A light, fluffy cake batter made with butter, lemon, creamy ricotta cheese, and vanilla, swirled with sweet blueberries and baked into an almost pudding-like texture. What makes this blueberry pudding cake so special? Ribbons of blueberry jam and whipped egg whites give it that unique, melt-in-your-mouth feel. It’s delicate, delicious, and just a little surprising. Finish it off with a sprinkle of flaked sea salt and a generous dollop of whipped cream for the perfect treat any time of day!
When I first decided to bake this cake, I’ll be honest—I thought it could either turn out amazing…or a total mess.
I was mixing a few different cake ideas into one, and with baking, you never really know how it’ll turn out until it comes out of the oven. I pictured a soft, airy cake with a slightly pudding-like center—light, tender, and packed with juicy blueberries.
I was a little nervous, but to my surprise (and excitement!), the very first try turned out just right! It was beautiful, delicious, and honestly not too hard to make.
The inspiration for this recipe came from my mom. She adores anything with a creamy, pudding-like texture, so the second she heard what I was dreaming up, she insisted I had to make it.
And honestly? This would be the perfect Mother’s Day cake. A little fancier than your usual blueberry cake but still simple and absolutely delicious!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- salted butter
- granulated sugar
- lemon zest
- whole milk ricotta cheese (or you can swap in sour cream)
- eggs (make sure to separate the whites from the yolks)
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, don’t thaw them)
- blueberry jam
- lots of whipped cream
Ingredients for the glaze:
- lemon juice
- powdered sugar
- coarse sugar
- flaked or coarse salt
Special Tools:
An electric mixer is handy—I use a hand mixer for the batter and a stand mixer for the egg whites, but you could use just one for both. You’ll also need a mixing bowl, a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan, and a spatula.
Steps:
Step 1: Make the batter
In a bowl, beat the butter with the sugar and lemon zest until it’s nice and fluffy. Add in 3 egg yolks, the ricotta cheese, and vanilla. Next, mix in the dry ingredients, then stir in the milk.
Try to get the batter as smooth as possible—it’ll make folding in the egg whites much easier.
Step 2: Whip the egg whites
Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form (about 3 minutes).
Then, gently fold the whipped whites into the batter using a spatula. This is what gives the cake its dreamy, pudding-like center.
Step 3: The blueberries and the swirl
Before adding the blueberries to the batter, I like to toss them with a little flour—this keeps them from sinking to the bottom while baking.
Now mix the berries into the batter.
Finally, swirl blueberry jam on top. This makes the cake extra pretty—don’t skip it!
Step 4: Baking
Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes. The longer you bake it, the less pudding-like the center will be. I go for 55 minutes and tent the cake with foil at the 30-minute mark to keep the top from browning too much.
Step 5: The glaze
This glaze is super light—just lemon juice, a touch of powdered sugar, coarse sugar, and flaked salt.
Drizzle it over the warm cake and let it set for a few minutes.
Step 6: Serving with lots of whipped cream
I love slicing the cake while it’s still warm and piling on lightly whipped vanilla cream. And I mean a lot of whipped cream—it’s our favorite part!
Vanilla ice cream would work too, but we’re team whipped cream for this one.
Make Ahead:
If you want to prep the cake a few days early, it keeps really well—just store it covered in a cool place (without the whipped cream on top). That makes it perfect for brunch or dessert when you want to plan ahead!
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