Cream Cheese-Swirled Mixed Berry Cake — No mixer is needed for this easy mixed berry cake, which is as simple as making muffins! A mix of fresh or frozen fruit can be used, perfect for using up what’s seasonal or what you have on hand.
Easy Berry Cake Recipe
Baking berries into cake and getting big juicy surprise bites of fruit is so much fun. And swirls of cream cheese are an added bonus. The cake is based on my Blueberry Muffin Cake, which also spawned this Peach Cake.
I adore this cake base because it produces a soft, moist, tender cake and the batter is fast and easy to make. The cake reminds me of the Entenmann’s cream cheese coffee cakes I used to buy in college when cooking was a foreign concept.
The cake is soft, springy, and fluffy, without being airy. It’s got just the right amount of density and is so moist.
There’s sour cream (or Greek yogurt) in the batter, along with buttermilk, and a bit of oil, all of which do wonders for cakes.
Plus the cream cheese swirls and abundance of berries just add to the soft and supple factor.
The lightly sweetened cake is the perfect canvas for all that juicy fruit. I love baking with fruit and only good things can happen.
The creaminess and tanginess of the cream cheese complements the juicy fruit wonderfully well, and you can’t ever go wrong with adding a little cream cheese.
This cake base has yet to let me down. So much so, that I keep making more cakes with it. Stay tuned.
What’s in the Mixed Berry Cake?
To make this mixed berry coffee cake, you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Egg
- Buttermilk
- Sour cream
- Oil
- Vanilla extract
- Frozen mixed berries
- Cream cheese
- Confectioners’ sugar
How to Make Mixed Berry Cake
This mixed berry cake comes together with a whisk, and is as easy as making muffin batter. A bowl of dry ingredients, a bowl of wet ingredients, fold wet into dry, and pour in a pan. So easy.
I had a little bit of cream cheese staring back at me from the bottom of an almost-used container, which I swirled into the cake batter.
I didn’t go too crazy with swirling because I wanted bigger patches of cream cheese, rather than small streaks. Cream cheese seems to disappear while baking so I kept the swirls on the thicker side.
Then, it’s just a matter of baking the cake until it’s set. Let it cool for about 30 minutes in the pan before slicing and serving.
Can I Omit the Cream Cheese Swirl?
If you don’t have cream cheese on hand, just omit it. The cake will still be wonderful without it and you can instead glaze it with one of the glazes suggested in the recipe.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes! This berry cake recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch pan. The bake time should be roughly the same, but I can’t say for sure.
Tips for Making a Mixed Berry Coffee Cake
I used a frozen cherry and berry blend with blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. I always bake with frozen and save my fresh berries for eating. Use whatever combination of cherries and berries, fresh or frozen, that you have.
If you’re using fresh fruit, the baking time will likely be much less, by as much as 20 minutes or so. When I used this cake base with fresh peaches, my baking time was a solid 10 minutes less.
With all cakes and baking in general, watch your cake and not the clock. Bake until it’s done. Simple as that.
Pin This Recipe
Cream Cheese-Swirled Mixed Berry Cake
No mixer is needed for this easy mixed berry cake, which is as simple as making muffins! A mix of fresh or frozen fruit can be used, perfect for using up what’s seasonal or what you have on hand.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 tablespoon for tossing with berries
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon for mixing with cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup sour cream (thick, full-fat Greek yogurt may be substituted)
- 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups frozen cherries and berries – blueberries, blackberries, raspberries (don’t unthaw, add them to the batter frozen; see below in item 6 about using fresh)
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (light is okay)
- confectioners’ sugar, optional for dusting or see glaze suggestions below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, optional salt; set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the next 5 wet ingredients (through vanilla).
- Add the wet mixture to the dry, mixing lightly with a spoon or folding with a spatula until just combined. Lumps will be present and this is okay. Don’t overmix or try to stir them smooth; set aside.
- In a small bowl, toss the fruit with 1 tablespoon flour. The flour helps to prevent the fruit from sinking while baking.
- Gently and briefly fold the fruit into batter.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese with 1 tablespoon sugar until smooth.
- Dollop the cream cheese mixture haphazardly over the cake batter. With a toothpick, gently and lightly swirl the cream cheese. I don’t do much swirling because I like to see bigger, noticeable patches of cream cheese rather than thin streaks in my cake; personal preference.
- Bake until done. I hesitate to give a baking range because you must watch your cake, not the clock. Bake until center is slightly domed and set, golden and rosy in color, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. I estimate 50 to 55 minutes is a good range if using frozen fruit. At any time your cake is beginning to look a bit too golden brown before you suspect the center will set up, tent it with a sheet of foil laid across the top. I baked for 52 minutes total, and at the 45 minute mark, I tented with foil. Baking times will range dramatically based on if baking with fresh or frozen berries; ranging from 30 to 60 minutes depending on the temperature of the berries going into the batter and how much water they release.
- Place pan on a wire rack and allow cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Optionally, dust with confectioners’ sugar or a simple glaze. This vanilla cream cheese glaze, this buttery vanilla glaze, this browned butter glaze, or this lemon glaze are all excellent, quick, and easy options.
Notes
Fresh vs Frozen Fruit: I used a frozen fruit blend with cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. If using frozen, add the fruit frozen and do not thaw because frozen fruit runs and bleeds less than if thawed. If using fresh fruit, baking time will be significantly (possibly drastically) less because the fruit is much warmer and won’t chill down the batter overall, nor will it release any where near the water into the batter that frozen fruit does.
Storage: Cake will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Adapted from Blueberry Muffin Cake and Peaches and Cream Fluffy Muffin Cake.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 305Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 186mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 2gSugar: 38gProtein: 4g
More Berry Desserts:
Blueberry Pie Bars— These pie bars are one of my all-time favorite frozen blueberry recipes! They have the flavors you love in a blueberry pie, but you don’t have to mess around with homemade pie crust.
Strawberry Oatmeal Bars with Crumble Topping — These buttery bars are bursting with fresh strawberries!! Just 10 minutes of prep, so EASY because the crust and crumble are one and the same, and a crowd FAVORITE every time!!
Blueberry Muffin Cake — This fast and easy cake tastes like a big buttermilk pancake that ran into a blueberry muffin on the way to the oven.
Strawberry Coffee Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze – The best coffee cake I’ve ever had or made. Use your favorite fresh, frozen, or seasonal fruit this incredibly moist and soft cake batter
The Best Raspberry Bread – There are almost more raspberries than bread in my recipe for the BEST RASPBERRY BREAD!! You’ll want to make it over and over because it’s super soft and just bursting with juicy berries!!
Blueberry Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping — An EASY, no-mixer cake studded with juicy blueberries and topped with big buttery streusel nuggets that are just SO GOOD!!
Lemon Strawberry Bars — Imagine crossing lemon bars with a strawberry pie. These easy bars taste like strawberry lemonade! Sooo good!
Averie – Loved making this recipe. Used fresh berries and homemade low-fat curd instead of sour cream and buttermilk but it still turned out superb. Also, made your carrot apple bread which is probably one of the best quick breads I have ever had <3 My fav part about your recipes – you break it down into such simple steps!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this turned out superb and that you enjoy how I write my recipes!
Could I double the recipe and put in a 9×13 pan?
Probably although I haven’t personally tried. LMK how things work for you!
What a beautiful cake! Love you combination of fruit, and I’m crazy for your photos!
Thanks, Sheila, I appreciate it!
this cake was a success, moist, delicious and the cream cheese topping was the best bits. Cant wait to make it again.
Awesome to hear it was a big success & you’ll make it again!
Could I make this in a round cake tin? If so, what size (Diameter) should I use?
Thanks!
It would depend on the depth of the round tin. I would try to use the pan size I called for since it’s common and I know it works.
Oh my goodness, you can count me in for anything with cream cheese and berries. And coffee cake is one of my weaknesses. I’d love to be able to eat this beautiful cake for breakfast!
The photos don’t do it justice. It’s such a great little cake (and so easy!)
I have 10 pounds of blueberries – guess who’s making about 23 of these?! ME!!!
Oh man, this cake looks so perfectly sweet! I love it so much :)
This cake is so pretty! Love all those colors! And cream cheese is always a plus. :)
Sooo pretty! I love purple color and this cake looks amazingly delicious! Wish I could have a bite of it
Ooh, cherries. This is a good reminder that I haven’t even bought cherries yet this summer. I really need to! And make cake with them! This cake! :)
And I used frozen! So you can make it year round :)
I love your cakes! (Maybe they can be the theme of a new cookbook?) :D
This is crazy beautiful, Averie! Love the plates, love the colour, everything is fab. Is it okay that I still sometimes pick up a box of Entenmann’s doughnuts?
You are so sweet! The plate was a lucky find at my thrift store about 18 mos ago before I shot PB Comfort. There’s a breakfast tortilla in the book with crazy zig zag chocolate sauce that’s on this dish :)
Your pie bars look incredible. Been seeing them on all the food sites. Traveling and reading in stealth :)
Cream cheese and berries, perfect! This cake looks fabulous!
Absolutely stunning cake!!
I love baking with fruit too, Averie! And you have the best recipes with them. This cake looks unbelievable. Fruit and cream cheese is a weakness of mine. Think fruit cheesecakes and cheese/fruit danishes. This cake looks ultra moist and soft, which we both know is a success. The pictures are bold and beautiful – the mixed berries make them pop on the screen. I love your pretty floral dish!
Sally this cake reminds me of you. The berries, the cream cheese, the overall flavor of it…reminds me sort of of some of your cream cheese bars and such. The pics were impossible. Not liking them tons. Nor did FG so far. lol But sometimes things are just super reflective. Like cream cheese. And there’s nothing that can be done. It just glares! But thanks for saying that. Makes me feel better!
The crumbs look so fluffy and moist! I love it when batter calls for yogurt. Just makes for such a soft tender cake. Also, I really appreciate your tip on watching the cake, not the clock. I’ve learnt that after baking for a while because every oven runs differently and sometimes I just cannot follow the times stated in the recipe. I will so try this cake out when I get my hands in some nice fruit.
And my fruit wasn’t even that ‘nice’. It was from TJs, frozen, bagged. Not exactly gourmet! But it worked! And yes watching the item, not the clock. I have people write in in a panic that they’re baking 28 mins and I said bake about 25. Ovens vary, weather, humidity, material the pan is made out of, preferences, etc. So always just watch what’s in your oven, even if that’s not the time the recipe necessarily says, and you’ll be just fine :)
SO pretty! Miss chatting with you!!
I was sitting in ATL today. On the tarmack. On a broken plane for FOUR HOURS. Omg. I wish I could have called you and gone shopping or something in ATL rather than what I was doing :) Miss you too!
xo
Your cakes are so pretty! I love the cream cheese swirl idea!
This one was glare central. Meh. But the TASTE is amazing!
I got the cook book!!! :) I can’t wait to try one of everything! :)
Awesome! LMK what you try first!
I’m always killing myself making ridiculous cakes that tower and have a thousand elements and need to be frosted for my blog, when all I really want is a simple, flavourful, easy to whip up and delicious to eat every-day cake like this. You’ve combined every single ingredient I love to put into cakes in one: buttermilk, sour cream/yogurt, cream cheese, oil and fruit. I don’t doubt for a second that this is super moist and amazing! I only ever bake with frozen berries since I always have them on hand and I know how they’re going to turn out. Love this recipe and your gorgeous photos, Averie!
buttermilk, sour cream/yogurt, cream cheese, oil and fruit = the makings of a successful, easy, fast, whisk together batter! Layered cakes = NEVER for me. First of all, we don’t need cakes on that size magnitude. I don’t like to run, that much :) Next the issue of being forced into frosting it (with a piping bag usually) – no. And those kind of cakes usually have fussy creaming steps, flour in stages, etc. I am all about the speedy cakes but that totally deliver!
So beautiful! The berries and cream cheese sound absolutely perfect! I love that you can switch it up so easily too! Pinned!
I could never say no to mixed berries + a cream cheese swirl. I’m thinking this would make a fine breakfast! ;)
Thanks, Laura!
How beautiful these colours are! I can’t think of a better way to show off summer berries.
Your grilled corn colors are perfect summer colors too!
I definitely prefer thicker swirls of cream cheese too. This cake looks so summery and how awesome that it is so easy to prepare!
SUCH an easy cake to prepare – yes!
Yum!! This looks perfect for summer berries! and it looks easy too! I can’t wait to try it (:
This looks yummy! Love your site! I actually used to follow your old blog and didn’t even recognize that this was yours with a new name and look until I read the name!
Well welcome back! So glad you put two and two together! :)
Wow!!! Beautiful cake!!! I’m sure those flavors just burst in your mouth at first bite! Yum.
Thanks, Robyn! Means a lot coming from you b/c you make GORGEOUS cakes that I always want!
Oh wow – loving the cherries here and if it’s anything like those darn Entenmann’s cream cheese coffeecakes, I want a slice. I used to love it when my mom brought one of those things home. Such a treat.
I know you’ve said you like the E’s coffeecakes – me too :) And I know you’ll like this one!
I love the looks of this cake. Berries are amazing in baked goods! I love how they become even more juicy and sweet :) This recipe looks easy enough to make on your average day yet fancy enough for a special brunch.Love it!
Gosh, I don’t know what I love most. The juicy fruit or the cream cheese!
I love those cream cheese swirls–kind of like having a little bite of cheesecake with some berry cake! Your cake batter has to be the easiest I’ve seen in a long time–no mixer or melting of this or that, and no worries about dryness with buttermilk, sour cream and oil. I think dryness was often an issue with cake recipes I tried years ago. I also used to like Entenmann’s way back when… but they just don’t even begin to measure up to your creations!!! Most manufactured things just taste “off” to me somehow with all the additives, preservatives and chemical extras.
Paula I love love love this cake batter. I have another recipe with it coming, too :) And I know what you said about storebought cakes just tasting a little off (especially after you get used to homemade!)
This looks so decadent and I absolutely love the cream cheese swirl. If only I could eat cherries! Maybe I would try it with blueberries but add the cream cheese swirl in. Have fun in Aruba!
Comment replying from 35,000 feet :)
I think the best way to portage anything healthy into one’s body (i.e. fruit) is via cake.
Gorgeous cheesecake-y mixed berries and cherry breakfast cake, Averie! It looks delish! I am just enamored with your styling and photography here. LOVE all the pink props, too! Do you ever get a chance to work with tart cherries? I’ve been on a major tart cherry kick over at the blog. Anyway, I hope you do get a chance. Tart cherries rock my world. Again, beautiful cake! xo
I dont have a whole lot of tart cherries in CA (that I know of) but growing up in MN and being so close to WI where there are TONS, my mom used to can sour cherry jam – SO GOOD!
The props/food styling in this post was a beast b/c the cream cheese kept glaring and reflecting – so thank you for saying you like them. Means alot! :)
Cake looks great, pictures look so pretty.. I want to have a tea and cake party now! :)
Looks great, Averie!
Those coffee cakes always bring back memories from my childhood! Love this homemade spin on them! All the berries look so pretty!
Thanks, Laura!
The colors! This cake is calling my name. I have been wanting to make a good breakfast type cake lately. Carbs are always a good idea.
Cake/carbs for breakfast = good idea!
You’ve done it again… I know you said you use frozen, but I have a whole bunch of fresh cherries in my fridge… I can’t wait to try this
Put any kind you have to use! :)
This looks soft and delicious! Love the huge berry pieces!
Swirls make everything better! How pretty is this?!
Love all the flavors going on!
Looks stunning :) I love that it has cream cheese in it!
Such a lovely cake, I love the use of cream cheese on the top. creates a cool pattern from the dimples in the cake.
I love the dimples and hills and valleys you get when baking with cream cheese too!
What a perfect way to use up that leftover cream cheese! And those juicy fruit surprises are the ABSOLUTE best!
And thanks for the BHG pin :)
I love that you kept the swirls on the larger side. I’ve experienced cream cheese disappearing into the batter before and have learned my lesson. This reminds me of berry & cheese danish but in cake form. YUM!
It’s totally a danish in cake form! It’s so moist, it’s practically danish-like! And yes, if you don’t keep the swirls larger, they just disappear into nothing. Not as fun.
This looks amazing. Love berries and love cream cheese in baked goods! Just had the best pound cake the other day that tasted so good and turns out the secret ingredient was cream cheese, it adds such a creamy dairy flavor/tang, I imagine with the juicy berries it must be lovely.
I ONLY will make (or eat) pound cakes with cream cheese https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/06/mini-cream-cheese-pound-cakes-with-vanilla-cream-cheese-glaze.html It takes what can be such a prone-to-dryness cake and turns it much better. The one you’re talking about sounds truly amazing!
I used to love those Entenmann’s cakes! Of course yours looks WAY better
Barely. These photos were a beast. The glare of all that cream cheese was not super easy to work with but whatever :)
Those cherries and berries in the cake are gorgeous! Like little fruity bombs of goodness; and your cake base – with the cream cheese swirl – looks interesting, I must try it out.
Thanks, Kim! Lmk if you try it!
This cake looks just scrumptious, and cherries and mixed berries are such a great combination!
I was looking to make something with cream cheese in it last week and I couldn’t decide. This recipe sounds amazing and I like the big chunks of fruit in it! :)
If you have a cream cheese craving, this will handle it! :)
Oil, buttermilk, and sour cream?! This cannot be anything but incredibly moist…and delicious. This looks like such a great potluck brunch recipe – easy and a total crowd pleaser.
I meant to tell you that I was at a friend’s house and they made apricot clafouti. It reminded me of your clafouti post from so long ago. No one really knew what it was, but it sounded good based on the recipe.
Oil, buttermilk, and sour cream — and don’t forget the cream cheese and the fruit! SUPREMELY moist! Can’t even tell you!
And ironically Ive had 2 comments this week on people making the clafoutis recipe from like 2.5 yrs ago! Maybe the concept is catching on!
Stunning!!
Your swirls are gorgeous and those bursted berries? Oh my gosh, they look like heaven! Such a gorgeous cake!
Thanks, Tieghan!