Adapted from the Wednesday Wine Bunch Cookbook (1970s)
Your New Favorite Summer Cake
This recipe comes from a cookbook created by a group of friends in Los Alamos, New Mexico, sometime in 1970s. It was submitted by Marie Filip, who is of Czech descent — which makes her contribution of Bublanina a particularly fitting one.
A traditional Czechoslovakian sponge cake typically made with blueberries or cherries, Bublanina takes its name from the Czech word for ‘bubble,’ referring to the way the batter rises up and envelops the fruit as it bakes. It’s the kind of recipe that carries a sense of place and history with it — both Marie’s and the cake’s own.
This dessert is versatile enough to work as a breakfast cake, a brunch centerpiece, or a casual dessert dusted with powdered sugar.
What to Expect
The cake itself has the tender texture of a good coffee cake, built on simple pantry ingredients and a technique that’s very straightforward. The batter starts with creamed butter and sugar, enriched with egg yolks, then lightened by folding in separately beaten egg whites — it’s this step that gives the cake its delicate crumb. The blueberries go on top before baking, and as the batter rises around them, they sink just slightly into the surface, releasing their juices into the cake as it bakes.
While the streusel topping was listed as optional in the original recipe, I’d strongly recommend adding it. I tested both versions and the streusel won hands down — the sweet, buttery topping adds a richness to every bite and makes the cake a bit more interesting.
A Few Notes
This cake is best enjoyed the day it is baked, however you can bake it a day ahead of time and store it at room temperature.
Leftovers keep well covered in the refrigerator, just remove the cake from the refrigerator prior to serving to bring it to room temperature.
I have not tested the recipe with frozen blueberries, however I believe that they can be used as a substitute with the proper handling. Add them directly from the freezer without thawing, and if they have excess ice crystals, gently shake or pat them dry before topping the cake. The cake may require a few extra minutes of baking time; it is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Drop a comment below if you made this recipe – I’d love to know!
Marie Filip’s Bublanina Blueberry Cake
Ingredients
Streusel topping
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Cake
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 4 eggs separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fresh blueberries (or pitted cherries)
Optional
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour a 13 × 9-inch baking pan.
Prepare the streusel
- Stir together the flour, sugar, and melted butter until crumbly. Set aside.
Prepare the cake
- Whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, salt – and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the 4 egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Add the vanilla and lemon zest, mix to incorporate, 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 and Bake
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Scatter the blueberries (or cherries) evenly over the batter.
- Sprinkle streusel on top of the fruit.
- Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes; it is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serve
- Cool in the pan before slicing.
- Serve slightly warm or at room temperature; dust with powdered sugar if desired.
YIELD
- 8 large or 12 medium servings.
