This easy blueberry chocolate cake is a rich, moist chocolate cake studded with blueberries! It is generously frosted with a quick chocolate sour cream frosting. It’s topped with a homemade blueberry sauce and fresh blueberries!
This moist, rich chocolate cake is made more delicious with fresh blueberries baked inside! It is topped with creamy chocolate and sour cream frosting and sweet blueberry sauce.
Since it’s summer, I wanted to make a simple, pantry friendly chocolate cake that included fresh fruit. This blueberry cake with chocolate frosting is exactly what I had in mind.
I have loved baking with fruit and chocolate ever since I made this this chocolate persimmon cake and my chocolate roasted pear cake!
If you’re looking for more recipes, try my blueberry lemon ricotta pound cake and this blueberry banana coffee cake!
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy to make: This single layer cake is easy to make and decorate!
- Chocolate cake: This cake is made with oil which keeps the cake moist for days. Cocoa powder and hot water makes the cake super chocolatey!
- Fresh blueberries: Blueberries add pops of fresh, sweet flavor in the cake.
- Chocolate sour cream frosting: This sour cream and cocoa based frosting has a fresh, creamy and slightly tangy flavor thanks to the sour cream. It’s chocolatey, luscious and delicious!
- Blueberry sauce: This simple blueberry sauce can be swirled into the frosting or dolloped over individual slices! It brings out the blueberry flavor of the cake.
Ingredients
Below are some useful notes about some of the ingredients for this blueberry and chocolate cake. Please see recipe card below for full list of ingredients.
- Sour cream– I love the slightly tangy flavor and creamy texture sour cream adds to cake. Use full fat, room temperature sour cream.
- Cocoa powder-Use unsweetened or Dutch processed cocoa powder.
- Hot water- Hot water brings out the flavor of the cocoa powder.
- Oil-Use a neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil. I like oil instead of butter in this cake so that it’s more moist and spongy.
- Blueberries- Use fresh or frozen blueberries. Wash and pat dry blueberries before using. Remove any stems. Do not thaw frozen blueberries before using.
Instructions
Here are the directions on how to bake this chocolate blueberry cake recipe!
Step One: Combine the sugar and eggs. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar and eggs with an electric mixer. Beat til mixture lightens in color.
Step Two: Add the oil, sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix in the oil. Beat until oil is incorporated. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
Step Three: Add the cocoa powder. Mix in the cocoa powder til incorporated.
Step Four: Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt just til there are no streaks of flour in the batter. Beat in the hot water til combined.
Step Five: Fold in the blueberries. Use a spatula to fold in the blueberries until just combined.
Step Six: Bake. Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake 31-34 minutes. Place pan on cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
Step Seven: Make the blueberry sauce. Stir together the sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add the blueberries and turn heat to medium low. Stir while cooking for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and cinnamon. Cool completely.
Step Eight: Make the frosting. Add the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Turn mixer on low and slowly turn it up to medium high. Beat 1-2 minutes until frosting is completely combined and smooth.
Step Nine: Frost the cake. Frost the cake. Spoon the blueberry sauce evenly over the frosting. Swirl with a toothpick or skewer. Alternatively, serve the blueberry sauce alongside the cake or enjoy without sauce!
Hint: Leave an overhang of parchment paper to make it easier to remove cake from pan.
Substitutions
- Raspberries – Instead of blueberries, you can use raspberries
- Greek yogurt -I recommend unsweetened, plain full fat Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream
Variations
- Without frosting – Enjoy this cake as is without frosting.
- Store bought blueberry jam – the blueberry sauce is super simple to make. If you want to make it even easier on yourself, use store bought blueberry jam.
Storage
Store this blueberry chocolate cake in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Freeze the unfrosted cake in an airtight for up to 2 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Expert tips
Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. If you dredge the measuring cup into the flour, the flour will become compact. This can lead to a dry cake. Check out this post on how to measure flour from Love and Lemons.
Clip the sides of the parchment paper. Use small metal (not plastic) binder clips to keep the parchment paper from touching the batter while baking.
Sift dry ingredients. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder for the chocolate sour cream frosting. This will prevent lumps and make the frosting smooth.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
Blueberry Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Blueberry Chocolate Cake
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup oil canola or vegetable
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup blueberries
- ¼ cup hot water
Blueberry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅔ cup blueberries washed, patted dry, stems removed
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar * sifted
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt to taste
Decoration
- fresh blueberries optional
Instructions
Blueberry Chocolate Cake
- Spray an 8 or 9 inch cake pan with baking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper. Leave an overhang on both sides to make the cake easier to remove from the pan once baked.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat 1-2 minutes, until mixture lightens in color.
- Mix in the oil. Beat until oil is incorporated. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
- Mix in the cocoa powder.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt just til there are no streaks of flour in the batter. Beat in the hot water til combined. Use a spatula to gently fold in the blueberries.
- Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake 31-34 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.
- Remove cake from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Blueberry Sauce
- In a small saucepan, stir to combine the sugar and cornstarch. Add the blueberries and turn heat to medium low. Stir continuously for about 5 minutes until mixture thickens.
- Take off heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and cinnamon. Set aside to cool completely.
Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
- Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Turn mixer on low and slowly turn it up to medium high. Beat 1-2 minutes until frosting is completely combined and smooth.*
Decorating the Cake
- Frost the cooled cake with the frosting. Spoon blueberry sauce over the frosting. Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the jam throughout the frosting. Alternatively serve the sauce alongside the cake or enjoy the cake without blueberry sauce.
How much does 1 cup measure in weight ?
Hi Nitika, 1 cup of flour is 120 grams. Please let me know if you have any other questions 🙂 -Natalie