If you've been looking for a blueberry chiffon cake that is bursting with blueberry flavor this is the cake for you. It's light and fluffy and made with blueberry sponge cakes with no artificial coloring or flavoring involved.
Cake! Who doesn't love cake! Okay honestly, I know a couple of people who don't love cake but I love a slice of cake because you can add so many components and toppings to create a really simple or complex cake. My Berry Chantilly Cake is almost similar to this blueberry chiffon cake but not as light due to the different textures of the cake. But this matcha cake is the exact same concept just flavored differently.
Here's why you'll love this recipe:
- Not too sweet cake- chiffon cake layers with a perfectly sweetened cream cheese whipped cream
- Light and refreshing- Ever need a slice of cake without wanting to feel too heavy after eating it? This is the one!
- Versatile- Change up the blueberries for any freeze-dried fruits you may find, of skip the freeze-dried fruits for an easier cake
- Seasonal- Luckily when blueberries are out of season, they aren't too expensive. Freeze dried blueberries can be found year-round and you can also use frozen blueberries.
What is the difference between a chiffon cake and a sponge cake?
Chiffon cakes are a hybrid version of all the best cakes combined into one. Sponge cakes don't use any fat, while angel food cakes call for no egg yolks. A chiffon cake has a combination of egg yolks, fat and sometimes baking powder is added to help with the rising of the cake. Sponge cakes are usually made with just a few simple ingredients, but the cake turns out to be very dry later and needs a simple syrup to moisten the cake.
Go to Recipe
Blueberry chiffon cake ingredients:
- Cake Flour: The best flour to use when making cakes. Cake flour has a lower protein in the flour which means it will create a more tender and lighter crumb.
Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. Room temperature egg whites can whip up more easily. (Make sure not to use boxed eggs or egg whites) - Sugar: The sugar in the cake helps tenderize the cake layers and sweeten the cake. Sugar is also added to the egg whites to help stabilize the egg whites before it turns into a meringue that gets folded into the cake batter.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil like canola oil, or vegetable oil. This cake is light, the cake will take on whatever form of oil you use. Butter can also be substituted but will produce a drier and more dense cake.
- Vanilla Extract: Helps flavor the cake, you don't want the cake to taste eggy.
- Freeze dried blueberries: You can find freeze dried blueberries online at amazon, trader joes, or my favorite place to get them at is target.
- Blueberries: You want a bit of fresh blueberries in every bite but can alternately change it for fresh berries.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy Cream is found in the dairy aisle, make sure not to get cool whip from the freezer section, not the same thing!
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is my favorite trick to getting a stable whipped cream without adding artificial preservatives.
See recipe card for full measurements.
Let's make Blueberry chiffon cake!
Chiffon Cake:
Add freeze dried blueberries to food processor or coffee grinder and grind until fine.
In a large mixing bowl, mix oil, cake flour, blueberry powder.
The mixture will be thick.
Add egg yolks from separated eggs and milk, the batter will be thinner now. (See next step)
Separate eggs into two separate bowls. Add the egg yolk mixture to the cake batter and whisk until combined.
In the bowl of your stand mixer with a whisk attachment (make sure it's clean and dry) beat the egg whites on low speed. Once tiny bubbles begin forming gradually add sugar in thirds,
Meringue stage after adding in the sugar, keep beating as it will stiffen later.
Beat on medium speed until soft/stiff peaks form. (This can be done in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer also just takes a bit longer)
Gently fold a third of the whipped egg whites into the cake batter until the there are no more streaks of egg whites. (scrape sides of the bowl) Then pour the cake batter into the remaining whipping egg whites folding in the rest of the meringue carefully, making sure not to deflate them.
Final blueberry chiffon cake batter
Divide and pour batter evenly into three 6-inch cake pans. Place the pans in a larger baking pan filled with water (water bath).
Bake at 325°F in a preheated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops of the cake are golden brown.
Once baked, flip the cake tin onto a cooling rack and let them cool upside down.
Sponge cakes should naturally invert itself on the cooling rack. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap until needed.
Blueberry Filling:
Wash blueberries and placing them into a medium saucepan.
Add sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the blueberries soften and release their juices.
Mash the blueberries with a spoon or potato masher to your desired texture.
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry, then add it to the blueberry mixture, stirring constantly.
Continue to cook the mixture until it thickens, which should take 2-4 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow the filling to cool for 15-20 minutes before using.
Whipped Cream:
In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment add in your softened cream cheese, vanilla extract and sugar. Scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently until there are no more clumps. Add in the heavy cream and mix on low until the cream cheese is mixed in. Change the attachment to the whisk and whip on medium high speed until almost stiff peaks.
Blueberry whipped cream (optional):
Take 1 cup of the whipped cream and add freeze dried blueberry powder to the whipped cream to decorate on top of the cake.
Blueberry Chiffon Cake Assembly:
Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake turntable. Spread a thin layer of whip cream on top with an offset spatula and pipe a border around the edges.
Spread the blueberry filling in the center of the cake then repeat with remaining layers.
3 layer cake
Apply a thin layer of whipped cream over the entire cake (crumb coat). Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to set.
Frost the cake with the remaining whipped cream and decorate. Chill blueberry chiffon cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Blueberry Chiffon Cake Variations:
Fill the center of the cake with different fillings
- Fresh Berries
- Lemon Curd
- Blueberry Jam
Whipped Cream Frosting:
- Strawberry Whipped Cream
- Plain Whipped cream
Jen's Chiffon Cake Tips
Mixing the Oil with Flour- This helpful step only doesn't just make the process easier to mix and fold in the ingredients it also helps the gluten forming process. You're essentially coating the flour in oil to prevent the production of gluten strands forming.
Over beating the egg whites: Only whip egg whites until stiff, once they look dry and foamy then that's when your egg whites are overbeaten.
Fold the final whipped egg whites into the batter carefully to avoid overfolding and overmixing. You don't want to deflate the cake layers and at the same time you don't want streaks of whipped egg whites in the cake batter.
FAQ
With how chiffon cakes, sponge cakes and angel cakes are they don't need parchment paper. It can still help with clean up but it not needed.
Why did my cake collapse after it cooled down?
Many different reasons can cause this, but my number one tip is the water bath if you made the cake correctly. Water bath allows even heat distribution when the cake is baking just like cheesecake.
Your meringue could be overwhipped which causes the chiffon cake to collapse.
Overmixing the batter and deflating the meringue.
If you love this blueberry chiffon cake, make sure to check out my other cake recipes too! A little complex but worth the extra effort and best of all not too sweet!
Blueberry Chiffon Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Blueberry Chiffon Cake
- 6 Large Eggs
- 120 g Sugar
- 112 g Milk
- 105 g Cake Flour
- 82 g Oil
- 4 ounces freeze dried blueberries
Blueberry Filling
- 1 cup Blueberries
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Zest
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon Water
Whipped Cream
- 4 cups Heavy Cream
- ½ cup Sugar
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract/Vanilla Bean
optional blueberry whipped cream
- 1 cup whipped cream
- 2 tablespoon freeze fried blueberry powder
Instructions
Chiffon Cake:
- Add freeze dried blueberries to food processor or coffee grinder and grind until fine.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix oil, cake flour, blueberry powder.
- Add egg yolks from separated eggs and milk, the batter will be thinner now. (See next step)
- Separate eggs into two separate bowls. Add the egg yolk mixture to the cake batter and whisk until combined.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer with a whisk attachment (make sure it's clean and dry) beat the egg whites on low speed. Once tiny bubbles begin forming gradually add sugar in thirds,
- Beat on medium speed until soft/stiff peaks form. (This can be done in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer also just takes a bit longer)
- Gently fold a third of the whipped egg whites into the cake batter until the there are no more streaks of egg whites. (scrape sides of the bowl) Then pour the cake batter into the remaining whipping egg whites folding in the rest of the meringue carefully, making sure not to deflate them.
- Divide and pour batter evenly into three 6-inch cake pans. Place the pans in a larger baking pan filled with water (water bath).
- Bake at 325°F in a preheated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops of the cake are golden brown.
- Once baked, flip the cake tin onto a cooling rack and let them cool upside down.
- Sponge cakes should naturally invert itself on the cooling rack. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap until needed.
Blueberry Filling:
- Wash blueberries and placing them into a medium saucepan.
- Add sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the blueberries soften and release their juices.
- Mash the blueberries with a spoon or potato masher to your desired texture.
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry, then add it to the blueberry mixture, stirring constantly.
- Continue to cook the mixture until it thickens, which should take 2-4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow the filling to cool for 15-20 minutes before using.
Whipped Cream:
- In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment add in your softened cream cheese, vanilla extract and sugar. Scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently until there are no more clumps. Add in the heavy cream and mix on low until the cream cheese is mixed in. Change the attachment to the whisk and whip on medium high speed until almost stiff peaks.
Blueberry whipped cream (optional):
- Take 1 cup of the whipped cream and add freeze dried blueberry powder to the whipped cream to decorate on top of the cake.
Blueberry Chiffon Cake Assembly:
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake turntable. Spread a thin layer of whip cream on top with an offset spatula and pipe a border around the edges.
- Spread the blueberry filling in the center of the cake then repeat with remaining layers.
- Apply a thin layer of whipped cream over the entire cake (crumb coat). Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to set.
- Frost the cake with the remaining whipped cream and decorate. Chill blueberry chiffon cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
