Adapted from the Wednesday Wine Bunch Cookbook (1960s/1970s)
Ready to turn your blueberries into something special?
This blueberry cake recipe comes from a cookbook created by a group of friends in Los Alamos, New Mexico, dating back to the 1960s or 70s.
The recipe is for Bublanina, a traditional Czechoslovakian sponge cake that typically features blueberries or cherries—though I think it would be a great base for any summer fruit.
It gets its name from the Czech word for “bubble,” referring to the way the batter rises up and bubbles around the fruit. The Czech provenance of this recipe is fitting, as it was shared by Marie Filip, who is of Czech descent.
The cake has a texture similar to coffee cake and uses simple pantry ingredients and comes together very easily.
The streusel topping was optional, so I tested half with and half without. The streusel version won hands down—the sweet, buttery topping is really delicious paired with the berries.
The result is a moist, light cake bursting with blueberries that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or honestly, any time you want something delicious!
In a small bowl, rub the lemon zest and sugar together with your fingers, to release the oils and infuse the sugar.
With a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the 4 egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. Then add the vanilla, mix to incorporate, and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) and set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the 4 egg whites until stiff.
Add the dry ingredients alternately with beaten egg whites to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Be sure to fold gently to avoid deflating the egg whites too much.
Spread the dough into the prepared pan and arrange fruit evenly across the top. Sprinkle the streusel on top of the fruit.
Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes (cake tester should come out clean).
Cool in pan before slicing and dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Store any leftovers covered, in the refrigerator.
Bublanina Blueberry Cake
Ingredients
Streusel topping
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 5 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Cake
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)
- ¾ cup sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 4 eggs separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups blueberries or pitted cherries
Optional
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Grease and flour a 13×9 inch pan.
Prepare the streusel
- Mix together the ingredients (flour, sugar, melted butter) to combine and set aside.
Prepare the cake
- In a small bowl, rub the lemon zest and sugar together with your fingers, to release the oils and infuse the sugar.
- With a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
- Add the 4 egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Add the vanilla, mix to incorporate, and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the 4 egg whites until stiff.
- Add the dry ingredients alternately with beaten egg whites to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Be sure to fold gently to avoid deflating the egg whites too much.
Assemble
- Spread the dough into the prepared pan.
- Arrange fruit evenly across the top.
- Sprinkle streusel on top of the fruit.
Bake and serve
- Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes (cake tester should come out clean).
- Cool in pan before slicing.
- Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
