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This Blueberry Breakfast Cake boasts lots of healthy ingredients, but tastes like a delicious sweet treat! It comes from Melanie McDonald’s first cookbook, Vegan Comfort Cooking. Get this recipe plus a full review of the book below!
Is there anything better than starting your day with something sweet?
Especially if that something sweet has some redeeming health benefits as well.
This Blueberry Breakfast Cake is full of nutritious ingredients like flaxseeds, rolled oats, unsweetened applesauce, cinnamon, and fresh blueberries.
The sweet vanilla glaze takes it over the top, but it’s totally optional – my kids enjoyed it just as much without the glaze. I see slices of this unglazed yummy cake in their lunchbox future.
Perfect for any time of day – devour it for breakfast, snack, or even dessert!
Vegan Comfort Food
Comfort food is defined as, according to Urban Dictionary, “Food that gives emotional comfort to the one eating it. These tend to be favorite foods of childhood, or linked to a person, place, or time with which the food has a positive association.
Most foods fitting into that category are thought to be heavy, fatty foods, usually with a hefty dose of cheese. But, if you think that vegan food can’t be comfort food, you are so wrong! And Melanie McDonald has been proving that on her blog, A Virtual Vegan, for years! Now, she’s bringing you her first cookbook, Vegan Comfort Cooking, to drive home the point even more.
This cookbook is full of “75 plant based recipes to satisfy cravings and warm your soul.” From breakfast and brunch, and main meals and sides, to snacks and desserts, it’s all here for your eating pleasure.
Let’s Take a Look Inside
Vegan Comfort Cooking is divided into 5 chapters with each recipe accompanied by a large gorgeous photo. It’s not often I flip through a cookbook and genuinely want to make every recipe, but this is one of those books I know I will find myself reaching for time and time again! Here is just a sampling of the drool-worthy recipes you’ll find inside…
First, We Brunch ~ Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Rolls; The Ultimate French Toast; Loaded Zucchini Breakfast Casserole; and the Berry Good Breakfast Cake recipe which you’ll find at the end of this post
Indulge Yourself ~ Speedy Mushroom Stroganoff; “I Can’t Believe It’s Vegan” Roasted Garlic Alfredo; Heavenly Veggie Hot Pot; Smoky Tomato and White Bean Soup
The Munchies ~ Showstopping Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip; Pizza Party Pull-Apart Bread; Smash-’em-Up Salt and Vinegar Potatoes; Quick and Crispy Zucchini Fritters with Avocado Crema
Sweet Talk ~ Dreamy Baked Berry Cheesecake; Drool-Worthy Cinnamon Donuts; Peanut Butter Nutter Chocolate Cake; Crispy Crunchy Caramel Popcorn
Bits & Bobs ~ Life-Changing Vegan Butter; Tastiest Onion Gravy; Simple Pastry Pie Crust; Easy Garlic Ranch Dressing
Easy to Find Ingredients
All of the recipes in Vegan Comfort Cooking are made with easy to find ingredients readily available in most grocery stores.
For the few ingredients that might be a bit unfamiliar to you, Mel gives great notes explaining what they are and where to find them.
She also gives instructions on how to make many of the recipes oil-free.
More vegan comfort food
- Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Sloppy BBQ Sandwiches
- Creamy Dairy Free Potato Soup
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
- Vegan Carrot Cake with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting
- Breakfast Hash Browns and Veggie Skillet
How to make the recipe
Now let’s talk about this sweet fruity oatmeal cake and how super easy it is to make.
Mix your dry ingredients and your wet ingredients separately and then mix them together until you have a thick batter. Gently fold in the blueberries.
Spread the batter evenly into a prepared cake pan and bake.
The hardest part is waiting for the cake to cool before drizzling on the sweet icing.
We ate this cake room temperature, cold from the fridge after storing leftovers, and also warmed up slightly in the microwave. Warmed up next to mug of coffee was my favorite way to enjoy it, but the kids devoured several slices at room temperature at all times of the day. Whichever way you choose, you really can’t go wrong!
Don’t miss these other sweet vegan breakfast treats
- Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
- Chocolate Vegan Donuts with Fresh Strawberry Glaze
- Mint Chocolate Chip Healthy Homemade Granola
- Vegan Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Best Vegan Brunch Recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.
Be sure to sign up for my FREE Newsletter to be the first to get my NEW recipes! You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
And don’t forget to order your copy of Vegan Comfort Cooking!
Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Ingredients
For the Berry Good Breakfast Cake
- Oil or vegan butter for pan
- 1½ cups (173 g) spelt flour
- 2 tablespoons (14 g) ground flaxseeds
- 1 cup (80 g) rolled oats plus a few more for sprinkling on the top
- ¾ cup (150 g) coconut sugar
- 1½ teaspoon (6 g) baking soda
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ tablespoons (23 ml) apple cider vinegar see note
- ½ cup (123 g) unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup (80 g) plain, coconut or vanilla flavor vegan yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (148 g) fresh blueberries or 1 cup (155 g) frozen, plus a few to decorate the top
For the Frosting
- ½ cup (130 g) powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 g) plain, coconut or vanilla flavor vegan yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease the sides of an 8-
or 9-inch (20.5- or 23-cm) round cake pan with a little oil or vegan butter and
line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. - In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, ground flaxseeds,
rolled oats, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; then stir
well. - In a separate bowl, combine the vinegar, applesauce, yogurt
and vanilla and stir together. - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently to
combine. Don’t overmix. The batter will be very thick. Fold the blueberries
into the batter. - Spoon into the prepared cake pan and sprinkle with a few
more oats and blueberries. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick
inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and
leave in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove the cake, peel off the baking
parchment circle and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. - Once the cake is cool, prepare the frosting: Put the
powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add the yogurt gradually, a tablespoon (15 g)
at a time, stirring really well between each addition to smooth it out. Stop
when you have a thick but drizzlable consistency. - Drizzle all over the top of the cake, allowing some to spill
over the sides. - Store, covered, in the fridge. It will keep for 4 to 5 days.
Notes
sponge recipes. It is a must-have ingredient for any vegan baker. It might not
seem like an obvious ingredient to add to a cake batter, but when combined with baking soda, a chemical reaction happens, making bubbles, creating air pockets and providing leavening. This, along with a little extra baking powder, replaces the leavening action that would otherwise be provided by eggs, so you get a light and fluffy sponge. Don’t be tempted to skip it or you will end up with a flat cake!" ~Reprinted with permission from Vegan Comfort Cooking by Melanie McDonald, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019. Photo credit: Melanie McDonald
Eveline says
I made this cake for Mother’s day in Sweden and it was delicious! We have wild blueberries here so I had a bunch of them in the freezer. It works perfectly as a breakfast/brunch cake since it is not too sweet. I am so happy I tried your recipe, it is definitely a new favorite. Bonus points for it being completely vegan :). Thank you!
Jenn Sebestyen says
I’m so happy you love it, Eveline! Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Hanne says
Easy peasy and oh so yummy! Didn’t add the topping, but no regrets. Great texture: soft on the inside, slightly crusty on the outside. So if you ever wonder: I ♥ it! 😉
Jenn Sebestyen says
So glad you enjoy it! Thanks, Hanne!
Diane Bolton says
It’s in the oven!! my question is, I was concern how thick and hard to mix the bleuberries in it. Did I mixed it wrong? I really followed the instructions and re-read it twice, but put it in the oven anway and keep my fingers cross. My husband doesn’t follow my diet, and always quetsions my choices of recipes and rarely wants to taste them. Since he loves bleuberries I was hoping this would satify him this time. I really want to convince this is the healthier way to feed our bodies and lifetyle. Keeping my fingers cross until I drizzle that yummy frosting on the cae. Thanks fir all your yummy recipes.
Jenn Sebestyen says
Hi, Diane! Yes, the batter should be thick! It more like a baked oatmeal than a dessert cake. I think you will love it…especially with that dreamy icing. I totally understand your situation. My husband is not yet on board with this way of eating either…although he does eat almost everything I cook. Here’s to hoping they come around some day.
Diane Bolton says
Wonderful cake, I’ll will make it for church on potluck Sunday. I gave 1/4 of it to my next door neighbo to share with her husband,, she eat it all lol. Thanks again for your earlier reply. A quick question how to store to keep it from getting hard, dry or too most (mushy) thanks
Jenn Sebestyen says
Your neighbor sounds like a smart lady! 🙂 I would store it in the fridge in an airtight container. To reheat, warm in the microwave for a few seconds.
Maureen says
I made this again this morning. It’s so yummy and totally satisfying. I used fresh organic blueberries and for the topping I combined the powdered sugar with lemon yogurt because that’s all I had. Delicious 😋
Jenn Sebestyen says
Sounds divine! So glad you are loving it! Thanks, Maureen!
Jen says
Can you prepare the batter the night before, leave in the refrigerator and then bake in the morning?
Jenn Sebestyen says
Hi, Jen. I don’t think it would work to let the batter sit overnight as the baking powder and baking soda wouldn’t work correctly. However, you could certainly make it and bake it the day before and reheat the next morning. Enjoy!
Slaven says
It’s definitely ok to have cake for breakfast. Tried it many times 🙂
Jenn Sebestyen says
Love it!
Maggie McConnell says
What does spelt flour do that regular gluten-free flour doesn’t? I’ve never used spelt, but I see it in many of your recipes. Thanks.
Jenn Sebestyen says
Hey, Maggie! Spelt flour is NOT gluten free! It’s made from a variety of wheat, but it’s lighter and has less gluten than whole wheat, so I prefer it in baked goods. You could always use all-purpose flour or a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend as subs if you wish.
Maureen says
I made this vegan blueberry cake this morning for my 21 month old granddaughter and myself. I followed the recipe exactly as written except I only had 1 cup of spelt flour so the other 1/2 cup was organic white whole wheat flour. The batter is very thick and you need to carefully smooth it all over with the back of a spoon once in the cake pan. It’s a very quick and easy recipe to put together. I baked mine 35 minutes and it was perfect! I let it rest in the pan just about 10 minutes before removing and letting cool for another 5-10 minutes on a rack. The powdered sugar/yogurt combo is divine as a topping! Don’t skip this step! I only needed 2 tablespoons of yogurt.
This cake tastes so amazing! My granddaughter finished a pretty big piece and asked for more! I told her tomorrow. I can’t wait for another piece! I love Mel’s recipes and will be purchasing 3 copies of her new cookbook. Two for my girls and one for myself!
Make this now! You won’t be disappointed! It’s so yummy!!
Thank you Jenn for sharing this wonderful recipe!❤️
Jenn Sebestyen says
Oh, this is wonderful, Maureen! I’m so happy you both love it! I hope you all enjoy the book as much as I am!