This blueberry bundt cake is a soft, dense cream cheese pound cake studded with fresh blueberries and topped with a cream cheese glaze. The cake and glaze are flavored with almond extract, but you could easily swap in vanilla if needed.
After I shared my cherry almond bundt cake, I knew I needed a blueberry version. And truth be told, blueberry desserts are much more my speed. This blueberry bundt cake is my easy cream cheese pound cake with added almond flavor and fresh blueberries, covered in a sweet-tangy cream cheese glaze.
Why Almond Extract?
Almond extract gives the cake and icing a unique flavor that’s a step above your typical vanilla bundt. Eating a slice is almost like eating a giant blueberry muffin. I think you’re going to love the sweet and tangy contrast! If almond really isn’t your thing, however, go ahead and replace it with vanilla.
Ingredient Notes
This blueberry bundt cake is a traditional pound cake recipe in that it requires a good amount of butter, sugar, and eggs – among a handful of other important ingredients. Scroll to the recipe card for a full list with exact amounts.
- Flour – Spoon and level the flour to avoid overmeasuring. Fluff the flour and spoon it into the measuring cup, and use the flat side of a knife to level it off. You could also measure the flour using a kitchen scale if you have one.
- Butter, Eggs, and Milk – Brought to room temperature.
- Cream Cheese – You’ll want to use cream cheese that comes in blocks. Soften the cream cheese before you begin, so it’s easier to mix with the other ingredients.
- Almond Extract – I use half almond extract, half vanilla extract in the cake. If you don’t have almond, you can use only pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste instead.
- Blueberries – I love making this cake with fresh blueberries when they’re in season. Oregon has the best blueberries! If fresh berries aren’t available, you can make this cake with frozen blueberries. In this case, thaw, drain, and pat the berries dry with paper towels before you toss them in flour for the cake batter.
- Almonds – Chopped or slivered, for garnish.
Cream Cheese Icing
- Cream Cheese – The glaze for this cake is a thinned-out version of my cream cheese frosting, with the addition of almond extract. Make sure to soften the cream cheese.
- Powdered Sugar – Sift the powdered sugar after measuring.
- Butter – Melted and cooled down before you add it to the icing.
Room Temperature Ingredients Are Key
The only requirement is that the butter, milk, and eggs should be at room temperature. This helps all the ingredients incorporate better and ultimately produces a better pound cake. Take these ingredients out of the fridge 30 minutes to an hour ahead of time. If you forget:
- To soften the butter quickly, you can microwave it for a few seconds. Or, fill a heat-proof glass bowl with boiling water. Wait 5 minutes, chuck the water out, and place the empty bowl upside down over the butter. Let it sit for 10 minutes, and the butter should soften up.
- To bring the eggs to room temperature quickly, place them in a bowl of lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
How to Grease and Flour a Bundt Pan
No one wants a stuck bundt cake. The trick to preventing this is to generously grease the pan and then coat the inside with flour before you fill it. You can buy baking sprays that contain flour specifically for this purpose. However, I happen to be a firm believer in using Crisco shortening. Here’s how to prepare a bundt pan the right way:
- First, grease the edges. Use baking spray or shortening to thoroughly coat the pan. Use a paper towel or a pastry brush to get it into the nooks and crannies.
- Dust with flour. Next, dust the pan with 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour. I’ll usually sprinkle a little while turning and tapping the pan, so the flour goes evenly over the inside. Afterward, turn the pan over and knock out any excess flour.
How to Make an Almond Blueberry Bundt Cake
Here are the steps to make a perfect blueberry bundt cake.
- Prepare to bake. While the oven preheats to 325ºF, grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
- Mix the batter. Next, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese for a minute, until smooth. Then, cream the sugar. Scrape down the bowl often as you go so that everything is well mixed.
- Add the eggs gradually. With the mixer on low, add your eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl after 3 eggs. Afterward, mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
- Finish the batter. Slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, until the batter is smooth. Don’t overmix. Lastly, toss the blueberries in flour to lightly coat, and fold them into the batter.
- Bake. Now, pour the blueberry cake batter into your prepared bundt pan. Bake the cake at 325ºF for 95-105 minutes. I’ll usually check the cake at the 80-minute mark. If the bundt cake is browning too quickly, cover the pan lightly with foil while it finishes baking. It’s done when a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out clean.
- Cool. Allow the bundt cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. It takes about an hour for the cake to cool completely. Only then is it ready for the icing.
Avoid a Stuck Cake
After baking, let the blueberry bundt cake rest in the pan for 30 minutes or so after it’s out of the oven. Gently use a knife to loosen the cake from the sides and middle of the pan, and then invert the cake onto a rack to finish cooling. Don’t leave it to cool in the pan, or the cake may get stuck.
Icing the Bundt Cake
This is a similar frosting that I use for my strawberry swirl bundt cake. For a more traditional glaze, you can borrow the lemon icing from my lemon blueberry bundt cake (with or without the lemon!).
- Make the icing. Beat the cream cheese for a minute, then add the powdered sugar. Slowly mix in the almond extract, melted butter, and milk until the icing is smooth.
- Ice the cake. Finally, pour the icing over the cooled blueberry almond bundt cake. Sprinkle over the sliced almonds. Voila! It’s time to serve, or store this cake for later. See below for storage tips.
Consistency Test
This icing should be thick and pourable. To test it, dip a spoon into the icing. It should flow off in ribbons and not absorb back into the rest of the icing right away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Toss the dry blueberries in flour so they’re lightly coated before you fold them into the batter. This extra layer helps to keep the berries from sinking to the bottom while the cake bakes. Although you can see the size of the blueberry can also effect sinking. Larger blueberries will likely sink.
Stick a toothpick into the center of the baked cake. If it comes out clean, your blueberry bundt cake is ready to come out.
Yes. If you’re using a 10-cup bundt pan, the baking time will be shorter, and you will have batter leftover. Check your bundt cake after 1 hour and go from there. You can always bake the extra batter in a muffin tin!
Storage
- Refrigerate. While the unfrosted bundt cake can be kept covered at room temperature, once the icing is added, it’s best to keep this blueberry bundt cake in the fridge. I love this cake carrier for storing cakes. This bundt cake is best enjoyed within the first 3 days.
- Freeze. You can freeze this bundt cake, frosted or unfrosted, for up to 2 months. To freeze, I like to wrap individual cake slices in plastic wrap and keep them together in a freezer bag. This way, it’s quick to defrost at room temperature.
More Blueberry Dessert Recipes
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Blueberry Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
- Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- Blueberry Crumble Pie
Blueberry Almond Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 95 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings
- Category: Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This blueberry bundt cake is a moist cream cheese pound cake recipe with added almond flavor and juicy blueberries, topped with tangy cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons (5.6g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (282g) salted butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces (226g) block cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups (570g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup(118ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) almond extract
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (for blueberries)
- 16 ounces fresh blueberries
- Sliced almonds for garnish (optional)
For the icing:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (102g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon (20g) butter, melted & cooled
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) almond extract
- 3–4 tablespoons (54g ) milk as needed to thin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Use a large (12-cup) bundt pan and generously grease and flour it, or use a baking spray containing flour. Allow the butter, eggs, and milk to come to room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour (3 cups), baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth and well combined (about 1 minute), scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl at least twice. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed for 3-4 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides halfway through, until combined.
- With the mixer on low-medium speed, add the eggs one at a time and mix until fully combined before adding the next egg. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottoms after 3 eggs. Next, add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat on low for 1 minute.
- With the mixer on low, add half of the flour and mix until combined. Add in half of the milk and mix until combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and milk until just combined.
- In a medium bowl, toss the ¼ cup of flour and fresh blueberries so that the blueberries are lightly coated in the flour. Discard any remaining flour. Gently fold the blueberries into the cake batter.
- Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 95-105 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. I started checking my cake at 80 minutes. If your cake is getting too brown but still not done, tent foil over it to prevent it from browning too much. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. Then invert it onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely, for about 1 hour.
- To prepare the icing, in the bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer, mix the cream cheese for 1 minute on medium-low speed. Add the powdered sugar and mix. While the mixer is on low, add the almond extract, melted butter, and milk, and blend until smooth. The icing should be on the thicker side. When using a spoon, the icing should flow off the spoon into ribbons that don’t immediately sink back into the icing in the bowl.
- Pour the icing over the completely cooled cake, and garnish with sliced almonds. Serve right away or place in the refrigerator if serving later.
Notes
Storage:
-
- Refrigerate. While the unfrosted bundt cake can be kept covered at room temperature, once the icing is added, it’s best to keep this blueberry bundt cake in the fridge. I love this cake carrier for storing cakes. This bundt cake is best enjoyed within the first 3 days.
-
- Freeze. You can freeze this bundt cake, frosted or unfrosted, for up to 2 months. To freeze, I like to wrap individual cake slices in plastic wrap and keep them together in a freezer bag. This way, it’s quick to defrost at room temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 538
- Sugar: 65.2 g
- Sodium: 236.4 mg
- Fat: 14.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 94 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 8.6 g
- Cholesterol: 126.2 mg
Was very delicious! Do you think this would work with peaches?
Yes! I actually am working on a version of it currently!
This recipe has become a family favorite! Just this holiday season we’ve made it twice. 🙂 It turns out incredibly delicious every time, but I will say that one time, we accidentally put a little more almond extract than called for, and loved it even more. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!
OH I LOVE THAT! Thank you so much Jenni for sharing!
Great recipe! Came out beautifully with clear instruction ??
Thank you Angela!
Made this recipe and the batter tasted amazing however my batter over ran my bunt cake pan and burned to the bottom of my oven. It wasn’t until I reread the directions wondering what I missed then did I see the 10 cup bunt cake pan in the notes. Please add in bold at the top of the recipe to use a 10 cup. I found out our bunt cake pan was a 6cup bunt and hence why half my batter ended up on our oven floor. I will try again and hope to get to eat this amazing cake next time.
Hi Hannah, Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry your pan was too small and I hope you’ll give this another try.