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Blackberry tea cake is the kind of easy blackberry dessert that earns a permanent spot in your baking rotation. Fresh blackberries get tucked under a simple lemon-scented batter and when you flip it out after cooling, those berries end up on top all jammy, glossy, and beautiful. It comes together in about 45 minutes and works just as well with your morning coffee as it does after dinner.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Growing up in Kentucky, there was a huge blackberry bush right next to the swimming pool I went to every day in summer. We’d grab cups full and snack on them while we swam. Just handfuls of warm, sun-ripened blackberries straight off the bush. This cake captures that feeling perfectly!
A few more reasons it’s a go-to:
- Not too sweet, so it genuinely works for breakfast served with coffee or a cup of Ginger Lemon Honey Tea, a midday snack, or a special dessert (maybe even for Mother’s Day!)
- The lemon zest is the secret. Two teaspoons lifts the whole cake and keeps it from tasting one-note.
- Any berry works: raspberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries, or a mix.
If you love simple fruit cakes, my Peach Snack Cake is similar in spirit. And for another great blackberry recipe, try my Blackberry Orange Puffy Pancake.
Key Ingredients
Most of what you need is already in your pantry. A few worth calling out:
- Fresh blackberries: Any berry works here, so use whatever looks good. I’ve made this with raspberries and blueberries with equally great results.
- Sour cream: makes the crumb tender and rich. Don’t swap it for yogurt if you can help it.
- Lemon zest: two teaspoons, and it matters. This is what makes the cake taste like more than the sum of its parts.
- Unsalted butter: needs to be at room temperature. Cold butter won’t cream properly.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card below.
Variations and Substitutions
Swap the berries. Raspberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries, or a mix all work. Same idea as my Banana Berry Bread, a great use for whatever fruit you have.
Adjust for different pan size. No 13×9? An 8×8 or 9×9 works, just add about 10 minutes to the bake time and use the toothpick test. A round cake pan works too if you want a more elegant presentation.
How to Make Blackberry Tea Cake
- Prep your pan well. Butter and flour your 13×9 inch dish, then line it with parchment paper leaving a little overhang on the sides. The parchment is optional, but it makes the flip at the end completely stress-free and gives you something to grab onto.
- Sift the dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, and salt together. Sifting ensures even distribution and a lighter crumb.
- Cream until fluffy. Beat butter and sugar for a full 3 minutes. This is where the cake’s texture gets built so give it the time.
- Add wet ingredients on low. Eggs go in one at a time, then vanilla, milk, sour cream, and lemon zest. The batter may look slightly curdled. That’s normal.
- Mix until just combined. Add dry ingredients slowly and stop as soon as you don’t see flour streaks. Overmixing makes the cake tough.
- Berries go on the bottom. Even layer in the pan, then pour the batter over the top. They’ll end up on top after the flip.
- Bake and check at 35 minutes. Total time is usually 40 minutes but every oven is different. Toothpick should come out clean.
- The flip. Cool 20 minutes on a wire rack, still warm enough to release easily. I like to flip it onto a serving platter so the berries are facing up, but honestly you can serve it straight from the pan if you prefer. Either way, dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Storage
Store this tea cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze individual squares for up to 3 months, just wrap tightly and thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Recipes with Berries
This cake looks far more impressive than the effort it takes to make, which is exactly why I love it. If you try it, leave a comment and star review below. I’d love to hear how it goes!
Blackberry Tea Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter and flour a 13x9inch baking dish. Line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides (optional but makes flipping much easier.)
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
- In a standing mixer or separate bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- With mixer on low, add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, milk, sour cream, and lemon zest and mix to combine.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Arrange blackberries in an even layer on the bottom of the prepared dish. Pour batter over top and spread to cover.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check at 35 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. I like to flip onto a serving platter so the berries face up, but you can serve straight from the pan too. Dust with powdered sugar to serve.
Video
Notes
- Line your pan with parchment paper in addition to buttering and flouring, optional but makes flipping much easier and gives you something to grab onto.
- Any berry works in this recipe. Raspberries, blueberries, and sliced strawberries are all great substitutions, or mix them together.
- No 13×9 pan? An 8×8 or 9×9 works. Just add about 10 minutes to the bake time and use the toothpick test to check for doneness.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze individual squares for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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I made some substitutions for allergies and used wholesome’s organic brown sugar for the sugar as well as soy milk and yogurt for the milk and sour cream and grapeseed oil for the butter (I just cream it with the sugar longer) I did use eggs so this is not vegan. I also filled two 9″ round cake pans so we could freeze one for a party later…..supremely yummy! and perfect texture!
photo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49754167@N00/5853514932
For everybody looking to make these dairy-free, soy yogurt can be subbed for the regular yogurt and unsweetened hemp milk can go in for regular milk. Try organic earth balance sticks for the butter. Many times coconut oil works well for butter, too. I would also use whole wheat pastry flour for the white.
I made these last night to bring to a breakfast play group. Of course, I had to taste one (or two or ten) to make sure they were edible. OMG! These are deelish!! I’ve already shared the recipe with a good friend. Thanks for a great recipe and a wonderful site. Cheers!
Is there any substitute for egg?? I’m planning to make it for a friend but she doesn’t eat eggs.
In the oven now! Wow is that some delicious batter!! I did half blackberry / raspberry . I also ran out of van extract and only had 1 tsp so I substituted with a squirt if honey. I wasn’t sure what else to use. Any ideas on what to use in the kitchen when you run out of vanilla extract?
I used only whole wheat and it turned out great!
What about subbing in some whole wheat flour? Do you think it would taste just as good?
I just used frozen strawberries and they did stay at the bottom of the cake, they did not lift up throughout the cake like in the picture above. They were also very soggy. Overall the cake is still a success, very tasty even though the appearance is not what I was expecting. Will be going with fresh berries next time! Hope this helps!
I just bought a package of frozen berries. Wonder if that would work??
Looking at my cake that just came out of the over, I wish I would have gently folded the berries into the batter instead of just putting them on the bottom of the pan because they didn’t go up at all like Catherine’s did and are only on the bottom instead of throughout the cake… just FYI… Still going to taste so good!!!
My berries were so huge that the batter barely covered them so it wasn’t a problem but if they were smaller that would definitely be a good idea.
I’m with Larissa! I just put the pan in the oven and the batter was soooo yummy – love the lemon zest in there!(Not gonna lie-have the reason for me to bake is to “test” the batter/dough 😉 Blackberries in Michigan have no flavor so I used raspberries and blueberries. Can’t wait to give the finished product a try!
I find that bringing the milk to room temperature or warmer prevented the “seperating”. After I added the dry ingredients, it didn’t matter anyway. My cake is cooling at waiting to be taste tested!
Yum! I couldn’t wait; just put this in the oven (with blueberries). For some reason, after I added the milk, my batter looked awfully (for lack of a better description) separated. Went ahead and baked it; we’ll see what happens! I only had 1% milk but I am not sure why that would make the batter look that way… Hope it turns out, it is just what I’ve had a taste for and my 7 year old is a blueberry maniac. Thanks for the recipe!
Yummy! I too love all berries. I save the blackberries for last if I have an assortment. I did have lots of berries this morning but I kept eating them and them put tons on my waffles. I need to go get more so I can make this! 🙂
Yes you can 🙂