This Blueberry Swirl Bundt Cake is one of my favorite summer cakes to make (and eat). It’s quick to whip up and beautiful to look at, with a dark purple blueberry swirl throughout. With tons of fresh blueberry flavor and a lovely purple glaze, it’s perfect for summer parties.
The cake recipe here is similar to my strawberry swirl cake, but with a denser crumb that’s closer to a pound cake. They’re both striking cakes, but I’m partial to the naturally vibrant color (and delicious flavor) that fresh blueberries bring to this cake!
However, if you’re more of a strawberry lover, check out this Strawberry Swirl Bundt Cake. It has a strawberry swirl and a beautifully pink fresh strawberry glaze!
Recipe highlights
- Packed with real blueberry flavor. With a simple blueberry jam swirled into the cake batter and a lovely blueberry glaze, there’s tons of fresh berry flavor in this cake. Lemon zest & juice help to elevate the flavor further.
- Moist, dense cake. Whole milk yogurt and two full sticks of butter add moisture and a slight tang to the bundt cake batter.
- Easy to make. The cake can be thrown together pretty quickly, with a simple three-ingredient glaze to top it off.
Tips for making this cake
The blueberry swirl and blueberry glaze are the stars of the show here. These are my top tips for perfecting these two items:
Blueberry jam swirl. Cook the blueberries until they have thickened into a nice jam consistency. This may take 10-15 minutes, but it will help create a strong swirl. If the jam is thinner, it may disappear into the cake batter a bit. Make sure the jam is completely cool before swirling it with the cake batter.
Fresh blueberry glaze. To make the glaze, start by pureeing the blueberries. A food processor is the best way to do this, but an emulsion blender or spice grinder may work as well. Then, strain the puree to remove the skins. Whisk about three tablespoons of this puree with the powdered sugar and lemon juice.
Adjust the thickness of the glaze as needed – add more powdered sugar if it needs to be thicker, or more blueberry juice if it needs to be thinner. The final glaze should be pourable, but thick enough that it doesn’t just sink into the cake.
Make sure the blueberry swirl bundt cake has cooled completely before glazing it! If the cake is warm at all, the glaze will melt.
Creating the blueberry swirl
To create the blueberry swirl, start by pouring about half of the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Using the back of a spoon, make a little trough in the middle of the batter.
Next, pour about half of the blueberry jam filling into the trough. Using a butter knife, swirl the jam lightly into the cake batter. Repeat this process with the remaining cake batter and jam.
Bundt pan tips
Before you make the blueberry swirl cake batter, butter or grease the bundt cake pan thoroughly, rubbing soft butter or oil into all the crevices. Then, place the pan in the freezer while you prepare the cake. Leave the pan in the freezer until your cake batter and blueberry jam are ready.
This freezing process solidifies the butter and helps your cake pull away from the sides of the bundt pan after it’s baked.
Unmolding the cake:
- Let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes before unmolding
- Use a butter knife or small thin spatula to separate the cake from the sides of the pan, moving all the way around the cake
- Place a large serving plate on top of the cake, then invert it. Tap the bottom and sides of the pan gently until you feel the cake loosen and release. Remove the bundt pan.
Make it your own
Feel free to swap out the blueberries in this recipe for your favorite berry. Try strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, or even a combination of berries!
More simple summer cakes:
- Almond Streusel Cake with Balsamic Strawberries
- Strawberry Elderflower Cake
- Zucchini Cake with Silky Chocolate Glaze
- Raspberry Shortcake
If you make this Blueberry Swirl Bundt Cake, please leave a star rating and a comment below! Thank you!
Blueberry Swirl Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 10-cup bundt pan
- Stand mixer
Ingredients
Blueberry Jam
- 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Bundt Cake
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
Blueberry Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen & thawed
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
For the jam:
- Place blueberries, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. If using frozen blueberries, add 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool while making the cake batter.
For the cake:
- Spray a 10-cup bundt pan generously with pan spray. Put in freezer until ready to use. Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in lemon zest.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter until fluffy and soft, 1-2 minutes. Add sugars; cream until light and fluffy, another 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, scraping bowl with a spatula in between each addition. Stir in vanilla.
- Combine lemon juice & yogurt in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the yogurt mix into the stand mixer, starting and ending with flour mix. Scrape down bowl with spatula as necessary.
For the swirl:
- Remove prepared bundt pan from freezer. Pour half of cake batter into pan and use a spatula to even it out.
- Create a trough in the batter using the back of a spoon. Pour about 3/4 of the blueberry jam evenly into trough. Using a knife, swirl the jam with the cake batter. Repeat this process with remaining batter and jam.
- Bake until toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes.
- Allow to cool for about 20 minutes. While still just slightly warm, invert cake onto a cooling rack and remove from pan. Allow to finish cooling completely.
For the glaze:
- Puree the blueberries using a food processor or emulsion blender. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove skins. You should end up with 3-4 tablespoons of blueberry juice.
- Stir together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons of blueberry juice. You may need to add a little more juice or powdered sugar to achieve the desired thickness. You want it to be thick but pourable.
- Spoon glaze onto cooled cake, allowing it to drip over the sides.
Did you try this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment below!
