Old Fashioned Mixed Berry Pudding Cake

I haven’t been able to get this Old Fashioned Mixed Berry Pudding Cake off my mind lately, y’all!!! It’s divine. The past few weeks all I’ve wanted to bake is a soft and gooey cake with lots of berries and ice cream. I played around with a couple of recipes, like making a version of this peach chess cake or this strawberry spoon cake, but they weren’t quite what I was looking for.

But this old fashioned pudding cake. This is it.

Old Fashioned Pudding Cake

The name is a little misleading as there isn’t actually any pudding in it. It’s all about how everything is arranged in the pan. First, the berries go in. Then the cake batter, then a layer of sugar with a little bit of cornstarch mixed in is sprinkled over that. Then you pour some boiling water over the top of all of it, and you don’t stir it! You just let it sit.

After baking, a crispy-topped cake with a layer of jammy berries and pudding-like texture on the bottom emerges from the oven like a midsummer miracle with an angelic choir singing in the background surrounded by rays of sunlight. It’s the kind of thing that exists to be eaten with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on a hot summer day, this is not up for discussion!!

Fresh or Frozen Berries

You can use fresh or frozen berries for this cake, and you can use any combination of berries you like! I went with strawberries and blueberries simply because I already had some in the fridge that needed to be used up. Stone fruit would be a fantastic option here too. If you’re using frozen fruit, just make sure to let it thaw and then pat dry with paper towels. You don’t want too much extra liquid.

I used fresh berries and decided to dice my strawberries and sprinkle them with some sugar to let out the juices. It’s not technically necessary, but highly recommended!

The cake batter itself is pretty simple to whip up. I threw in a little pinch of cinnamon because that’s who I am as a person. I also decided to bake it in my heart-shaped pan just because and it made me so happy when I pulled it out of the oven! I need more heart cakes in my life, not just on Valentine’s Day. So expect more of those in the future!

Whatever pan you decide to use, it’s super helpful to place it on a baking sheet and then put it in the oven. You don’t want any of the boiling water to slosh out on you while transferring it to the oven!

This Old Fashioned Mixed Berry Pudding Cake is best served warm and with ice cream. Required and not optional! It’s the perfect little weekend bake. Easy to make and easy to consume. Because of the pudding-like texture and the berries on the bottom of the cake, it’s best the day it’s made, but obviously it’s not likely to last more than a day or two 😉

Really hope you give this one a try, friends! Happy baking!

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5 from 1 vote

Old Fashioned Mixed Berry Pudding Cake

This old fashioned pudding cake has a soft and buttery cake with a sugary crust on top that turns gooey and pudding-like on the bottom with a secret layer of mixed berries.

Prep Time: 40 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup strawberries hulled and diced
• 1 tbsp + 1 cup sugar divided
• 4 tbsp butter room temperature
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ¾ cup boiling water

Instructions

• In a small bowl, add diced strawberries and sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375°F and grease an 8x8-inch square or round baking dish. Place the dish on a baking sheet.
• In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), cream ½ cup sugar and butter until fluffy and lighter in color. Add milk and vanilla; mix well. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; mix until ingredients are incorporated.
• Spread the strawberries and juices in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the blueberries throughout the strawberry mixture.
• Spoon the batter over the fruit and use a spoon or spatula to spread it to the sides.
• Whisk together the remaining ½ cup sugar and the cornstarch. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
• Carefully pour boiling water over the batter and the sugar mixture. Do not stir!
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top has a golden brown crust. Remove from oven and cool for about 30 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.
• Store covered at room temperature; best the day it’s made.

Notes

All images and text ©Bethcakes.