Apple Blueberry Cake is made with fresh apples, vanilla, and Greek yogurt. The cake texture is moist, light, and fluffy, and you can taste apple chunks and blueberries with every bite! Only 20 minutes of preparation. It's great as is, or serve it dusted with confectioners' sugar or plain vanilla ice cream. It's a great family treat to have with a cup of milk, coffee, or tea.
Apple Blueberry Cake
It's a crowd-pleasing dessert that takes only 20 minutes of preparation and 50 minutes of idle time (baking). It's super easy to make: no mixer is required, just a whisk. The cake is packed with fresh apples and fresh blueberries! There are no complicated ingredients, no glaze, no frosting. All the flavor comes from the fruit. What's not to like? Impress your guests, family, and friends with this quick and easy apple blueberry cake. This cake keeps well for about 4 days and can be made in advance, too. If you love easy cakes made with fresh fruit and/or berries, don't miss this blueberry peach cake or super moist white chocolate strawberry cake.
Why you'll love it
- Packed with fresh fruit and berries. This cake is made with fresh apple chunks and fresh blueberries. You will taste juicy apples with every bite!
- Only 20 minutes of your time. That's how long it takes to get this cake oven-ready. Then, you just bake it for 50 minutes which is essentially idle time.
Main ingredients
- Flour. Use regular all-purpose flour or cake flour. You can easily make this recipe gluten-free: this cake has been tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. You can also use King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour.
- Baking powder. Make sure it's fresh so that the cake rises.
- Salted Butter. I used salted butter and did not add any extra salt. Use softened butter at room temperature. You don't need to use much - only 2 oz (it's 4 tablespoons or half a stick of butter).
- Greek yogurt adds a tang and fluffy and moist texture to the apple blueberry cake. I love baking with Greek yogurt and avoid using as much butter as possible by replacing some of it with Greek yogurt - which is what I did in this recipe. I also highly recommend using plain kefir - it's so good in this cake!
- Sugar. Use regular granulated white sugar.
- The egg makes the cake moist and light.
- Pure Vanilla. You only need 1 teaspoon of it.
- Apples. I used sweet Fuji apples with a firm texture. I also recommend Gala, Honey Crisp, and similar sweet varieties. Avoid soft apples.
- Blueberries. Fresh or frozen work. If using frozen, there is no need to thaw them.
How to make it dairy-free
- Use ยผ cup of light olive oil or other vegetable oil instead of ยผ cup of butter (2 oz). Use vegetable oil of a neutral flavor, such as avocado or canola.
- Use ยพ cup of dairy-free yogurt, such as unsweetened almond milk yogurt or unsweetened cashew milk yogurt, instead of Greek yogurt. Or, use ยพ cup of olive oil or other cooking oil instead of yogurt.
How to make it gluten-free
- This cake has been tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
- You can also use King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour.
- Do not sift these flours - but do not deliberately pack them into a measuring cup, either.
What can you use instead of Greek yogurt?
- Plain kefir works wonders in the apple blueberry cake. Shake the bottle well before measuring the kefir as it tends to separate a little bit with the heavier parts settling in the bottom part of the bottle.
- Plain regular yogurt is also a great choice.
- Cooking vegetable oil is a great dairy-free option. Use light olive oil or other vegetable oils with neutral flavors (such as avocado or canola oil) instead of Greek yogurt.
- Dairy-free yogurts, such as unsweetened almond yogurt or cashew milk yogurt.
Best apples to use
- I used sweet Fuji apples - they add sweetness and so much flavor. I recommend using sweeter varieties, such as Fuji, Honey Crisp, or Gala.
- Choose apples with a firm texture - they will hold up better to baking. Avoid soft, "mushy" apples.
What baking dish can you use?
- A 9x3 inch round springform baking pan is what I used in this recipe. It allows you to release the cake seamlessly without any effort while still keeping its pretty shape!
- 9x13 rectangular baking pan. Pour the cake batter into the greased cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes or a bit longer until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Use a 12-cup muffin pan. To turn this apple blueberry cake into muffins or cupcakes, fill the muffin pan ⅔ of the way and bake for about 20 or 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- 10-inch or 12-inch round high-sided cast-iron skillet. You can bake this cake in a cast-iron skillet, which creates crispy, golden-brown edges with a soft and moist center. The skillet heats evenly, resulting in a beautiful and consistent texture.
Storage Tips
- Keep the cake at room temperature for the first 48 hours. Cool it completely, then loosely cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving spaces for air. You can store it at room temperature this way for up to 48 hours.
- Fridge. Beyond the first 48 hours, store it in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in a plastic wrap or freezer bag.
- Can you freeze it? Once the apple blueberry cake is completely cool, freeze it within 2 days of baking. Wrap it tightly in an airtight plastic wrap and transfer it to a freezer bag or a sturdier freezer container. Freeze it for up to 2 months.
Other apple cake recipes you might like
- Apple, Blueberry, Peach Coffee Cake
- Simple Apple Cake with Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Vanilla
- Easy Apple Squares
- Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Bundt Cake
- Cranberry Apple Pecan Bundt Cake
Apple Blueberry Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted or aerated (see note below)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 oz salted butter melted (ยผ cup)
- 2 eggs
- 1 and ยผ cups plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large apples (Fuji), cored and peeled
- 8 oz blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. If your oven has a convection setting, use a convection bake setting. Line the bottom of the 9x3-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides and the bottom of the springform pan with butter or cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup white sugar, melted butter, and eggs, and beat using a whisk for about 1 or 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Mix in Greek yogurt and vanilla and whisk just until combined.
- Add the flour mixture gradually, and whisk it together with the wet ingredients just until combined. Do not over-mix.
- You will use 2 apples. Chop one peeled and cored apple into small chunks. Fold the chopped apples into the cake batter.
- Slice another peeled and cored apple into thin slices. Save it for later, for topping the cake.
- Pour the cake batter (with apple chunks) into the parchment paper-lined springform pan. Arrange apple slices in a circular shape on top of the cake. Add blueberries in between the apple slices. See my photos (scroll up) for reference.
- Place the baking pan with the cake batter on the middle rack (this is especially important for non-convection ovens). Bake for about 50 minutes or 1 hour until the tester (or toothpick) inserted in the center of the cake (away from the apples and blueberries) comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Let it cool in a springform pan on a wire rack. After the cake has cooled for about 30 minutes, release the cake from the springform pan. At this point, if the cake is cool enough, you can slide your hand (or a large wide spatula) under the cake, between the parchment paper and the bottom of the pan, and transfer the cake with the parchment paper attached to its bottom onto a cake plate.
- When serving, dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
Notes
-
Using measuring cups, the proper way to measure flour is to aerate it first. This is done either by sifting flour, or aerating it by fluffing it up and whisking it well, then spooning it into the measuring cup, then carefully removing any excess flour with a knife. If you just stick that measuring cup in the bag of flour and scoop some out, you will get a lot more flour than the recipe calls for. Do aerate the flour, or you will end up with dry dough!
- This aeration tip does not apply to these 2 kinds of popular gluten-free flours, such as Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour. Don't deliberately overpack the gluten-free flour into cups but don't sift it either.
Baking tips
- If you have a convection setting in your oven, use that for baking this cake.
- If you don't have a convection setting, bake the cake on the middle rack or a rack right above the middle one.
- Ensure the oven is fully preheated to 350 F before placing the cake in the oven.
What baking pans can you use?
- I used a 9x3-inch round springform baking pan in this recipe. I like to line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper, which ensures an even cleaner release.
- 9x13 rectangular baking pan. Pour the cake batter into the greased cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Use a 12-cup muffin pan. To turn this cake into muffins or cupcakes, fill the muffin pan โ of the way and bake for about 20 or 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the muffin.
- 10-inch or 12-inch round high-sided cast-iron skillet. You can bake this cake in a cast-iron skillet, which creates crispy, golden-brown edges with a soft and moist center.
Other notes
- Make it gluten-free. This cake has been tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. You can also use King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour.
- Greek yogurt can be replaced with plain Kefir, regular yogurt, or sour cream. I highly recommend using plain Kefir or Greek yogurt - they are light and provide a nice tang.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Monisha
I have made this cake before and everybody loved it. Can I replace 2 cups of flour, with 1 cup oat flour+1cup regular flour ?
Amanda Waite
Wonderful easy recipe and delicious too
Julia
Glad you liked it, Amanda! ๐
Denise
Hi Julia,
My neighbor made this and it was sooo good. I know that I can swtich up the flour and make it gluten free- but what about using almond flour/coconut flour to make it more on the lowcarb side? I am going to try it but thought I would see what your thoughts are and if I would need to add anything else.
thanks
Denise
Julia
Hi Denise, this recipe can be made with almond flour, but with adjustment. I would start by using 1 cup regular gluten-free flour and 3/4 cup of almond flour (instead of 1 cup).
I do plan on experimenting and making this kind of recipe purely with almond flour soon.
Denise Koto
Thank you so much. I will watch for your recipe with the low carb flour alternative! I will try the adjustments you suggested for now!
Julia
Let me know if you have any other questions, Denise!
Lynne Pettman
I made this lovely cake, it tastes great! A couple of things, I would be careful to not let the blueberries go right to the edges, as they can stick. Plus I sliced the apple too thin.
Julia
So glad you tried this cake, Lynne! Great tip about not letting blueberries go the edges of the pan - they do stick and burn in those spots.
Mich
Question: in both recipes for this cake and the Pear Almond Cake, you mention lining the pans with parchment paper; both cakes look like the pans are lined with foil. Can either be used with the same success/results in releasing the cakes?
Thank you!
Julia
Mich, yes, you can use either. I prefer parchment paper, but my local store does not carry it, so I had to use foil, otherwise I would've used parchment paper.
Christine
Just a quick question- if I halve the sugar, like you suggested, does it change the cake's consistency?
Julia
No, it will not affect the structure of the cake. I've halved the sugar in this recipe before, and it just makes the cake less sweet. But if you use very sweet and firm apples, that shouldn't even make that much difference. And, you can always serve this with ice-cream or dusted with powdered sugar if it's not sweet enough. Enjoy! ๐
Steph
I would love to try this cake, but I need no added sugar. Is there a substitute I can useโperhaps monk sugar or something organic?
Thank you!
Julia
Steph, monkfruit sweetener should work fine. Make sure to use proper proportions. Usually, 1 cup of regular white granulated sugar should be replaced with 1/2 cup of monkfruit sweetener. So, it's a 1 : 1/2 ratio.
Liz
Ok, WOW. I made this cake. I'm not a baker, and this was my first cake. I actually mashed 2 of your recipes together - used the apple base of this one, then added strawberries & blackberries on top since they're in season. Baked it in my cast iron pan. This is a showstopper!! My foodie neighbor said, "your cake is better than desserts we've had at stupidly expensive restaurants". It was so pretty, and so good, and I'm making another one today. Thanks for the best recipes. Every one I've tried is a winner.
Julia
Wow, Liz, this is really one of the best comments I've ever run across on my site! ๐ It really made my day! ๐
Laurie
That looks good except there's a cup of sugar in it which is really not healthy.
Julia
Laurie, if you use sweet apples, you can safely reduce the amount of sugar to 3/4 cup or even 1/2 cup.
Misti
Why would you rate a recipe that you didnโt make? If itโs not healthy enough for you, just move on to another recipe that more suitable.
Julia
Thanks for your support, Misti! ๐