A luscious blueberry cake with an easy lemon glaze, made with whole grains and no butter or oil for a healthier dessert!
We are back from the beach and somewhat settled back in. But that doesn't mean I was ready for Monday morning to roll along.
We literally got home on Saturday, got out of the car from our road trip, dumped our bags and headed straight for the pool. This is not like me. Normally I'd be doing laundry, grocery shopping, prepping food and catching up on work emails. But I felt so happy and carefree to pack up some snacks and go to our neighborhood pool for the night instead.
Today, though, it's back to the real world. So, to combat the post-vacation blues, I've got a delicious cake for you! Here's how this came about...
I was reaching for the bowl of blueberries when it happened.
I spied the small white pitcher in the fridge. It was covered in plastic wrap and at an angle so I couldn’t see the contents, but I knew what it was.
Chocolate sauce. Homemade chocolate sauce leftover from M’s birthday weekend.
I wanted it. And I wanted those blueberries. So I drizzled chocolate sauce all over my blueberries in a bowl, took a spoon to it and happily called it my morning treat. For three days in a row...
Then I had to buy more blueberries. But I had plenty of chocolate sauce left.
I decided it wasn’t a good idea to basically eat chocolate sauce on a spoon in the morning, so I decided to make a blueberry cake.
I’m all about the blueberries in the summertime. I’ve gone through I don’t know how many pounds of them already and I’m not slowing down yet.
I first made this blueberry cake before Memorial Day weekend and I know I’ll be making it again for July 4th. It’s kind-of festive with the white glaze and the raspberries on top, isn’t it?
And it’s oh so luscious! Completely soft and completely chock-full of plump blueberries that just burst in your mouth — and some burst in the cake, leaving stains of blueberry juice running throughout the batter.
It’s also whole grain and has no butter or oil. The yogurt and applesauce are all you need for moistness. (Much like my strawberry yogurt cake.)
You don’t taste much of the lemon in the cake - though it helps to bring out the flavor of the blueberries - which is why I topped it with a light lemon glaze to double down on that flavor.
I drizzled the glaze for us. Feel free to make extra glaze and coat this pretty cake all over. It’s your cake after all and I definitely don’t judge. 😉
Oh, and so you wonder, what does that chocolate sauce have to do with this gorgeous blueberry cake?
Well, that’s how mama serves it for herself. Something about that blueberry-chocolate combo has me hooked and I can’t stop pouring chocolate sauce all over slices of this cake. Big, thick slices.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go devour this piece before my kiddos get up from nap!
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Healthy blueberry cake
A luscious blueberry cake with an easy lemon glaze, made with whole grains and no butter or oil for a healthier dessert!
Ingredients
For the blueberry cake:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (I use white whole wheat flour)
- 2 cups oats (I use old fashioned)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups plain yogurt (low-fat or fat-free, see notes)
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 ½ cups blueberries (slightly less than a pint)
For the optional lemon glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3-5 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease a 9-inch round springform pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well to combine.
- In a separate medium bowl, add the yogurt, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice. Stir well to combine, breaking up any lumps from the yogurt.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix. Gently fold in blueberries.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove and transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the lemon glaze, if using. Add powdered sugar to a small bowl and add the lemon juice, starting with just 2 teaspoons. Add an extra teaspoon as needed, stirring constantly, until you get a good drizzling consistency.
- Once the cake is cooled, drizzle it with the lemon glaze. (And top with chocolate sauce, if desired - see notes below.)
Notes
Store the cake, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days. After two days, this cake is best kept refrigerated.
Have vanilla yogurt instead of plain? I recently made it this way and reduced the sugar to ¾ cup and the vanilla to 1 teaspoon. It came out great!
I used this homemade chocolate syrup as a sauce to drizzle over the cake sometimes, too.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 238Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 262mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 4gSugar: 23gProtein: 8g
Chelsey
This looks HEAVENLY! Anything and everything with blueberries and I'm there!
Kathryn
Thanks Chelsey! And me too! I've been eating ALL the blueberries this summer!!
rachel @ atheltic avocado
this is one gorgeous cake!!! Perfect way to eat blueberries!
Kathryn
Thanks Rachel! Can't go wrong with fruit in cake form 😉
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I think the chocolate sauce is rather brilliant for this delicious blueberry cake!! Hello breakfast 😉
Kathryn
I'm so glad you get me, Rebecca 😉
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food
I don't think anyone is ever ready for Monday, lol 😀 Who would have thought that this cake is actually healthy? Looks so indulgent and love that glaze over top. P.S. pouring chocolate sauce over it is just brilliant! After all, it is a healthy cake so a little chocolate won't hurt, will it 😉
Kathryn
Haha, my thoughts exactly Dawn! 😉
Vivian | stayaliveandcooking
My goodness, healthy cake?! Count me in!
Kathryn
Indeed! It's always time for this cake 🙂
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
I am so thrilled you guys had a great vacation!! And I'm happy you guys decided to continue the festivities at your neighborhood pool! That laundry ain't going anywhere! 😉 I totally feel your post vacation blues, but if there is anything that can fix it, it is THIS cake! SO gorgeous and ultimately delicious! Plus it is healthy?! What? Okay, NEED this in my life! Pinned! Cheers!
Kathryn
Thanks Cheyanne! It certainly made the transition back to real life a lot easier 😉 XO
dixya @food, pleasure, and health
i cant believe this one has just yogurt and apple sauce, what a hearty idea for a cake 🙂
Brynn at The Domestic Dietitian
This looks so amazing! I love anything blueberry and the fact that it doesn't have butter or oil is fantastic! Definitely making this later this week.
Blair @ The Seasoned Mom
This looks PERFECT! I have printed the recipe and will try it soon! 🙂
Kathryn
Thanks Blair! I hope you love it!
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen}
Love this! So full of goodness 🙂
Kathryn
Thanks Emma!
Brie
Wow Kathryn! This cake is a total stunner AND full of all kinds of wholesome goodies. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better...CHOCOLATE SAUCE!! Definitely making this to enjoy for Fourth of July breakfast, dessert and of course we'll need a mid-day snack too 🙂
Kathryn
I love the way you think Brie 😉 Thanks!
Kristine | Kristine's Kitchen
I'm like you- when we get home from vacation I want to tackle my to do list right away. Good for you for enjoying time with your family at the pool instead! There's always time for chores later, right? 😉
This cake looks so moist and delicious! I can't resist fresh blueberries this time of year!
Kathryn
Yup, those chores just wait around for us, don't they?! And I have been positively blueberry obsessed this year!!
ALLIE
WE JUST WENT BLUEBERRY PICKING YESTERDAY ! THIS IS A MUST TRY
Kathryn
Definitely try it Allie! Would love to hear what you think!
masala girl
kathryn this sounds so good! i'll definitely be making a version of this for me a my friends. i'll let ya know !!
Kathryn
Yay, I hope you all love it!
Kip
Kathryn, can I use all purpose flour (white) instead of white whole wheat flour to make this cake? If yes, is it still 2 cups ? Please advise, thanks.....Kip
Kathryn
Hi Kip! Yes, you can substitute regular all purpose flour and yes, it would still be 2 cups. Hope you give this a try!
Kip
Kathryn, thanks for your quick response. Much appreciated......Kip
CakenGifts.in
My mother made this cake,it was Fabulous!!!! My whole family enjoyed very much after eating it. Thanks for this amazing recipe……
Kathryn
I'm so happy to hear you all enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Malina Rose
Hi! Have you tried to freeze this blueberry cake recipe? I'd like to make it in advance of company coming. Thank you so much!
Malina
Kathryn
Hi Malina! I believe I have frozen individual slices of leftovers of this cake, but not the whole thing. I think it would work fine though. Just make sure you let it cool completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap and in aluminum foil before placing in the freezer. Oh, and don't add any icing or glazes before freezing it. Hope that helps!
Harriette Lozano
Hi Kathryn, I was wondering if you can use banana puree instead of applesauce?
leah
This looks delicious! Will bake it tomorrow. Do the calorie count include the optional icing? Thank you!
Kathryn Doherty
I hope you enjoy it! I just checked and the calorie count is for the cake only; it doesn't include the optional icing. Hope that helps!
Katie Maita
I love this cake but it turned out uncooked in the inside a little bit despite cooking it 50 min at 350 degrees. What do you suggest I do since I’d like to try it again? Have you ever used honey instead of sugar to this?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Katie! If you used a 9-inch springform pan, it seems like it should have cooked through in 50 minutes. If you use a different size pan, that might make a difference. Or you might need to check your oven temp. If all of that seems right, try adding an extra 5-10 minutes to the bake time.
I haven't substituted honey in this recipe, but you'd need to make a few other adjustments to the recipe since that would be adding extra liquid and has more sweetness than sugar. Here's a general rule of thumb but again, I haven't tested it for this particular recipe:
To substitute 1 cup of sugar: Use 2/3 cup honey. Decrease other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup, because there's water in the honey too.
Hope that helps!