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Blackberry Crumble Cake
This Blackberry Crumble Cake is made with layers of tender vanilla almond cake, luscious cream cheese frosting, blackberry jam, fresh blackberries, and a buttery crumble crunch between every layer.
Blackberry Crumble Cake
Blackberries need better PR. Every summer everyone loses their minds over strawberries (understandably), raspberries (also understandable), blueberries (I GET IT), but blackberries are just sitting over there quietly being delicious. Sweet, tart, impossibly juicy, and honestly one of my favorite fruits to bake with.
Case in point: this Blackberry Crumble Cake.
Imagine the fluffiest vanilla almond cake you’ve ever had layered with silky cream cheese frosting, generous swipes of blackberry jam, handfuls of juicy fresh blackberries, and buttery crumble in every single layer. It’s like if your favorite blackberry crisp and a bakery birthday cake decided to join forces. Power couple.
So…what exactly is Blackberry Crumble Cake?
Think of this as the love child of a classic blackberry crumble and a bakery-style layer cake. Instead of serving warm berries under a buttery streusel topping, we’re stacking fluffy vanilla almond cake with luscious cream cheese frosting, blackberry jam, fresh blackberries, and plenty of buttery crumble for texture.
Every bite has something different going on. Creamy. Crunchy. Fruity. Buttery. Soft. It’s basically a masterclass in texture.
And what do you need to make it?
- Fresh Blackberries: If there’s ever a time to splurge on the prettiest berries you can find, this is it. Look for blackberries that are glossy, deeply purple, and just soft enough that you know they’re sweet.
- Blackberry Jam: Jam gives you concentrated blackberry flavor in every bite and helps hold the layers together. (Plus, more blackberries is never a bad thing.) We love Bonne Maman’s blackberry jam!
- Vanilla Almond Cake: The cake itself is buttery, soft, and lightly flavored with almond extract. Blackberry and almond are one of those flavor combinations that make you wonder why they aren’t hanging out together more often.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Tangy, fluffy, and just sweet enough. Cream cheese frosting keeps the whole cake from becoming overly rich and pairs beautifully with the berries.
- Brown Sugar Crumble: Arguably the best part. These little buttery nuggets of cinnamon-spiced crumble add the perfect crunch and make this cake taste like your favorite blackberry crisp in layer cake form.
Tips for Making the Best Blackberry Crumble Cake
Use room temperature ingredients: Room temperature butter, eggs, cream cheese, and milk create a smoother batter and lighter cake.
Don’t overmix the batter: Once the flour goes in, mix only until everything comes together. Overmixing can make the cake dense instead of soft and tender.
Cool the cake completely: Warm cake and cream cheese frosting are not friends. In fact, they’reenemies.Let your layers cool completely before assembling.
Chill before slicing: Refrigerating the assembled cake for 30 to 60 minutes helps the frosting firm up so you get those gorgeous clean slices.
How to Decorate Blackberry Crumble Cake
One of my favorite things about this cake is that it looks effortlessly beautiful.
Top it with:
- Fresh blackberries
- Extra crumble
- Swirls of cream cheese frosting
- A dusting of powdered sugar
- Fresh mint leaves for color (optional)
It’s one of those cakes that looks bakery-worthy without requiring tweezers or edible flowers
Blackberry Crumble Cake FAQs
Yes! Frozen berries work well for the filling if fresh aren’t in season. Just thaw and drain them well before using to remove excess moisture.
Definitely. While blackberry jam gives the strongest blackberry flavor, raspberry or blueberry jam would both be delicious for a bumbleberry fusion.
Of course. The cake will still be delicious with vanilla alone, though almond and blackberry are one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations.
You can make the components of this cake ahead of time and then assemble it up to 24 hours in advance! The cake layers can be baked up to two days in advance and stored tightly wrapped at room temperature. And the crumble can also be made up to 7 days ahead and stored in an airtight container.
Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, hosting brunch, or simply making the most of blackberry season, this is one of those cakes people will remember long after the last slice disappears.
Happy baking!
XXX
PrintBlackberry Crumble Cake
Blackberry Crumble Cake
This Blackberry Crumble Cake is made with layers of tender vanilla almond cake, luscious cream cheese frosting, blackberry jam, fresh blackberries, and a buttery crumble crunch between every layer.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (52g) vegetable oil
- 1 2/3 cups (347g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups (300g) buttermilk
For the brown sugar crumble pieces
- 6 tablespoons (48g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (39g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the blackberry filling
- 1 pint fresh blackberries, rinsed and dried
- 1/2 cup (160g) blackberry jam
For the cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 8 ounces (224g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 5 cups (600g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- First, make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the butter and oil and beat on low speed until combined so the oil doesn’t fly everywhere. Add the granulated sugar and gradually increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients, then all of the buttermilk, then the remaining half of the dry ingredients. It’s okay if the batter still has a few lumps—you don’t want to overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake until the cakes have risen, the tops spring back to the touch, and a butter knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes. You can leave the oven on! You’ll use it to make the crumble pieces.
- While the cakes are cooling, make the brown sugar crumble pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Use a silicone spatula to mix until combined.
- Squeeze the mixture into your palms, then break it apart into big and small clusters over the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the pre-heated 350°F oven until the crumble pieces turn golden brown, about 15 minutes, using the silicone spatula to stir halfway through. Place the pan onto a cooling rack, allowing to cool completely.
- Next, make the blackberry filling. In a medium bowl combine most of the blackberries (leaving a few out to garnish the top of the cake later) and blackberry jam. Use a spoon to stir to combine.
- Once everything is fully cool, make the frosting. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and cream cheese and mix on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Assemble the cake. Place the first cake layer onto a cake stand or serving plate. Top with about 1/4 of the frosting and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly to the edges, making a divot that slopes toward the center so the edges are slightly higher than the center (this keeps the filling from spilling out). Top with about 1/2 of the blackberry filling, then sprinkle with 1/2 of the crumble pieces. Repeat with the second layer of cake, topping with frosting, blackberry filling, and crumble pieces. Top with the third layer of cake, use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake, then sprinkle the top with the remaining crumble pieces and garnish with blackberries or dollops of jam. Cake is best served at room temperature. If not serving within 2 to 3 hours, store in the fridge until ready to serve.
This cake is amazing – we don’t have cake flour in the UK so I made a substitute with AP mixed with cornflour. I also used a blackberry and apple jam as that’s what I had to hand! The almond flavour of the cake was gorgeous, my children said that it tasted like cherry bakewell cake so I guess that works too!
Sadly in the current heatwave the cream cheese frosting struggled to hold the structure but that’s on the heat (Kitchen is currently 30c!), not the recipe.
So pleased to hear you loved this! I bet that corn flour and apple jam were a lovely addition! Enjoy xx