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Sweet berries and buttery cake are perfectly combined in this very easy six-ingredient Berry Cake recipe.
Berry Cake
If you’ve fallen in love with the Cranberry Christmas Cake and then been sad to find that cranberries are out of season the next time you want to make it, this cake is the answer to your cake-loving dreams.
The biggest comment I get when cranberry season ends is – I can’t find cranberries. Can I use blueberries? Will raspberries work? Can I make this cake with other berries? Lucky for you the answer to all of those questions is a resounding “YES”.
But in all seriousness, make a note and pick up extra bags of cranberries to freeze after Christmas. Sometimes you’ll be lucky enough to find them marked down after a holiday, but either way, pick up as many as you think you’ll want and then grab a few more.
No special treatment or preparation is required when freezing cranberries. Just toss the bags into your freezer for safekeeping.
There is no other cake on this site that gets the rave reviews the Cranberry Christmas Cake does and I am giddy to tell you that this berry cake. It has already gotten some of the same raving reviews.
A friend who shall not be named <cough> 365 Days of Baking <cough> may have helped me consume a ridiculous amount of this cake when I made it again to photograph it a while back.
While I love making this to share with my family, friends, and neighbors, I also enjoy savoring a slice with some quiet time, and a cup of coffee mid-morning.
The texture and crumb are just delightful. The sugary crust is so buttery crisp. I could talk nonstop about this cake – it is that good!
Triple Berry Cake
A cake with only six ingredients is a bit unique, I know. I highly suggest reading the FAQs on the original recipe I adapted this one from.
Click here to learn the secret to how just six ingredients make such a delicious cake.
You’ll need to beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size.
The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip this step. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
This is KEY to this cake. Don’t skip this step. Trust the process.
Berry Cake Recipe
To make this recipe, you will need these six ingredients:
- eggs
- sugar
- butter
- vanilla
- all-purpose flour
- frozen mixed berries
You’ll want to avoid using frozen mixed berries that have huge chunks of strawberries. The larger berries won’t bake up as nicely. My favorite blend of frozen berries for this recipe has blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.
Mid-devouring the berry cake, the first time I made it, I realized lemon zest would be a tasty addition. So, I added a bit of lemon zest the next time. Oddly enough, I preferred it without the hint of lemon as did both of my friends who tried it as well.
Turns out that the berry combination contributes plenty of tangy flavor on its own. However, if you love lemon (and can’t imagine not adding it) the cake made with lemon zest was excellent as well.
Snack Cakes
Quick and easy snack cake recipes have become something I reach for on a regular basis. With minimal effort, you can have a treat on hand or in the freezer ready to share with friends or enjoy with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee.
Tender buttery Peach Coffee Cake is filled with sweet bites of peach and topped with an irresistible brown sugar crumb topping – what is not to love??
Fresh cranberries and a hint of lemon combine in this incredibly moist brown sugar streusel Cranberry Coffee Cake.
Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing is a super moist banana cake filled with pecans and then drizzled with cinnamon cream cheese icing.
Fresh blackberry frosting and citrusy lemon combine in a delicious way in this ultra-moist Lemon Blackberry Cake. Every bite of this cake reminds me of summer.
Berry Cake
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour*
- 2 cups frozen mixed berries see note below
*Gluten-Free Alternative
- 1¼ cups brown rice flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. With a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size. The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip this step. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
- Add the butter and vanilla; mix two more minutes. Stir in the flour until just combined. This will be a very thick batter. Add the berries and stir to mix throughout.
- Transfer the batter to a buttered or parchment lined 9×13 pan. (This pan is my favorite!) Use your hands to press it into an even layer.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. (Mine is typically done in around 42 minutes.)
- Let cool completely before cutting into pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is it possible to cut the sugar in this recipe?
We enjoy it as written, Marda. That would be up to you.
Can you use fresh as opposed to frozen in this recipe?
You certainly could, Sarita.
This sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it! Thank you for your Blog and all you share on it! It is a highlight of my week and am encouragement! God bless!
Angie
That is so sweet of you to say, Angie. I just love sharing the recipes we enjoy on here.
Hi Mary,
I’ve not worked with frozen fruits before. Do you thaw the berries before mixing them in, or add them while still frozen? Or does it matter?
Paul, it really depends on the recipe as to whether you thaw them or not. For this recipe, you can use them frozen.
Can these berry cake bars be frozen for future consumption?
Hi, Cassie. The berry cake should freeze very nicely. I just use Ziploc freezer bags most of the time.
This was a super easy recipe. It turned out tasting liked the yummy topping of a mixed berry muffin. I will definitely make it again.
I’m glad to hear that the recipe was so easy to make! Enjoy the cake, and happy baking.
Can you use dried cranberries?
Hi, Jane! I wouldn’t recommend using dried cranberries for this recipe, as the cake itself is already supposed to have a dense/heavy texture. Without the juicy fresh berries to balance the textures, I’m not sure how well the dessert would turn out.
Made this for a Solstice Celebration! Used a 1to1 gluten free flour and frozen raspberries. the pan was cleaned out! Got so many complements on the cake! It was SO good! Reminded me of a plum cake my Oma used to make.
That’s awesome to hear, Angelia.
I would love to make this Berry Cake, due to it having low potassium of 37mg, however there are only my hubby and myself. I can half all the ingredients except, the egg. Would I use the yolk or the white or would using 2 eggs really throw the recipe off balance. I also know that the cooking time would decrease in an 8×8 pan. Can’t wait to hear from you. Thanks for so many great recipes.
Hi, Linda. You should be okay using two medium-sized eggs in this recipe. We typically use large eggs when baking; if you do that, I’d recommend beating the eggs and reserving roughly a quarter to use somewhere else. I’m glad you’ve been loving the recipes; I hope this berry cake turns out wonderfully!
This cake was so easy to make and turned out beautifully! Baked to eat on a family dog walk and it was robust enough to carry with us sliced up, the whole family loved it!
I’m glad you enjoyed the cake, Rachael!
Hello, I am about to make this recipe. Can I bake it in a Bundt pan?
I’ve never tried that, Sharon.
I’m trying this recipe for the first time was wondering if you could use fresh berries and add a little lemon zest please give me your input well I’ve already done so so I’ll let you know if it works 😉
You bet. Fresh berries and lemon will work nicely. I hope you love the cake!
Delicious! My husband and son loved it and my son requested it for his birthday instead of a traditional cake.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the cake, Susan!
This might be a stupid question but do you use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe?
Never a stupid question, Jasmine. I use salted butter in all of my recipes unless otherwise noted. Happy baking!
My husband and kids said it was the best cake I ever made!
Awe! I love that. I’m glad the cake was a hit.
Hi 👋 I was wondering if this recipe would work for a layer cake??
Hi, Alicia. I haven’t tried making this recipe into a layer cake before; I’m not sure how it would turn out.
I have blueberries, strawberries and leftover cranberries from a can. Will the cranberries work out ok in this recipe? Thank you
Hi, Maureen. I’ve never tried using canned cranberries. If you decide to try it, let me know how it works for you!
Pretty, but way too sweet for my taste.
Sorry the cake wasn’t quite to your liking, Marianne. Hopefully your next dessert is more rewarding. Happy baking!
Great cake recipe! So easy, and so yummy. It was a big hit with the family. Thanks for sharing. Thinking maybe cream cheese would be good in this cake too.
That sounds good too, Cathy!
I’ve just made this berry cake and it’s delicious! How would you recommend storing it? In the fridge or just in a cake tin at room temperature? Thank you!
This cake will keep nicely either way, Patsy. I typically just cover it loosely at room temperature.