Blueberry Poppy Seed Brunch Cake

By Marian Burros

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Blueberry Poppy Seed Brunch Cake
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(902)
Comments
Read comments

This recipe was brought to The Times in a 1990 article by Marian Burros about the 34th Pillsbury Bake-Off, the Super Bowl of baking contests, and its winners. Linda Rahman of Petaluma, Calif., who won the grand prize, was certain her cake was ''too ordinary to win anything," but it was the judges' unanimous choice because, they said, it was "light, refreshing and satisfying." We still agree.

Featured in: At Super Bowl of Bake-Offs, A Dream Is Worth $40,000

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

    For the Cake

    • ⅔cup sugar
    • ½cup unsalted butter, softened
    • 2teaspoons grated lemon zest
    • 1egg
    • 1½cups all-purpose flour (195 grams)
    • 2tablespoons poppy seed
    • ½teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼teaspoon salt
    • ½cup sour cream

    For the Filling

    • 2cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed, drained on paper towels
    • ⅓cup sugar
    • 2teaspoons flour
    • ¼teaspoon nutmeg

    For the Glaze

    • ⅓cup powdered sugar
    • 1 to 2teaspoons whole milk
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

379 calories; 16 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 34 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 167 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. In large bowl, beat ⅔ cup sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add lemon peel and egg; beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In medium bowl, combine 1½ cups flour, poppy seed, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream. Spread batter over bottom and 1 inch up sides of greased and floured pan, making sure batter on sides is ¼ inch thick.

  2. Step 2

    In medium bowl, combine all filling ingredients; spoon over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool slightly. Remove sides of pan.

  3. Step 3

    In small bowl, combine powdered sugar and enough milk until glaze is of desired drizzling consistency; blend until smooth. Drizzle over top of warm cake. Top with a handful of fresh blueberries, if desired. Serve warm or cool.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
902 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Sheila

This cake is excellent and as a previous cook noted, it is beautiful out of the oven. I used cranberries instead of blueberries and did not increase the sugar - it was not necessary (I actually tossed the cranberries with 1/4 c, not 1/3 c). I also increased the poppy seeds to 1/4 cup. It is sufficiently sweet and I don't think the glaze is necessary. (Also reduced butter to 6 T with no apparent negative repercussions.) I will make this again and serve it for dessert, not just brunch.

Valerie A.

This is delicious. I used 1/2 c. sugar in the cake and 1/4 c. for the fruit, and it was perfect with the sweetness of the glaze. I added lemon zest to batter, fruit, and glaze, which made for a more summery version of the cake. I recommend checking after 40 minutes - 45 seemed a bit long and the edges will dry out. Note for thawing: I popped my frozen blueberries in the oven on a baking sheet while the oven was preheating. They dried out nicely.

Ellen

Very attractive and tasty. Be sure not to overbake. I wish I had taken mine out 5 min earlier, it was a tad dry around the edges. I am going to try it again with just buttering the pan and skipping the flouring. It added an unpleasant-tasting coating on the bottom of the cake, probably because the batter is very thick and can't incorporate the additional flour.

Linda

Fantastic cake! Made exactly as is, other than adding lemon juice to the glaze. I might reduce the nutmeg a bit next time, but I’m glad I included it. Will definitely make it again.

Claire

I made this for my sister's baby shower brunch, nearly everyone complemented it and half asked for the recipe! Very easy to make. I did end up baking it for ~15 minutes longer than directed but that could be related to having multiple things in the oven at once/hard to keep oven temp. I used frozen berries, dried them off with a paper towel and it worked great! Added lemon juice to the glaze and was lovely. Baked in a regular round cake pan with parchment paper. Definitely will make again!

Mary C

I made this in 9"x9" square pan lined with overhanging parchment paper. I took it out at 35 min...could have done so 4-5 min. sooner because my oven runs hot. As soon as it came out of the oven, I sifted powdered sugar over the top...not a fan of glaze. It's delicious.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.