Mixed Berry Cake with Buttermilk

This Mixed Berry Cake is what summer baking should look like: a tender, buttery buttermilk cake absolutely bursting with juicy berries. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, currants — use a mix, pile them in, and don’t worry if every slice looks a little different. That’s part of the charm.

And there are a lot of berries here. More than half a kilo! Which means the cake is wonderfully jammy in places, soft and moist in the middle, and just sweet enough to still taste like the fruit you put into it. Apple sauce and buttermilk keep the crumb tender, while muscovado sugar and a hint of cinnamon bring a little warmth and depth.

Best of all? This is a two-bowl, no-mixer kind of cake. Exactly the sort of easy summer bake I love.

What You’ll Need for This Mixed Berry Cake

The ingredient list for this summer berry cake is refreshingly simple. The berries do most of the talking, while buttermilk, apple sauce and a little butter create that soft, tender crumb.

• White spelt flour (Type 630): My favourite here for its delicate, slightly nutty flavour. All-purpose flour works just as well.
• Baking powder and baking soda: A combination that gives the cake a nice lift, especially with the acidity of the buttermilk.
• Ceylon cinnamon and sea salt: Just a hint of warmth to bring out the flavour of the berries.
• Buttermilk: Adds tenderness and a subtle tang that is so good with summer fruit.
• Butter: Just enough for a little richness and that unmistakable buttery cake flavour.
• Muscovado sugar: Less one-note than regular white sugar, with a deeper caramel-like flavour.
• Apple sauce: Keeps the crumb beautifully moist and naturally adds a little sweetness.
• Eggs: For structure and a tender, cohesive crumb.
• Fresh mixed berries: Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, currants — whatever looks good and tastes good. A mix of sweet and tart berries is especially delicious.

For a little extra flavour:

I like to swap 25 g of the white spelt flour for whole-wheat spelt flour. It’s a small addition, but it gives the cake a slightly nuttier, more interesting flavour that’s especially good with sweet-tart summer berries.

How to Make This Easy Mixed Berry Cake

This mixed berry buttermilk cake is wonderfully low-effort: two bowls, no mixer and very little fuss. The main thing to remember is to be gentle with the batter and all those lovely berries.

1) Get the cake tin ready

Grease your springform tin and line the base with baking parchment. With such a soft, fruit-packed cake, that little bit of preparation makes removing it from the tin much easier.

2) Mix wet and dry separately

Whisk the flour, raising agents, cinnamon and salt together in one bowl. In another, whisk the buttermilk with the melted butter, muscovado sugar, apple sauce and eggs until smooth.

3) Bring the berry cake batter together

Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and gently fold everything together. Stop as soon as it is barely combined. A light hand here means a softer cake later.

4) Add all those berries

Now for the best part. Gently fold in the berries, trying not to crush the softer ones too much. There is a generous amount of fruit, so don’t be alarmed if it looks like berries held together by cake batter. That’s exactly what we want!

5) Bake until golden

Spread the batter into the prepared tin and bake until golden on top and cooked through in the centre. Give it a little time to cool before removing the springform sides. Serve slightly warm or let it cool completely. It’s delicious both ways!

The exact quantities, oven temperature and baking time for this Mixed Berry Cake are in the printable recipe card below.

Tips for the Best Mixed Berry Cake

• Don’t overmix. Fold the batter only until combined to keep the crumb light and tender.
• Mix up the berries. Blueberries and strawberries bring sweetness, while raspberries, blackberries and currants add a lovely tart edge.
• Be gentle with softer fruit. Fold raspberries and blackberries in carefully so some remain intact and others bake into delicious jammy pockets.
• Add a little wholegrain flavour. I like to replace 25 g of the white spelt flour with whole-wheat spelt flour. It’s a small swap that adds a subtle nutty note.

Reasons to Love This Mixed Berry Cake

• It’s bursting with berries. More than half a kilo means juicy, jammy fruit in every slice.
• It stays beautifully moist. Buttermilk and apple sauce give the cake a soft, tender crumb.
• It isn’t too sweet. The berries remain the star, with muscovado sugar adding just enough caramel-like sweetness.
• No mixer needed. Two bowls and a whisk are all you need.
• It’s endlessly adaptable. Use whichever combination of fresh berries looks best — especially a mix of sweet and tart varieties.

More Easy Fruit Cakes

If you love this recipe, there’s plenty more fruit-filled baking to try. For more summer berries, try my Mixed Berry Crumble Cake or this super easy to make Strawberry Cake. And when plum season arrives, my Plum Cake with Walnut Crumble or my buttermilk Plum Crumble Cake are two delicious ways to keep the seasonal baking going.

Elle

Mixed Berry Cake with Buttermilk

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This easy Mixed Berry Cake is packed with fresh summer berries and made with buttermilk, apple sauce and spelt flour for a soft, moist crumb. A simple, not-too-sweet berry cake that comes together without a mixer.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

KochmodusDisplay bleibt an

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 10 slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Baking

Calories: 166

KochmodusDisplay bleibt an

Ingredients

  

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Dry Ingredients (Bowl 1):

• 200 g white spelt flour Type 630 or all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (phosphate-free)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (Ceylon)

Wet Ingredients (Bowl 2):

• 1/2 cup buttermilk (125 ml)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted (30 g)
• 70 g brown muscovado sugar
• 130 g unsweetened apple sauce (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 large eggs

Fruit:

• 500–550 g fresh mixed berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries, blackberries or currants (about 3 1/2 cups)

Instructions

 

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease a Ø24 cm springform pan with butter and line the base with baking parchment.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, sugar, apple sauce and eggs until smooth and well combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold until just barely combined. Be careful not to overmix.
5. Gently fold in the mixed berries until evenly distributed.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
7. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully release the cake from the springform pan. Leave to cool further or serve slightly warm. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 166kcal

Notes

• For a little extra flavour: I like to swap 25 g of the white spelt flour for whole-wheat spelt flour. It’s a small addition, but it gives the cake a slightly nuttier, more interesting flavour that’s especially good with sweet-tart summer berries.

For a relaxing atmosphere in the kitchen I recommend my personal Elle Republic: Chilled Out Kitchen Tunes Playlist on Spotify.

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