Cream. A simple cream cheese glaze, like we drizzle over our Sweet Potato Cake, would give this cake a “berries and cream” feel, yum!
Table of Contents
Why Make This Recipe
- One Bowl: I recommend making this in a stand mixer (it’s just easier) but you can also use a mixing bowl and hand held mixer. The batter all comes together in one bowl (in mere minutes) before getting scraped into the baking pan, topped with berries and baked. It doesn’t get easier than this. Another one-bowl recipe you might love—Pistachio Bread.
- Easy to make: no advanced method or ingredients here. Everything is straightforward—start by mixing the butter, sugar and spices together then mix in the eggs and vanilla followed by the flour. Boom, batter done.
- Versatile: what I love most about this recipe is how versatile and forgiving it is. Use a variety of fresh berries, or use just one kind. Clean out your freezer and use up some frozen berries. Or swap the all-purpose flour out for whole-wheat flour. The mix-ins, toppings and serving options are endless.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter: I’m a fan of baking with unsalted butter because it allows you better control over seasoning the batter. If you’re using salted butter (no shade!), decrease the measured amount of salt to ½ teaspoon (1 stick of butter has about a ¼ teaspoon).
- Granulated sugar: keeping it simple—all you need is granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Baking powder: the only leavener in this recipe. You’ll need 1 teaspoon to create the perfect lift and tender texture for the cake.
- Salt: I develop recipes using Morton kosher salt. If you’re using Diamond Crystal, use a heaping ¾ teaspoon of salt.
- Nutmeg: for the best flavor, grate fresh nutmeg. You can buy whole nutmeg in the spice aisle. It’ll take you a long time to get through, so store the jar of nutmeg in the freezer and grate it fresh with a microplane whenever you need it.
- Cinnamon: just a dash is mixed with some sugar and sprinkled over the top of the cake. A little cinnamon sugar never hurt anything!
- Eggs: it’s important to use eggs labeled as “large.” One large egg, out of shell, should weigh about 50 grams. Using the correct size of egg is important for achieving the correct texture.
- Lemon zest: just a half a teaspoon of lemon zest (about ½ a lemon) adds a note of brightness and pairs nicely with the warm spices. Lemon Berry Cake sounds good to me!
- Vanilla extract: a splash of pure vanilla extract adds depth and nuance. Feel free to play around with the amount (more is always welcome) or flavor (a tiny splash of almond extract would be delicious).
- Flour: you’ll need all-purpose flour here, though whole-wheat flour can also be used. For the best results, I recommend measuring by weight using a food scale. If you do not have a food scale, measure the flour by fluffing and spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling off (do not scoop the flour with the cup—this will result in too much flour).
- Berries: Good news, you can use fresh or frozen berries here. I prefer fresh, but either will work. Use 1 cup berries, or 150 grams. Do not use more than that or the berries will fall to the bottom of the cake and the cake will be dense and stodgy.
How to Make
- Start by creaming together the softened butter, sugar, baking powder, and nutmeg. The goal is to combine the ingredients until it is smooth in texture. Do not whip the butter or try to incorporate air.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, until combined. The mixture will look a little curdled and that’s OK. Mix in the vanilla and lemon zest.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add flour by spoonful and mix until a stiff, smooth batter comes together.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- Arrange berries evenly over top then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake until the cake is puffed, golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before running a knife around the edges and inverting the pan to remove the cake.
Pro Tips
- Measure by weight: when it comes to baking, I recommend measuring by weight instead of cups. It’s far more accurate and allows you to recreate the same results every time. This is my favorite food scale.
- Ingredients should be at room temperature: I used to think room temperature ingredients didn’t really matter in baking, but they really do. Make sure the butter you are using is at room temperature and soft and let the eggs sit out for about an hour before using them.
- Use the amount of berries called for, no more: the sweet spot is between 140 grams and 150 grams of berries, or about 1 cup. If you’re using strawberries, chop them into fairly small pieces. You might be tempted to add more berries, don’t. If you use too many the cake will be dense and stodgy.
- Cool in pan before inverting: allow the cake to cool for 10–15 minutes before you remove the cake from the pan. And be sure to run a knife between the edges of the cake and the pan—this will ensure the cake comes out cleanly and in one piece.
Variations
- Mixed berry: use a combination of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and/or blackberries.
- Cherry: use pitted and halved fresh or frozen cherries. Add a splash of almond extract to the batter.
- Coconut: add some shredded coconut to the batter and a splash of coconut extract. Swap out the lemon zest in favor of lime zest.
- Ginger: along with the berries, sprinkle some diced candied ginger over the top of the cake.
- Herb: add fresh chopped basil, thyme or rosemary to the batter for an herby note that pairs well with the lemon berry flavors.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
This cake is best served the day it is baked. If you had leftovers, wrap them in plastic wrap or place them in a zipper-lock bag and store them at room temperature for 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze the wrapped cake in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, but keep in mind the thawing of the cake will likely make the top of the cake fairly wet.
FAQs
Yes, but you will need to 1.5x the recipe in order to fill the pan. Be sure to use a metal baking pan, not a glass baking dish.
The cake will need 1-2 hours to cool completely. But since we aren’t frosting the cake, you can serve it warm.
We haven’t tested this so we can’t guarantee it will work, but we think it will. Mix the berries into the batter then fill each paper-lined muffin well about ⅔ full. Top with cinnamon sugar and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
If you’re using frozen berries, do not thaw them. Instead, sprinkle them over the batter still frozen.
Absolutely, be sure to let the cakes cool completely before frosting and layering.
More Easy Cakes to Try
Desserts
Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate
Desserts
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Fruit Dessert
Strawberry Pound Cake
Baking
Spiced Apple Tea Cake
Berry Cake Recipe
Description
Ingredients
Cake
- 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5g) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon (5g) kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest (packed)
- 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour*
Topping
- 1 cup (140-150g) fresh berries (diced if large), such as strawberries and blueberries
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F (177ºC) with rack set in middle position. Lightly grease a 9-inch round pan (or 8-inch square pan); line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute; scrap down sides of bowl.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla and lemon zest. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour until a stiff batter is formed. Scrape down sides of bowl and give batter a few mixes by hand to ensure no pockets of dry flour remain.
- Spread batter into prepared pan. If using fresh berries, sprinkle them evenly over top. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over fruit. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top of cake is light golden brown, 35–40 minutes.
- If using frozen berries, bake cake batter 10 minutes (to set bottom of cake and keep fruit from falling to bottom). Remove pan from oven and arrange fruit over top; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake cake for additional 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top of the cake is light golden brown.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow cake to cool in pan for 10–15 minutes.
- Run a paring knife or offset spatula around edges of pan to loosen cake. Place a wire rack over top of pan and gently flip pan to release cake. Place a second wire rack on top of cake and flip again so top is facing up. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Store any leftovers tightly wrapped in plastic or in a zipper-lock bag at room temperature for 1 day or in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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What a beautiful, simple and delicious cake! I will make it again and again!