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Looking for an elegant, delicious, EASY dessert? This one-bowl, no-mixer Vanilla Bean Cake with Blackberry Buttercream ticks all three boxes!
This moist, tender Vanilla Bean Cake with Blackberry Buttercream is infused with fragrant vanilla beans and topped with a vibrant, naturally pink blackberry buttercream. It's as beautiful as it is delicious!
Whether you're celebrating a birthday, hosting a spring brunch, or simply making an ordinary day extraordinary, this easy, one-bowl Vanilla Bean Cake with Blackberry Buttercream is sure to impress!
An old friend
If you've been a Café follower for a while, this Vanilla Bean Cake with Blackberry Buttercream recipe might look familiar to you. The blackberry buttercream is a new invention but the cake is an old friend. I've used it in the on repeat for entertaining for several other recipes here on the blog. Our Vanilla Bean Malt Cake (a gorgeous cake for any Spring celebration) and our Ridiculously Easy Lemon Buttermilk Cake are both based on this simple cake recipe.
You'll only need a bowl, a whisk and a few measuring utensils to put it together. I call it "One-Bowl, No-Mixer Perfection!"
An easy, delicious slice of heaven!
There's something wonderful about a cake that feels special enough for a celebration, yet is simple enough to whip up on a whim. This Vanilla Bean Cake with Blackberry Buttercream is exactly that. It's the kind of recipe I return to again and again.
My favorite kind of recipe - it's one of those super-easy, no-fail cake recipes that comes together in minutes yet tastes like a labor of love. The crumb in light and tender and guests often describe it as, "melt in your mouth".
Although putting this cake together it's quite effortless, the results are an elegant dessert that looks and tastes like it came from one of those gourmet little bakeries that charge a small fortune. Other than the fresh blackberries, this recipe comes together with affordable, everyday pantry/fridge ingredients.
A crown of color and flavor
The blackberry buttercream is the crowning glory. Made with a quick purée (in the microwave) of fresh blackberries, it's smooth, tangy-sweet, and naturally tinted the prettiest shade of vibrant pink. Like the cake, it comes together easily-with just one bowl and a whisk or spatula. It spreads like a dream and adds a beautiful, bright contrast to the vanilla bean cake beneath.
One or two layers? You choose!
As you can see from the pictures in this post, this cake is lovely as a single layer, but you can easily double the recipe and stack two layers for a more dramatic look. The blackberry buttercream works beautifully between the layers and on top.
A garden inspired finish
As you can see, I love to decorate this cake with fresh blackberries and a few edible flowers. I don't have any fancy piping skills, but edible blooms add such a graceful, natural touch-they make the cake feel like a true centerpiece. If you're entertaining, this cake is guaranteed to draw oohs and aahs before the first forkful is even served.
Edible flowers
As you can see, I love to decorate this cake with fresh blackberries and some edible flowers. I don't have any fancy decorating skills but edible flowers are a simple touch that makes the cake feel like a centerpiece. If you're entertaining, this cake is guaranteed to draw oohs and aahs before anyone even picks up a fork.
Edible flowers are a fun and beautiful way to decorate cakes and so much more. They can make tarts, salads, soups, and appetizers look really special. There are lots of edible flowers to choose from. You may have some growing in your own yard. Here's a list of the more common ones, courtesy of Gardener's Supply:
- Alliums. Chives, leeks and garlic are all delicious in green salads, potato and pasta salads and dips. Remove the central stem from the flower cluster to release the separate florets.
- Nasturtiums. Blossoms have a peppery flavor like watercress. All colors and varieties are tasty in salads or as garnishes. Leaves can be eaten, too.
- Marigolds. Use the tiny flowers of signet marigolds, such as Lemon Gem and Tangerine Gem. Their blossoms have a citrus taste.
- Pansies and Johnny jump-ups. These flowers have a wintergreen flavor and are pretty on cakes and other desserts. Glaze with warmed jelly for a jeweled look.
- Calendula. An easy and prolific edible flower that's easy to grow from seed right in the garden. Separate the petals from the center of the flower and sprinkle the petals into salads. Colors range from pure yellow to orange and red. Remove spent flowers and the plants will bloom continuously from early summer into late fall.
- Anise hyssop. If you like anise, this is the edible flower for you. Separate the florets and add them to sweet or savory dishes. Or use the full flowers to garnish a cheese plate.
- Honeysuckle. The blossoms make a pretty addition to salads. Don't use the berries; they're poisonous.
- Scarlet runner beans. Mix these bright-red flowers into salads, or with steamed veggies.
- Borage. This fuzzy-leaved herb has sky-blue flowers with a light cucumber taste. Add to fruit salads, green salads or freeze in ice cubes for cold drinks.
- Bee balm. This member of the mint family has minty-tasting flowers. Colors range from bright red to purple and pink.
- Chamomile. English chamomile has small, daisy-like flowers with an apple-like flavor. If you're allergic to ragweed, you might want to avoid chamomile.
- Daylily. Daylily buds and flowers taste a bit like asparagus. They can be used as a garnish or can be stuffed or made into fritters. Good in stir-frys, too.
- Mint. Like bee balm, all flowers of the mint family are edible and have a pleasant taste. Try lemon balm or spearmint in iced tea.
- Squash blossoms. Use these as you would daylilies (see above).
Perfect for a Party-or a Tuesday
This Vanilla Bean Cake with Blackberry Buttercream is simple enough for a weekday and pretty enough for a party. It's a dessert that's as charming as it is delicious. I hope it finds a sweet spot in your kitchen soon!
Cafe Tips for making this Vanilla Bean Cake with Blackberry Buttercream
This recipe calls for an 8-inch round cake pan with sides that are at least 2 inches tall. If your pan has less than 2-inch tall sides, use a 9-inch pan. The finished cake will be a bit lower.
I love this textured 8-inch cake pan. I've had mine for years and it's held up well.
You could also use an 8-inch square cake pan but be aware that the cake won't be as tall. The bottom surface area of an 8-inch round pan is 50 square inches whereas the bottom surface area of an 8-inch square pan is 64 square inches,
Yes, you can substitute yogurt or sour cream. If you use Greek yogurt or sour cream, thin it with a little milk so it's close to the consistency of buttermilk.
You can also make your own substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Fill the cup with milk up to the 1-cup line and give it a good stir. Wait 5 minutes then stir again - that's it! The milk will thicken just a bit over the 5 minutes.
Many cakes will mound in the center while baking, including this Vanilla Bean Cake. The outer edges start baking sooner than the rest of the cake causing the edges to set before the cake has fully risen. As the cake finishes baking the center will dome. This cake will be flipped over after it's baked with the bottom becoming the top, so it's not a big deal. But, if you prefer a perfectly level cake, these velcro cake strips (wrapped around the pan before baking) work really well! They can be used for 8 or 9-inch cake pans and can be reused over and over.
Since it's a fairly thin batter, I like to use a whisk to put it together. This is one of my favorite, all-purpose whisks. You can use a whisk or a spatual for the buttercream.
No problem! Just combine the berries and sugar in a small saucepan. Add a tablespoon of water and stir to combine then bring the mixture to a simmer. Stirring frequently, cook until the liquid from the berries is syrupy.
You can use the standard toothpick test but the BEST way to determine if a cake is done is to use an instant thermometer. The internal temp in the center of the cake should read 200-210˚F. Instant thermometers are super useful in the kitchen and are reasonably priced.
I like using a large cake spatula to transfer my cakes from the cooling rack to a platter or cake stand.
This recipe calls for "half and half" in the icing. For those of you living outside of the U.S., half-and-half is a convenience product that's often used here in coffee. It's simply a combination of half milk and half cream.
Because the Blackberry Buttercream recipe doesn't require a mixer, the butter needs to be nice and soft. You can let the butter sit out at room temperature, but if the air is chilly in your house, it won't get soft enough. Here are some easy ways to soften butter:You can soften the butter in the microwave on power level 10%. It works like magic! You'll need to experiment a bit with your microwave though, as they're all different. Start with 1 minute. Add 20 to 30-second increments until you learn how long your microwave will take to get the butter nice and soft, but not melted.
Another technique I often use to soften butter is to put it in the microwave for a few hours with the light on. To keep the light on in the microwave I put a folded paper towel in the door.
Boil a cup of water in the microwave for 3-4 minutes and get things nice and steamy. Leave the water cup in the microwave, add the butter and close the door. The warmth from the steamy water will help to quickly soften the butter.
Cutting the butter into small pieces helps it soften quicker.
Place the hard butter on a small plate. Fill a bowl with hot water. Wait 5 minutes then discard the water. Put the warm bowl over the butter.
Put the butter in the oven with the light turned on. This will take a few hours.
The fastest way to soften butter is to put cold butter in the microwave for 10 seconds. Turn it to the opposite side and microwave for another 10 seconds. It might be ready at this point, but if it's not completely soft, add one or two more 5-second stints.
Thought for the day:
As the deer pants for water,
so I long for you, O God.
I thirst for God, the living God.
Psalm 42:1
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It's so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
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Vanilla Bean Cake with Blackberry Buttercream
Ingredients
For the blackberry puree:
- 1 cup blackberries, about 4.5 ounce or 125g
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
For the cake:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup neutral flavored oil, sunflower, safflower, grape seed, avocado, canola…
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract You can also use the seeds from one average size vanilla bean
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
For the blackberry buttercream:
- 8 tablespoons very soft butter, see Café Tips above in the post for softening butter
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, maybe a bit more
- 3 tablespoons blackberry puree
- 3 tablespoon half and half, or milk, maybe a bit more
Instructions
For the prep:
- Preheat the oven to 325˚F with a rack in the center of the oven.
- Spray an 8-inch round cake pan (with sides that are at least 2 inches tall) generously with baking spray and rub to coat the inner surface well. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside. (if your round pam does not have sides that are at least 2 inches tall, use 9-inch pans instead.)
For the blackberry puree:
- Prepare the blackberry puree before starting the cake.
- Combine the blackberries and the sugar in a medium size microwave-safe bowl. Stir to combine.
- Micrwave on high power for 2 minutes and 30 seconds then stir well.
- Microwave for another 2 minutes. Stir. The mixture should be syrupy. If it still looks a little thin, microwave for another 30 seconds.
- Strain the blackberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a small, clean bowl. Push on the berries with a spoon or spatula to crush. Allow the mixture to drain while you prepare the cake.
- When ready to make the icing, discard the berries and use the syrup as directed.
For the cake:
- Place the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and cook for 1 minute on high power until melted. Set aside.
- In a medium-large bowl, combine the sugar and the egg and whisk for 30-45 seconds until well combined and a little frothy. The yellow color should get a little lighter as you whisk.
- Add the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, vanilla beans (or vanilla) and almond extract. Stir or whisk until combined.
- Add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk again until smooth and lump-free.
- Lastly add the flour and whisk until smooth. The batter will be fairly thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles, and smooth the top of the batter with a knife or offset spatula.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. The best way to test doneness is with an instant thermometer. The cake is done when the temperature reads 200-210˚F.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes then turn it out onto a cooling rack and peel off the parchment paper. The bottom of the cake will now become the top. Cool completely before topping with the buttercream.
For the blackberry buttercream:
- Combine the butter, powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of blackberry purre and the half and half in a medium size bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Continue stirring until you have a creamy-smooth spreadable icing. If it seems too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar and whisk well. If it's too thick, add more half and half (or milk), just a little splash at a time and whisk until smooth.
- Transfer the icing onto the center of the cake and spread it to the edges and down the sides, swirling it with a knife or the back of a teaspoon for a pretty presentation.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi, Chris! I’m a long time fan of your ridiculously easy recipes and am looking forward to trying this beautiful blackberry cake! Could I make this in a 9x13 pan as long as I double the recipe? Thank you!
Aww, thanks so much, Leyla 🥰 I appreciate your kind words and encouragement.
Regarding your question, yes, that will work!
This cake is beautiful, delicious and so easy to make. I did use freeze dried blackberries instead of the puree and it was delicious. I have made this cake 3 times since it posted. Everyone loves it!
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Mary!
Hello!
Would it be possible to make this recipe as cupcakes?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Sam, that will work! Enjoy!
I saw the recipe, thought it just was meant for a spring dessert. When I tested the cake and frosting it was good, the cake is a lovely texture and the buttercream was good, did it taste like fresh blackberries, no, if I hadn’t told my husband it was blackberry, he wouldn’t have known. I’d like to make again, would you suggest adding freeze dried blackberry powder or an extract? I used more purée and still couldn’t detect the blackberry.
Hi Jill, freeze dried blackberry powder would definitely give you more blackberry flavor. You could also concentrate the blackberry purée a bit more by cooking it longer. That would also increase the blackberry flavor. Hope that helps!
this cake was wonderful and easy to make..and delicious..I had the same problem with the frosting..so used my mixer..thanks for a great recipe
Thanks, Peg, for sharing your review. So happy you enjoyed the cake!
I'm sorry the buttercream was an issue. I did amend the post to say "very soft butter". That can make all the difference! Glad yours came out well with the mixer!
Chris, I just adore your styling in the photos of luscious finished recipes. The choice of flatware, plates, *napkins and flowers is delightful! You really have an eye for elevating the "tableau". I appreciate the edible flowers list with flavor profiles as well. Yours is one of my favorite culinary blogs. Glad, too, to see an air fryer category added to your offerings! Blessings to you and Scott!
Thank you for the kind comment, Viv!
Thank you for the recipe! I made this today. The cake turned out beautifully--I made a double recipe for a layer cake. The frosting was a bit of a pain. The butter was softened, but for whatever reason known only to buttercream frosting, it was splitting. It can happen with buttercream. I kept having to refrigerate it and re-whip it using a hand mixer. In my opinion, there is no way to make this frosting without one. I also added a pinch of salt to the frosting. I found that I needed to use a lot more than one bowl. You need a bowl to melt the butter, a bowl to cook the blackberries in and another one to strain them into, plus the cake batter bowl, and then the frosting bowl. So I'm not sure why this is considered a one-bowl cake (I don't mean to nitpick, but when it's part of the recipe description, you want to be a bit more accurate I think). I don't mind using as many bowls as are needed. And the cake batter did not need a mixer--a balloon whisk was fine, but honestly, to get smooth buttercream, you really need a mixer. I decorated the cake with fresh blackberries around the top edge and put three in the top middle too. It smells delicious and looks gorgeous. My guests arrive at 5!
Thanks so much for sharing your review, TS. SO happy your cake turned out great!
Regarding the one bowl- I do make the cake itself with one bowl. I use a measuring cup for the butter as well as the blackberries. When I saying "one bowl", I'm referring to one main bowl and no mixer necessary.
I'm sorry that you had trouble with the icing. I haven't had my mixer out in years so I do make my buttercream icing with just a bowl and a whisk and it comes out nice and creamy as you can see in the pictures.I wonder if your butter wasn't soft enough. That's definitely one of the secrets.
Hope you have a lovely evening and your guests enjoy the cake! I had to give away and freeze what we had left over to keep from eating way too much 😂
The cake was a huge hit! Like you, I gave half of it away and still have some left. It is delicious! For my frosting, I used Irish butter and it was at room temperature, but still was finicky. It turned out fine though, with the bit of extra cooling and rewhipping. I'm thinking my whisking arm is not as strong as yours, which may be why I had to pull out the hand mixer. 😉 Thank you!
Thanks for the review, TS!
You have made a lovely cake..
Thank you for sharing a perfect Spring cake..