This easy recipe for blueberry molasses cake blends the sweet taste of blueberries with the rich flavor of molasses for a perfect simple snacking cake.
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Why we love this recipe 🥰
I always like to have either a pile of freshly baked cookies or a stack of snacking cake squares around at all times, because there is always somebody in my house who needs a little sweet treat, and this blueberry molasses cake is one of my favorite snacking cakes to bake up. Especially in the summer when there are fresh blueberries to be had.
A snacking cake (yes, that is an Official Term) is exactly what it sounds like – a cake whose sole purpose in life is not a birthday or any other special event (we DO have the perfect birthday cake recipe right here if you are looking for that) but rather a simple cake that is usually baked in a square pan or a sheet pan with little or no frosting, and cut up into comforting squares that are perfect for, yep, snacking.
This snacking cake (like most of them) is made out of ingredients you probably have in your pantry right this minute…the only thing you might need to send somebody out for are the blueberries. Meaning you can whip it up whenever the blueberry snacking cake urge strikes.
The molasses gives it a rich flavor that will remind you of gingerbread (and maybe also of Christmas!), and while you don’t have to, I like to shake a little powdered sugar on the top.
Ready to bake up some blueberry happiness in your kitchen? Let’s make it!
Ingredients you need 🫐
Ingredients notes and substitutions 📝
- Molasses: Look for this thick dark sweetener in the baking section of your supermarket.
- Butter: We recommend salted butter for this recipe, but you can use unsalted if you prefer.
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries work best for this cake.
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioner’s sugar, this super finely ground sugar is a lovely topping for this cake, but it is optional.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe 👩🏻🍳
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
STEP 2: Stir flour and baking powder together in a medium sized mixing bowl.
STEP 3: Mix water, molasses and baking soda together in a medium sized mixing bowl.
STEP 5: Put brown sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat at high speed for two minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating the mixture in between.
STEP 6: Add the molasses mixture and beat until combined.
STEP 7: Add the flour mixture and beat the the lowest speed just until it is mixed in. Stir in the blueberries.
STEP 8: Spoon the batter into your baking pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
STEP 9: Cool and then sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into squares and serve!
Recipe FAQs 🧐
Molasses is a thick, dark sweet syrup made by crushing sugar cane and extracting the juice. That juice is boiled several times to extract the sugar crystals and turn the juice into the aromatic brown syrup we know as molasses. There are various kinds of molasses from light molasses (the mildest kind) to blackstrap molasses (the most intense molasses). We recommend regular molasses (not too light, not too dark, just right!) for this recipe. And for these AMAZING molasses cookies!
Fresh berries are the best, but in a pinch you can use frozen. Defrost them in a strainer to let any juice drain out and toss them with a tablespoon of flour before you mix them in.
This cake will last several days if you keep it in a covered container and in the fridge.
Pop your question in the Comments section below the recipe card and I will answer pronto!
Equipment we used for this recipe 🥣
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
- Measuring Spoons: These handy magnetic spoons are not on a ring, so you can just pick the one you need.
- Pyrex Mixing Bowls: These classic sturdy bowls come in all different sizes and are great for everything from mixing ingredients to being casual serving bowls.
- 8 x 8 Baking Pan: This classic square nonstick pan is perfect for baking up everything from snacking cakes to brownies.
- KitchenAid Mixer: This classic workhorse of a mixer is spendy, but it is the best of the best for literally every mixing job you have.
All About Blueberries 🫐
Oh, and if you are looking for everything you ever wanted to know about buying/storing/cooking with blueberries, I’ve got you covered right here.
Hurray for blueberries! And for snacking. 🥰
Other snacking cake recipes we love! ❤️
We want to know what you think! 🤔
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe card.
Blueberry Molasses Cake
This easy recipe for blueberry molasses cake blends the sweet taste of blueberries with the rich flavor of molasses for a perfect simple snacking cake.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups flour
- 2/3 cup boiling water
- 2/3 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups blueberries
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
- Stir flour and baking powder together in a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Mix water, molasses and baking soda together in a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Put brown sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat at high speed for two minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating the mixture in between. Add the molasses mixture and beat until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and beat the the lowest speed just until it is mixed in. Stir in the blueberries.
- Spoon the batter into your baking pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Cool and then sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into squares and serve!
Notes
-
- Molasses: Look for this thick dark sweetener in the baking section of your supermarket.
-
- Butter: We recommend salted butter for this recipe, but you can use unsalted if you prefer.
-
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries work best for this cake.
-
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioner’s sugar, this super finely ground sugar is a lovely topping for this cake, but it is optional.
Ethan says
This cake is amazing! It is perfect when I need a little pick me up at breakfast (which is most days because mornings are hard!)
Mornings definitely need a little blueberry cake!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
The molasses and brown sugar must add such deliciousness to your blueberry cake…it sounds great.
I love anything molasses! And blueberries, of course. :)
Luci's Morsels says
This looks delicious! I’m a sucker for anything with blueberries!
Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.
Same!!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Isn’t your mom so sweet! Yay for homemade lemonade. And yay for this fabulous blueberry cake Kate. I can’t get enough blueberries during the summer. I happily add them to everything! Can’t wait to try this cake. Love the addition of the molasses.
She’s the sweetest! :)
Theresa M says
Perfect timing! I have 3 blueberry bushes in our little home fruit orchard and they are all FULL of little berries, just beginning to form. After making jam and having some on cereal, this will be a great way to use up some of the harvest!
You have blueberry bushes?? I’ll be right over!