Nova Scotia Blueberry Cream Cake is a very interesting fresh blueberry and sour cream dessert. I found the recipe years ago after someone asked for help identifying a dessert with a layer of cake, blueberries and cream. It was something someone brought to a teachers' conference, and it was so good people remembered it many months later.
Nova Scotia Blueberry Cake Source
A friend pointed me to this recipe on allrecipes.com. On paper, Nova Scotia Blueberry Cream Cake sounded like it might be similar to the memorable potluck dessert which was described as a layer of cake topped with berries and cream – not unlike a Boston Cream Pie. This new cake was more like a cheesecake than a Boston Cream Pie. I don’t think it was the dessert we were searching for, but I've been making it ever since.
Texture and Flavor
Every time I make this I start wanting to visit Nova Scotia, so I like that it has a place in the name. But looking past that part of the name, what exactly is a blueberry cream cake? I'd compare this to a cheesecake, but with sour cream in place of the cheese and way more fruit. The bottom is a thick soft cookie type crust that soaks up moisture from the topping, which is just berries suspended in sour cream. And you can vary the texture even more by putting a little whipped cream on top. This works best with big, fat, sweet berries. I've only made it with blueberries, but now that I've learned I can make a smaller batch recipe, I'm going to try it out with blackberries.
Six Inch Size
The recipe is designed for a standard 9-inch springform pan, but you can make half and bake it in a 6-inch springform, which is what I usually do these days. The baking time is still around 60 minutes even in the smaller pan.
Nova Scotia Blueberry Cream Cake
Crust:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (6 ¾ oz)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ounces butter, unsalted (cold)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
4 cups fresh blueberries or thawed and drained frozen blueberries
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups sour cream
½ cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sweetened whipped cream for topping
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round springform pan with cooking spray. It’s best to use light colored (silver) rather than black.
In a bowl or food processor, combine flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut or process in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir or process in the egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Pat lightly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Sprinkle cornstarch over the blueberries and gently stir to coat cornstarch with blueberries (it will disappear as you stir). Spread the blueberries over the crust. Some people prefer to skip this step and just mix them with the whipped cream, but I've always put them directly over the crust.
Stir sour cream, ½ cup of sugar, egg yolks and 1 teaspoon of vanilla together in a mixing bowl. Pour this mixture over the blueberries and carefully spread it across the top.
Set the springform pan on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is lightly browned around edges – it should still look a little loose in the center and will set as it cools and chills. Loosen hot cake from pan with a knife, but do not remove sides quite yet. Cool completely and chill for a few hours. Remove sides of springform pan. Serve each slice with whipped cream or spread whipped cream over entire cake before slicing.
Makes 8 servings.
A Few More Tips
- For the crust, the recipe calls for unsalted butter, but salted butter works too and you don't really need to reduce the salt. Maybe just use a scant ¼ teaspoon. The easiest way to make the crust is in a food processor. It will be very crumbly, and the crust will bake up crumbly. One of these days I might try making the crust by creaming the butter and sugar and adding the other ingredients.
- I have never tested this with light or low fat sour cream, but I think it would be too watery and don't recommend it. I've seen reviews from people who successfully used Greek yogurt. If you try that, it's probably best to go with the full fat type.
- Use big, fat, berries. I'll update when I try with a mixture of blueberries and blackberries.
- The directions say to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan as soon as you take it out of the oven. If you forget to do this (as I have done), the cake will crack.
Recipe
Nova Scotia Blueberry Cream Cake
Equipment
- Springform Pan
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (200 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces butter, cold and cut into chunks (salted) (114 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 4 cups fresh blueberries or thawed and drained frozen blueberries
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 cups sour cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups sweetened whipped cream for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round springform pan with cooking spray. It’s best to use light colored (silver) rather than black.
- In a bowl or food processor, combine flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut or process in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir or process in the egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Pat lightly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle cornstarch over the blueberries and gently stir to coat cornstarch with blueberries (it will disappear as you stir). Spread the blueberries over the crust.
- Stir sour cream, ½ cup of sugar, egg yolks and 1 teaspoon of vanilla together in a mixing bowl. Pour this mixture over the blueberries and carefully spread it across the top.
- Set the springform pan on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is lightly browned around edges – it should still look a little loose in the center and will set as it cools and chills. Loosen hot cake from pan with a knife (this is to prevent cracking), but do not remove sides quite yet.
- Cool completely and chill for a few hours. Remove sides of springform pan. Serve each slice with whipped cream or spread whipped cream over entire cake before slicing.
Anna says
Jody, that was a good call on the ricotta and yogurt combo. Thanks for letting us know it worked! I haven't made this recipe in a while, but plan to as soon as I can get a good deal on blueberries. But yes, you managed to infuse some protein into it so that's great. I guess it's now an Italian Nova Scotia Cream Cake.
Jody says
The first time I made this cake I had no sour cream so substituted 1 1/2 cups ricotta and 1/2 c Greek yogurt in its place. SO GOOD and maybe even healthy.
Brian Tremain says
I got this basic recipe from Bon Appetit, August ,1979 and have been enjoying it ever sense.
Fritz says
Great recipe! I made this cake already twice, once with blueberries and once with cherries and both times it became delicious. By the way, I used cookie crumbs for the crust and that worked very well.
scarlet says
I have made this recipe many times and it is always a hit. I have used greek yogurt and it is almost impossible to taste the difference. Don't miss this one
Anna says
Hi Joan,
Glad you found the recipe! Have a good weekend.
joan says
I've made this cake many times & it's always a hit. I found the recipe several years ago in a Downhomer Magazine with some slight variations. I'm about to make it again today for a Family gathering & couldn't find my magazine. Thank God for Google.
Anna says
Elisa, I'm afraid the yogurt would break down and curdle.
Elisa says
What do you think would happen if you substituted yogurt for the sour cream?
Aurora says
This is the most amazing recipe! The prep was so fast and easy with the food processor! I am looking forward to trying it with some wild blueberries!!
judy says
I made this and yes, it is wonderful. The crust reminded me of a shortbread and the blueberry/sour cream topping is a perfect balance with the crust. It was easy to make and will be a repeat recipe.
Alex says
This cream cake recipe was one of the house specialties at a restaurant called The Cape House Inn, located in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. The restaraunt closed about 20 years ago, but this recipe is definitely a legacy.
Mark says
As a reader of this blog from Nova Scotia, I would say yup, that looks like something you could easily get here around blueberry season...just about now. Yummmy!
katie says
Wow thats purple! I love how it looks creamy on top and then when you cut into it you get the brilliant purple from the blueberries. Looks divine
runjess says
Wow! No wonder it was remembered!
giz says
What a show stopper that is. I have a Nova Scotia cookbook and each and every recipe in that book makes your eyes go WOW!!! Couple that with the wonderful people of the Canadian Maritimes - you've got heaven.
Candy says
This looks really good!
rebecca says
this looks delicious. now i know what i want for dinner. 😉
Kristen says
Wow, that's gorgeous! *drools* 😉
bakingblonde says
Awe, too bad that wasn't it. I sure does look DELICIOUS though!!
VeggieGirl says
Oooh, gorgeous!
clumbsycookie says
I was gonna say the same thing! Pretty color!
Joanna says
wow this looks so rich. the top looks like a custard. blueberry pie is my second favorite pie (cherry taking the cake), so i know this must be good.
Katrina says
Holy Lot-of-blueberriness, Batman! Looks good.