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Blackberry Doughnut Cake

breakfast· cake· doughnuts and sweet rolls· Easter· Holiday Favorites· pastries

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Blackberry Doughnut Cake – A dense coffee cake with a hint of nutmeg, filled with blackberry preserves, and covered in cinnamon sugar. It gives you all the flavors and textured of an old-fashioned doughnut but without the hassle.

a slice of blackberry doughnut cake is shown slightly removed from the whole cake on a plate

Are you ready to ramp up your baking? The holidays have begun and that means I’m making sweets almost non-stop. I just can’t help it! It’s so fun baking this time of year – gingerbread, cinnamon rolls, cookies, and all kinds of cakes.

Today’s recipe is a new cake recipe that I fell in love with. It has all the flavor and texture of a doughnut but none of the hassle. After all, making a cake is sooo much easier than making and frying doughnuts.

Here is my Blackberry Doughnut Cake!

overhead shot of doughnut cake with a slide cut out and on it's side to reveal the blackberry center
slice of blackberry doughnut cake on a plate shot from the side
slice of blackberry doughnut cake on a plate with a few bites removed

The batter

The most unique ingredient in this cake batter in the nutmeg. It adds just a hint of spice that you barely even notice it’s there. But it adds more than you think. It’s what gives an old-fashioned doughnut it’s unique flavor and it does the same here in this cake.

This cake batter is far simpler than any cake you’ve made before. You do NOT need a stand mixer and there is no alternating of wet ingredients and liquids. Instead, they all get mixed together slowly and voila! You have a cake batter.

Assembling the cake

After the batter is made, half of it is placed in the greased cake pan. The blackberry preserves are layered in next, followed by the rest of the batter. The batter is piped over the preserves to ensure an even layer without having to do much spreading.

The cake is baked in a preheat 350-degree oven for about an hour. It’s a pretty thick cake so it will need time to cook-through.

Finishing the cake

After the cake is baked, it’s removed from the oven and cooled in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, it’s removed from the pan and cooled completely before coating in sugar.

Once cooled, the cake is brushed with melted butter. This will help it hold onto the cinnamon sugar. Add the cinnamon and sugar to a plate and stir together to combined. Roll the sides into the cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle the top of the cake with cinnamon sugar. Serve immediately.

Tips & Tricks

  1. Warm the milk. Warm milk is best when mixing with the butter so that the butter stays melted. If you use cold milk, it will shock the melted butter and cause it to seize up and get lumpy.
  2. Use a piping bag. To ensure the preserves stay in the center of the cake without mixing into the batter, pipe the remaining batter on top. This will create an even layer of batter on top that will need minimal smoothing.
  3. Cool cake completely. If you handle the cake while still warm, it’s more likely to break apart in the process. Also, a warm cake will absorb the sugar instead of leaving a nice coating on the outside.
close up of blackberry doughnut cake on a plate with a slice pulled up
Print Recipe

Blackberry Doughnut Cake

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 1 8-inch cake

Ingredients

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¾ cup whole milk scalded
  • 10 tablespoons butter unsalted, melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • ¾ cup blackberry jam or preserves
Cinnamon sugar topping:
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablesoons butter salted, melted

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees if you are using a dark metal pan). Grease 8-inch cake pan well. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk together to combine. In a large measuring cup, add butter and milk. Slowly add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking slowly to ensure lumps don't form. Whisk in eggs.
  • Pour half of the cake batter into prepared cake pan. Place the rest of the batter in a piping bag. Pipe a half-inch border around the edge of the cake pan. Fill the center with all the blackberry preserves. Use an off-set spatula to smooth the preserves into an even layer that reaches the edge of the piped ring. Pipe the rest of the batter over the top of the preserves, gently covering the preserves so they are completely sealed in the center and none is poking through. Smooth with a spatula.
  • Bake cake in preheat oven for 55 minutes or until the top is completely golden brown and the center is cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from panand onto serving dish.
  • Add sugar and cinnamon to a plate and stir to combine. Brush melted butter over the top and sides of the cake. Lift cake and roll sides in the cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle sugar mixture over the top. Serve immeditately or within a couple days. Do not store in a sealed container, or the sugar will absorb/melt into the cake. Instead, cover with foil.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Bake from Scratch

Pin for later:

pin for later of blackberry doughnut cake

More recipes you’ll love:

Blackberry Skillet Pound Cake
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Cinnamon Swirl Doughnut Cake
a slice of cinnamon swirl doughnut bread with a fork cutting it in with the other half of the bread next to it on a piece of parchment paper and a cloth napkin, shot from a side angle
Blackberries & Cream Slider Doughnuts
overhead shot of Blackberries & Cream Slider Doughnuts with a bowl of blackberries off to the side

Comments

  2. LinkedIn Pinpoint says

    This Blackberry Doughnut Cake sounds amazing! I love how it combines the flavors of a doughnut with the ease of a coffee cake. The blackberry preserves and cinnamon sugar topping must make it so delicious and comforting.

    Reply

  4. Background Blur says

    This blackberry doughnut cake sounds amazing! I love how it combines the flavors of a doughnut with the ease of a coffee cake. The hint of nutmeg and cinnamon sugar must make it so cozy and delicious. Can’t wait to try baking this at home!

    Reply

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  6. Wplace Style says

    The donuts here are absolutely delightful—soft and fluffy on the inside with just the right amount of sweetness. Each bite feels light yet satisfying, and the flavors are well-balanced without being overwhelming. Definitely a treat I’d come back for again and again!

    Reply

  7. Miniatur AI says

    This blackberry doughnut cake sounds amazing! I love how it combines the flavors of a doughnut with the ease of a coffee cake. The hint of nutmeg and cinnamon sugar must make it so delicious and comforting.

    Reply

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  20. Leslie says

    I love that I can make this recipe for the Holidays and it’s not a super traditional recipe, but still so perfect! Kind of like a nice Holiday surprise. haha!

    Reply

  22. Jessica says

    I am not a cake lover, so this was something I needed to try…just as good as a donut without all the fuss! This goes on my list of easy brunch favorites for sure 😉

    Reply

  25. Helene says

    This cake is easy and delicious. The nutmeg is perfectly balanced. It adds this little hint without overwhelming the blueberry flavor. I Love the cinnamon sugar coating, and it’s such an easy trick to elevate a cake.

    Reply

  27. Amanda says

    This doughnut cake is wonderful! I just loved the sweet blackberry flavor with the warm cinnamon. Delicious way to start the day.

    Reply

  28. Nicolette says

    I love when my recipe turns out just as pretty as the photos and this one did!!! So pretty and delicious. Perfect for holidays!

    Reply

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holiday favorite