An easy Blackberry Cake made with foraged wild blackberries, buttermilk, sour cream and a touch of vanilla, a rich and indulgent sponge cake that is moist and incredibly delicious. It's a quick-prep cake that comes together in less than 10 minutes, then baked in the oven until golden and scrumptious. This blackberry cake is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, either for an indulgent sweet breakfast or a lush afternoon tea.
Wild blackberries are at their best in the Isle of Man all throughout September, and since we get to enjoy a few sunny days, which is quite a treat over here, foraging wild blackberries can't possibly be done at a better time.
Blackberries grow in abundance over here, and they can easily be picked up in most green areas and glens; it's a great weekend activity for a family day out, and definitely a great fun for everyone.
If you have plenty of blackberries, a wild blackberry jam is a must. I also love the apple and blackberry crumble bars and blackberry upside down cake, all made with foraged blackberries. Isn't it a treat when you can bake something lush with wild berries?
This blackberry cake is adapted from my Blueberry Buttermilk Cake, and while it's baked in a loaf tin, it can also be baked in a traditional round cake tin, but that's up to you, either way works amazingly fine.
So, if you are looking for a great blackberry coffee cake to sweeten up your mornings while you sip on your coffee or any other hot drink for that matter, or you need a boost of energy in the afternoon, nothing can hit the spot better than this fantastic sponge cake.
Ingredients used
- blackberries - I used wild blackberries, but shop-bought blackberries can be used instead if you can't forage wild blackberries
- self-raising flour - helps the cake get a good rise
- granulated sugar - or caster sugar, this goes into the batter
- light brown sugar - to top the cake for a caramelized touch and nice crunch
- eggs - at room temperature
- vanilla extract - or lemon extract if you wish, lemon and blackberries works nicely together
- butter - soft, but not melted
- sour cream and buttermilk - while you can use either one or another, they work perfectly well together to get a moist and rich cake
Easy swaps
As mentioned, the buttermilk and sour cream can be used together in equal quantities, like I did, or you can use only buttermilk or sour cream. The sour cream adds a nice fresh touch to the cake, which I absolutely love.
Wild blackberries can be swapped for regular shop-bought blackberries, which are usually a lot bigger, so you might use less for this cake, or blueberries, raspberries or strawberries.
Any of the mentioned berries would works wonderfully well with apples or pears too, so there are lots of fruit combo you could go for if you wish.
Step-by-Step photos and instructions
- in a large mixing bowl, add the soften butter and granulated sugar, and beat them together until creamy
- add the eggs one by one, beating well to get a light and pale-coloured mixture
- sift in the flour, add the vanilla extract, blackberries (reserve a handful for topping the cake), buttermilk and sour cream, and use a spatula to mix everything into a thick batter
- butter and flour a loaf tin, and transfer the batter over, making sure you have an even layer of batter
- top with the reserved blackberries and sprinkle over the light brown sugar
- bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius ( 350 Fahrenheit) for 50 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
- leave it to cool completely before slicing
Expert tips
The best way to know if the cake is ready is to insert a skewer in the middle of the cake, if it comes out dry, it's done. Sometimes, it might look like the cake is ready, the colour is there, but then the middle is still a bit raw and it sinks terribly in the middle.
Do not add too many blackberries to the batter, or the cake will be way too wet, 2 cups is the maximum I would go for. While the blackberries are delicious and add so much flavour, less is definitely more.
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Blackberry Cake
Ingredients
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 120 g butter, soft
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup wild blackberries
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius ( 350 Fahrenheit).
- In a large mixing bowl add the granulated sugar and butter and beat well to get a creamy texture.
- Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.
- Sift in the flour, add the vanilla extract, sour cream, buttermilk and blackerries (reserve a handful of blackberries), and use a spatula to combine the ingredients into a thick batter.
- Butter and flour a loaf tin, and spread the batter evenly.
- Top with the reserved blackberries, then sprinkle the light brown sugar over.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Video
Notes
- The best way to know if the cake is ready is to insert a skewer in the middle of the cake, if it comes out dry, it's done. Sometimes, it might look like the cake is ready, the colour is there, but then the middle is still a bit raw and it sinks terribly in the middle.
- Do not add too many blackberries to the batter, or the cake will be way too wet, 2 cups is the maximum I would go for. While the blackberries are delicious and add so much flavour, less is definitely more.
Nutrition
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