Home » Desserts » Blueberry Bundt Cake with Vanilla Bean Glaze
|

Blueberry Bundt Cake with Vanilla Bean Glaze

Blueberry bundt cake is the kind of cake I serve guests. It’s easy, delicious and not fussy at all. It is perfect for beginner bakers as well as more experienced bakers. Buttermilk bundt cakes, like this one and also this chocolate bundt have great flavor.

Making a cake from scratch is barely more work than making it from a box and you will be rewarded with something so good, you’ll be glad you put in the extra few minutes of time. The glaze is made with three ingredients and takes less than a minute to make.

blueberry bundt cake

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please visit my policy page.

Blueberry Bundt Cake

There is something about a bundt cake that feels so nostalgic to me. It reminds me of neighbors and church potlucks. Somewhere along the line, it seems they went out of style. I still love them, and always will.

They are glorious in their simplicity and they feed a crowd, which is never a bad thing when cake is involved. This is the kind of cake you would bake for a friend or neighbor. The kind of cake to be shared with friends over a cup of coffee.

buttermilk bundt cake

There is nothing fancy about it and that is exactly what draws me to this blueberry bundt cake. It is unpretentious, anyone can make it and it’s good enough to eat as is, if you don’t want to glaze it.

Which bundt pan do I need for this recipe?

This blueberry buttermilk bundt recipe is for a standard 12 cup bundt. I have a few things to say about the particular bundt pan that I use for this cake.

I have a few bundt pans of varying sizes and shapes, I even have more than one of this 12 cup pan. I have a heavy cake pan that I thought would be perfect, it isn’t. Then, I bought this lightweight 12 cup bundt cake pan. At first, I was disappointed when I took it out of the box. It was so light that it felt kind of cheap, if I’m being honest.

glazed buttermilk bundt cake with blueberries

I was so wrong. This is the pan I reach for every time I make a bundt cake. It’s lightweight, so it’s not extra heavy when full of cake batter and it has handles. Yes, handles on the sides.

How many times have you stuck the thumb of your oven mitt into the cake when you’re pulling it out of the oven? I’ve done it countless times. Whether it’s the corner of a towel or the thumb of an oven mitt, I’ve dented many a cake trying to get it out of the oven. The handles on the sides of this pan fix that problem once and for all.

Glazing the blueberry bundt cake

I have made this bundt cake at least a dozen times. Sometimes I’ve glazed it with a really light lemon glaze, and other times, I go with a vanilla bean glaze.

This recipe is for the vanilla glaze, but if lemon is more to your liking, simply swap out the milk for fresh lemon juice and the vanilla for a bit of lemon zest and there you have it.

glazing a bundt cake

The lemon glaze is a bit lighter and thinner than the vanilla, so if you want a more substantial glaze on your cake, go with the vanilla.

Blueberry buttermilk pound cake

Some people call this pound cake and others (like me) call it a bundt. I’ve also heard people call this a coffee cake, which is something entirely different to me.

I guess it depends on the region of the country, but for me, this is a blueberry bundt cake.

inside of bundt cake

It does not matter that I cook for a living, when I have to unmold a cake; I hold my breath and pray the Baking Gods are smiling down on me. I know I’m not alone, you’ve been traumatized too. It rarely happens when the cake is for a family dessert, no… that would be too easy. It is almost always when the cake is for a special occasion or it is going to someone’s house.

You think you’ve done everything perfectly, only to unmold it and find a chunk stuck to the pan. It has happened to all of us.

So, how do we avoid this? By being extra careful and patient when buttering and flouring the pan. There is no way around it. (On a side note, I’ve found this is more difficult with longer nails.)

Make sure that every little crevice in your pan is buttered before flouring and then double check that every surface is coated in flour. I like to use my small strainer for dusting the pan inside, especially around the middle where it’s hard to get to.

Should I use fresh or frozen blueberries in my bundt cake?

That depends on what you have, to be honest. I’ve made this cake several times with frozen blueberries and despite my best efforts, they sank every time. That doesn’t mean I don’t use them, I do. We go blueberry picking every spring and I come home with at least 25 lbs.

slices of blueberry buttermilk bundt cake

Obviously, some of those will go in the freezer and I use them for everything, including cakes. It doesn’t affect the deliciousness of the cake at all.

However, when I’ve used fresh blueberries, they don’t sink. The fresh berries aren’t as heavy as frozen berries, so that likely has something to do with it.

Honestly, I use whatever I have. Because, when you want a blueberry bundt cake, it doesn’t really matter if your berries are fresh or frozen. The cake is going to be delicious either way.

More blueberry recipes to love

Please share!

Your shares help this site to grow. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Please consider rating and/or commenting. I love hearing from you!

Did you make this blueberry buttermilk bundt cake? Tag me on instagram @pookspantry or share it in the Fabulous Foodie Friends Facebook group! I can’t wait to see your version!

Used to make Blueberry Bundt Cake:

Vanilla bean paste – it’s a little spendy, but it lasts forever.

KitchenAid stand mixer

KitchenAid hand mixer

Flexible rubber spatulas for scraping the bowl

blueberry bundt cake

Blueberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake

Cheryl Bennett
Buttermilk Bundt Cake studded with Fresh Blueberries and drizzled with a light vanilla bean glaze.
4.71 from 24 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Servings 14 people
Calories 433 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Cake

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter room temp (1 cup) + 2TB for buttering pan
  • 2 cups blueberries dusted with flour & set aside
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 13 oz. cake flour about 3 cups + a few TB for flouring pan
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt fine sea salt is preferable, I used kosher because it's what I had
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 4 eggs large, room temp
  • 1 cup buttermilk room temp

For the Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbsp milk

Instructions
 

Make the Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C)
  • Butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan, being careful to cover every crease!
  • In a medium bowl: whisk flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda until combined and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment (or a medium bowl with hand mixer): Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes), add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl between additions. Add in vanilla, mix for about 30 seconds just to combine everything. Scrape down bowl again.
  • Add in half the flour mixture, mix until just combined. Followed by half of the buttermilk. Scrape down bowl again and add the rest of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, followed by the last of the buttermilk. Mix until just combined.
  • Pour 3/4 of the mixture into the bundt pan, sprinkle blueberries on top of batter, then pour the remaining batter on top of the blueberries so they are covered.
  • Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Baking time will vary depending on your oven.
  • At the 45 minute mark, take a peek in the oven and if the cake is golden and has pulled away from the sides of the pan a bit, test it.
  • When a tester comes out clean, remove from oven and let the cake cool for 10 - 15 minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the Glaze

  • In a small bowl: combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir until smooth & glossy. Drizzle over completely cooled cake.

Notes

The easiest way to glaze the cake without it getting all over the counter is to set a cooling rack inside of a sheet pan (cookie sheet) and drizzle glaze. The sheet pan will catch the drips and the counters will stay clean!
- If you do not plan on serving the cake within a day or two, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap while it is just the slightest bit warm and place it in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 433kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 5gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 246mgFiber: 1gSugar: 48g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own words and link back to Pook’s Pantry. Thank you!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

cheryl

20 Comments

  1. I love that you used buttermilk in the cake! I can’t wait to try it! I bet the recipe is just perfect with that in it! (and ps, as long as there are blueberries in it, I don’t care if they sink or not! 🙂

  2. Oh my this is AMAZING…. I did it with the glaze with Lemon instead of milk and it reminded me of summer. So nice on a cold wet day here

  3. LOVE the imperfect photo – as you call it. I never would have noticed, myself – but I am a huge fan of being REAL so thanks! Can’t wait to try this one. It does look simple enough to whip up quickly in a pinch and I LOVE that!

  4. my mother in law does not like “conventional” birthday cakes.. covered in frosting or some sort of cream.. I was looking for alternatives and this is PERFECT for her. Thanks so much!

  5. You mention in the notes preceding the recipe that there is “vanilla bean paste” in the recipe for the blueberry buttermilk bundt. but i’ve gone over your recipe 3xs and only see mention of “vanilla extract” in the batter and glaze. is/are one of these supposed to be paste? please clarify. TIA

    1. Hi Samantha, you can use either vanilla bean paste or regular vanilla extract. I prefer the paste, but it is a tad expensive, as I say in the notes. Most people already have vanilla extract, so I give the option. It’s up to you which you prefer to use 🙂
      They will both work.

  6. Can I use buttermilk that I’ve make with milk and white vinegar or lemon juice or do I need to use ‘real’ buttermilk?

    1. Hi Diane, I’m sure the milk & vinegar or lemon would work. I’ve never made it that way, but in theory, it should work!

  7. I just made the cake. I added the zest one small lemon, but followed the recipe otherwise. I was overly cautious about my blueberries sinking and ended up with blueberries only on the bottom (when you flip it) because they didn’t sink at all! So I will probably just fold the blueberries in if I make it again. My batter was very thick and I think that kept everything in place.

    1. When using frozen blueberries, I let them thaw in colander then mix them with a couple tablespoons of the DRY cake mix, then fold them into the completed cake mix. Works pretty well to keep them from sinking. (I do this with fresh berries too).

4.71 from 24 votes (23 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating