Blueberry Cake with an Oat Crisp Crust + Blueberry Compote
It’s the 1st cake of the new year, and that’s something very celebrated at our home! I was eager + excited to play with flavors, get creative with frosting + piping, and drop-kick my diet for the weekend. I went big for the inaugural 2025 cake bake - homemade filling, a baked in crust, all the fun colors - giving it all the things. The final product: a Blueberry Cake with an Oat Crisp Crust + Blueberry Compote that was chef’s kiss good. Clearly very homemade + piping that admittedly needs some work (what’s new!), but cutting into it had defined layers, lots of flavor, and what I would deem an inviting slices of cake. And more importantly, I had fun putting it together + I give its decor a “good enough” stamp of approval.
Current obsession: blueberries
The blueberries are insane right now! Big, juicy, + sweet, and emphasis on big. They are freaking huge and so so delicious. I can’t stop buying them, and putting them in my cake was 100% happening. Queue the fresh blueberry compote + the blueberry cake.
For the compote - easiest thing ever to make! Seriously, if you’re not making your fresh compotes for cake fillings, you’re missing out on the sweetest, freshest, and best dessert filling. Cook the berries low + slow, add in some lemon juice along with some sugar, and voilà! You’ve got yourself a compote.
For the blueberry cake - genuine blueberry flavor comes from pureeing fresh berries. All said + done, the cake tasted like a blueberry donut. It was light + fluffy, and had a super nice texture, but for some reason just reminded me of a classic blueberry donut. It naturally takes on this bold purplish-blue color as a result of the pureed fresh berries, but spoiler - the fully baked cakes took on a bit of green hue. Not going to lie, it was a bit shocking and kind of a bummer. It was like all of that pretty purple sort of dissipated, and the cake just took on this green-ish hue. But whatever - I was committed to keeping it all natural. That being said, you can totally add a drop or 2 of blue food coloring in to protect that flavor, and steer clear of any green hues.
A crispy + buttery oat crust
One of the biggest compliments Jordan sends my way is when cake making is on the agenda is the eager + sweet way he asks “are you making one with a crust.” In the past I’ve made a graham cracker or shortbread crust that’s pre-baked in the bottom of my cake pan + the cake bakes right on top, naturally fusing the 2 elements together and giving my cakes a fun + crunchy crust. And I love that he loves that kind of cake because so do i! For something a little different, I experimented with an oat crust, and I’m kind of obsessed.
I took my favorite oat crumble filling + tried baking it as the base for my cakes - literally crossing my fingers the entire time that I wouldn’t have a total fail on my hands. Spoiler - it worked flawlessly + it was delish! Think thin, crispy, buttery oatmeal cookie crust with a soft + buttery cake baked on top. That was the vibe + it was a delight!
If it’s not colorful I don’t want it
For the frosting, the theme for me is just having fun. It relaxes me, it’s fun to see small improvements in just one aspect of cake decorating each time I embark on a cake bake, and I just enjoy it. In this instance, the frosting was the perfect consistency + getting some smooth edges going from the get-go was a true triumph. The piping admittedly needs some improvement, but she’s a cute + bright + fun cake, and I’m proud of her
A fun first bake, and I’m looking forward to where else the cake journey takes me in 2025!
For the oat crisp bottom
3/4 c. oats
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. all purpose flour
4 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
For the cake
1 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 c. almond milk
3/4 c. butter, at room temp
1 2/3 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/3 c. sour cream
For the compote
2 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 c. sugar
juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water
For the frosting (I made 2 1/2 batches to ensure I had enough to frost + fill my cake)
1 stick of butter, at room temp
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temp
4 c. powdered sugar
pinch of salt
Start by prepping 3 6-inch baking pans by dusting each with flour + lining the bottom with parchment. Preheat the oven to 375.
For the oat crisp bottom - Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl + mix together. The consistency should be like wet sand. Distribute the crumb evenly among the prepared baking pans. Press the crumble firmly into the bottom of each pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes - the crumble should be browned + slightly darker on the edges.
Let the pans cool + turn off the oven for 10-15 minutes. Slightly crack the open the oven door if needed. You’ll want to reheat the oven to 325.
For the cake - Start by making the blueberry puree. Heat the berries over medium low heat until the soften and become tender - about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender with the almond milk, and blend. Set aside. Add the butter + sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, and cream together on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. With the speed on low, add in the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla. Increase the speed to medium low until the ingredients are fully mixed in. Add in half of the flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mix on low. With the speed still on low, add in half of the blueberry puree. Add in the remainder of the flour, and then the remainder of the blueberry puree. Slowly increase the speed to medium, and whip at medium for 1 minute. Reduce the heat back to low + add in the sour cream. When fully mixed in and you have a smooth batter, evenly distribute the batter among the prepared baking pans. Each pan should be about 70% full. Bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes. When full cooked, the cakes should pass the toothpick test.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pan + let them cool at room temperature for an hour. Proceed to trim the tops, wrap each cake tightly in plastic, and freeze.
For the compote - Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir everything together + bring the mixture to a light simmer. Keep the mixture on a light simmer for 12-15 minutes, lowering the temperature if needed and stirring regularly to make sure it doesn’t burn. The mixture should be thick + syrupy. Turn off the heat + let the compote cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container + place in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
For the frosting (I make this right before I start assembling my cake) - Add the butter + cream cheese to an electric mixer, and cream together. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on a low to medium low speed. When all of the powdered sugar is mixed in, mix on medium for one minute, add in the salt, and increase the speed to high for 2 to 3 minutes.
To assemble the cake, follow these steps:
Place a dollop of frosting on a cardboard cake base
Remove one of the frozen cake layers and place on the cardboard base with the trimmed side up. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top. Pipe a thick ring around the border of the cake, and fill with a thing layer of the blueberry compote.
Place another cake layer on top. Repeat step 2. Top with the final cake layer.
Dirty ice the cake + place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Proceed to decorate the cake with your favorite piping + decorative techniques!