Blueberry Chocolate Cake with Blueberry Filling

This blueberry chocolate cake has 3 fudgy and moist chocolate cake layers filled with blueberry compote. It's frosted with creamy blueberry frosting and has milk chocolate ganache swirled on top of the cake. It's the most indulgent, beautiful cake for Summer!

If you haven't tried blueberries and chocolate together, you're in for a treat. This blueberry chocolate cake is a layer cake with the perfect combination of rich and fruity flavors. 

The base is a rich chocolate cake (I used the same recipe for this chocolate pistachio cake) with homemade blueberry cake filling bursting with fresh jammy flavor. The fluffy blueberry buttercream adds even more blueberry flavor and the shiny ganache topping ties everything together for the perfect balance! 

I have lots of blueberry recipes on my website, but this one takes the cake (pun intended!). If you love fresh blueberries, try blueberry shortcake, blueberry crumble cheesecake, white chocolate blueberry cookies, or blueberry cheesecake cookies next.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Rich, decadent chocolate cake-  Like my chocolate ganache cake, truffle cake, and crunch cake, this chocolate blueberry cake has ultra moist cake layers with Dutch-processed cocoa powder. If you're a chocolate lover, this is the cake for you!
• Jammy blueberry filling-  The filling is made with frozen blueberries so you can make this cake year-round!
• Blueberry frosting-  The frosting is made with freeze-dried blueberries for a natural blueberry flavor. This is a shortcut so you don't have to make more blueberry sauce. They also give the frosting a natural purple hue!
• The perfect special treat-  There are quite a few steps needed to complete this cake, but all of them are easy, especially if you follow the step by step instructions below. It's a labor of love and perfect for a birthday celebration or any special occasion.

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes about the ingredients used. For quantities and full instructions, see the recipe card below.

• Cocoa powder- I love dutch-process cocoa powder, which is has its acidity neutralized for a deeper color and flavor. Unsweetened natural cocoa powder works too, but the color and flavor will be lighter. You can also use a combination like I did in this chocolate espresso cake.
• Vegetable oil- Oil-based cakes are super moist and stay that way for days! You can use any neutral oil like canola oil or avocado oil. Olive oil is a good option, but avoid coconut oil.
• Granulated sugar- Sweetens the cake but also keeps it moist- which is why it's important to not reduce the sugar!
• Large eggs- Room temperature eggs bind all the ingredients together and add lift and richness.
• Sour cream- This adds a slight tang and creamy texture to the cake. Make sure it is full fat!
• Vanilla extract- Use pure vanilla extract in the cake and frosting for the best flavor.
• Buttermilk- I love to bake with buttermilk but it has acid that cuts the gluten strands, creating a super fluffy, tender cake.
• All purpose flour- I use this flour in most of my cake recipes. I highly recommend weighing it in grams with a digital scale since it's easy to overmeasure!
• Baking powder and baking soda- These leaveners react with heat and acid to help the cake rise. Make sure to check the expiration date before using! Ideally you should replace these every 6 months so they don't lose potency.
• Salt- A pinch of salt in the cake and frosting enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness. Use Kosher salt or sea salt for the best results.
• Blueberries- Use frozen regular blueberries or wild blueberries to make the blueberry cake filling. Frozen blueberries have more water than fresh ones, which creates the perfect jammy consistency!
• Lemon juice- Fresh lemon juice enhances the tartness of the blueberries in the filling.
• Unsalted butter- Use softened unsalted butter in the buttercream to control the amount of salt.
• Powdered sugar- This sweetens the buttercream and adds structure by drawing out extra moisture. It's also known as confectioners sugar or icing sugar.
• Chocolate (not pictured)- You can use milk chocolate chips or a chopped chocolate bar for the ganache. Semi-sweet chocolate works too, but I'd avoid dark or bittersweet chocolate because the extra cocoa solids in it makes the ganache too thick.
• Heavy cream (not pictured)- Creates a glossy, smooth emulsion with the chocolate for the ganache. Don't substitute milk or half and half! The ganache will be way too thin.

Substitutions and Variations

• Hot water substitute: You can also use freshly brewed hot coffee. Don't worry, you won't be able to taste the coffee! It just deepens the chocolate flavor more.
• Sour cream substitute: My favorite substitute for sour cream is unsweetened plain Greek yogurt.
• Different fruit: You can make this cake with frozen and freeze-dried strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries instead of blueberries.
• Different frosting: Feel free to frost the cake with chocolate mascarpone frosting, whipped chocolate ganache, or cream cheese frosting instead.

Helpful Equipment and Tools

Bake the cake in three 6 inch cake pans. It also works in 2 8 or 9 inch pans. I always recommend non-stick metal pans because they heat up more evenly than glass or silicone pans do.

For the filling, you need a medium saucepan. For the frosting, you need either an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

A food processor or blender is helpful for pulverizing the dried blueberries, but you can also smash them by hand.

To decorate the cake, I highly recommend using an icing scraper and palette knife to smooth everything out evenly.

A cake turntable also makes decorating so easy! A good turntable is a bit of an investment but so worth it if you make a lot of cakes like I do.

Step by Step Instructions: Chocolate Cake

Step 1: Start by whisking the cocoa powder and boiling water together in a large mixing bowl until smooth. This blooms the cocoa and strengthens the flavor.

Step 2: Whisk in the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, and sour cream until evenly combined.

Step 3: Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold until no streaks of flour remain.

Step 4: Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached.

Step 5: Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pans for approximately 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges to loosen them, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely for about 40 minutes.

Step by Step Instructions: Blueberry Frosting

Step 1: Pulse the freeze-dried blueberries into a powder. Then cream the room temperature butter and salt on medium-high speed for 10 minutes in a stand mixer or in the bowl of an electric hand mixer.

Step 2: Once light and fluffy, gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low speed one cup at a time.

Add the blueberry powder and vanilla, mixing on medium speed until creamy and well combined.

Step by Step Instructions: Ganache

Step 1: Place your chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Microwave the heavy cream in a separate bowl for about 1 minute or until it's bubbling on the sides. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds.

Step 2: Whisk the chocolate and cream together until smooth.

Cover with a piece of plastic wrap touching the surface and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until it thickens to a peanut butter consistency.

Assembling the Cake

Step 1: Fit a piping bag with a large piping tip and fill with frosting. Place one cake layer on a cake stand and spread ½ cup frosting on it.

Pipe a circle around the edges of the cake and fill the center with blueberry jam. The frosting acts as a dam to keep the filling from seeping out.

Step 2: Repeat the first step with the second layer, then firmly place the last layer on top with the flat side facing up. 

Apply a thin layer of buttercream, known as a crumb coat, over the top and sides of the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes, or until the frosting feels dry to the touch.

Step 3: After the crumb coat has chilled, apply the final coat of frosting. Start by spreading a generous amount of frosting on the top of the cake and use an offset spatula to smooth it out. Then, frost the sides, working from the top down. Use a bench scraper to smooth the sides and top, turning the cake as you go so it's even.

Step 4: Spread the ganache on top of the cake. Add fresh blueberries, flowers, sprinkles, or any decoration you want. Slice and enjoy!

Expert Baking Tips

1. Use room temperature ingredients. Pull your eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, and butter out of the refrigerator 1-2 hours before you start baking to reach room temperature. They will mix in better for a velvety smooth batter and frosting!
2. Use a scale. For accuracy, measure your ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale. If you don't weigh the ingredients, make sure to measure your flour correctly using the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and swipe the excess flour back into the flour bag with a butter knife.
3. Don't overmix. Mix the batter by hand until lumps and clumps are gone.
4. Let the cake cool completely before decorating. It will take 1-2 hours for the cakes to reach room temperature, so you might want to wait to make the ganache. If the cake is hot, the frosting and ganache will melt and slide off.
5. Use leftover blueberry filling. If you have filling leftover, use it to make blueberry cheesecake overnight oats or a yogurt parfait!

Storage Instructions

Cover the cake with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to keep it moist. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Bring it to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.

Freezing

Freezing whole cake: Wrap the blueberry chocolate cake tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then freeze it for up to three months. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Freezing slices: Wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container to protect from freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw the slices in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 1-2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Cake Recipes to Try

📖 Recipe

Blueberry Chocolate Cake

Megan Weimer

This blueberry chocolate cake 3 fudgy and moist chocolate cake layers filled with blueberry compote. It's frosted with creamy blueberry frosting and has ganache on top. It's a beautiful cake for Summer!

4.75 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 50 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Cooling Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 slices

Calories 704.2 kcal

Equipment

• 3 6-inch cake pans
• 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment

Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

.5x1x2x

Chocolate Cake

• 75 grams dutch processed cocoa powder
• 180 grams hot water
• 120 grams vegetable oil
• 280 grams granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 120 grams sour cream room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 120 grams buttermilk room temperature
• 180 grams all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Blueberry Filling

• 150 grams frozen blueberries
• 50 grams granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Blueberry Frosting

• 28 grams freeze-dried blueberries
• 227 grams unsalted butter room temperature
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 200 grams powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

• 120 grams milk chocolate chips
• 60 grams heavy cream

Instructions

 

Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 3 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
• Whisk cocoa powder and hot water together in a large bowl until there are no lumps to bloom the cocoa.
  75 grams dutch processed cocoa powder, 180 grams hot water
• Add the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until combined. Stream in the buttermilk.
  120 grams vegetable oil, 280 grams granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 120 grams sour cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 120 grams buttermilk
• Use a rubber spatula to fold flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl until the dry streaks of flour disappear.
  180 grams all purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
• Evenly pour the batter into the cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
• Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Blueberry Filling

• Place frozen blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring gently, until the blueberries release their juices.
  150 grams frozen blueberries, 50 grams granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir continuously for an additional 10 minutes. Use your spatula or a fork to mash the softened berries.
• Bring the mixture to a boil. As soon as it starts boiling, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a heat-proof bowl or jar. Cool to room temperature and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Blueberry Frosting

• Grind freeze-dried blueberries into a fine powder using a food processor or blender. Set the powder aside.
  28 grams freeze-dried blueberries
• Place room temperature butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or use a hand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed for 10 minutes, pausing after 5 minutes to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
  227 grams unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon salt
• When the butter is fluffy, gradually add the powdered sugar while mixing on low speed.
  200 grams powdered sugar
• On medium-low speed, blend in the blueberry powder and vanilla extract.
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

• Place chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl. Warm the heavy cream in a medium bowl in the microwave for 1 minute or until it begins to bubble around the edges. Pour it over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds.
  120 grams milk chocolate chips, 60 grams heavy cream
• Gently whisk the chocolate and cream together until they are smooth and fully blended.
• Place plastic wrap over the bowl and chill for 1-2 hours until thickened to a soft, pliable consistency.

Assembly

• Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a tip. Place one cake layer on a cake stand and pipe a thick border of frosting around the edges. Fill the center with half of the blueberry filling. Repeat with the second layer.
• Place the last layer on top with the flat side facing up. Spread a thin coat of frosting all over the cake to lock in crumbs (crumb coat). Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes until the frosting is dry to the touch.
• Apply a final thick layer of frosting all over the cake, smoothing with an offset spatula and icing smoother.
• Spread the ganache on top of the cake. Garnish with fresh blueberries, flowers, sprinkles, or other decoration. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Let the cake cool completely before assembling or the frosting will melt off.

Storage: Keep the cake in an airtight container or cake carrier in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To prevent the cut edges from drying out, cover them with additional frosting.

Freezing: Wrap the entire cake tightly in plastic wrap, then add a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze it as is or in a cake carrier for up to 3 months. For individual slices, wrap each one in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 704.2kcalCarbohydrates: 84.8gProtein: 5.7gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 19.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9.4gTrans Fat: 0.8gCholesterol: 96.7mgSodium: 532mgPotassium: 258.9mgFiber: 4gSugar: 63.9gVitamin A: 805.7IUVitamin C: 1.8mgCalcium: 100.2mgIron: 2.2mg

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