This is the blueberry cake I make when I want a celebration dessert without turning on the oven: a chewy date-and-almond base under a silky blueberry cream set with agar-agar. A spoonful of Earl Grey tea quietly lifts the berries, and everything comes together in a blender and one saucepan before a 4-hour rest in the freezer. It is a vegan no-bake dessert that slices cleanly, travels well, and looks like it came from a patisserie.
Ingredients for This Blueberry Cake
Blueberry Cake Base
- 1 cup (150 g) soft dates (soaked 30 minutes, then pitted and peeled)
- 1 cup (140 g) whole almonds
- 1 cup (85 g) unsweetened coconut flakes (shavings)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut oil
Blueberry Cream Filling
- 1.5 cups (360 ml) full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup (150 g) blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Jerusalem artichoke (topinambour) syrup
- 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch (cornflour)
- 2 tsp (4 g) agar-agar powder
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) loose-leaf Earl Grey tea (or 1 tea bag)
How to Make Blueberry Cake
- Soak the dates in warm water for 30 minutes, then drain, peel, and remove the pits.
- Grind the almonds in a coffee grinder or food processor until fine; if your coconut flakes are coarse, grind them the same way first.
- Add the pitted dates, ground almonds, coconut flakes, and coconut oil to a blender and blend until the mixture holds together like plasticine.
- Line a small cake tin (about 7 in / 18 cm ) with cling film and press the dough evenly into the bottom, then place the tin in the freezer while you make the cream.
- Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan, add the blueberries, cornstarch, Earl Grey tea, Jerusalem artichoke syrup, and agar-agar, and stir to combine.
- Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally so nothing catches on the bottom, until the cream comes to a boil.
- Let the cream simmer for 1–2 minutes, then blend it until completely smooth.
- Pass the cream through a fine sieve to catch the tea leaves and blueberry skins, leaving a delicate, smooth filling.
- Take the base out of the freezer, pour the cream over it, and tap the tin gently on the worktop to release any air bubbles on the surface.
- Freeze the cake for 4 hours until set, then slice and serve.
Nutrition per Serving
- Calories: 385
- Carbs: 33 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Fat: 27 g
Pro Tips for the Best Blueberry Cake
- Soak, then pit and peel. Give the dates a full 30 minutes in warm water — soft dates are what make the base blend into a pliable, plasticine-like dough that presses neatly into the tin.
- Grind the almonds finely. A coffee grinder (or a few pulses in a food processor) gives the base an even, compact crumb; treat coarse coconut flakes the same way.
- Watch the texture cue. The base mixture is ready when it holds together like plasticine — if it crumbles, blend a little longer before pressing it into the tin.
- Strain the cream for a patisserie finish. Push the hot cream through a fine sieve to catch the tea leaves and blueberry skins — this is what gives the cake its delicate, smooth texture.
- Tap before freezing. Tap the filled tin gently on the worktop to release trapped air bubbles, then give the cake the full 4 hours in the freezer for perfectly clean slices.
Blueberry Cake FAQ
Q: Can I use frozen blueberries in this blueberry cake?
Yes. The recipe works with fresh or frozen blueberries — add them straight to the saucepan from the freezer, with no thawing needed. Since the cream is boiled and then passed through a sieve, frozen berries break down just as well and can give the filling an even deeper purple colour.
Q: How long does no-bake blueberry cake need to freeze?
Four hours in the freezer is enough for the agar-cream to set firm — that timing comes straight from the recipe. If your freezer runs warm or you are setting the cake in a deeper tin, leaving it overnight is a safe bet, and it slices cleanly straight from the freezer.
Q: How should I store this blueberry cake, and how long does it keep?
Keep it frozen: wrap the tin well or transfer the slices to an airtight container, where the cake keeps its texture for up to 2 weeks. Thaw slices at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving so the cream is silky rather than icy.
Q: What can I use instead of Jerusalem artichoke (topinambour) syrup?
Agave syrup or light maple syrup in the same measure — ¼ cup (60 ml) — is the closest swap. Date syrup also works but will darken the cream and taste more caramel-like; whatever you use, add it before the cream boils so the agar-agar sets properly.
Recipe Card
No-Bake Blueberry Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the dates in warm water for 30 minutes, then drain, peel, and remove the pits.
- Grind the almonds in a coffee grinder or food processor until fine; if your coconut flakes are coarse, grind them the same way first.
- Add the pitted dates, ground almonds, coconut flakes, and coconut oil to a blender and blend until the mixture holds together like plasticine.
- Line a small cake tin (about 7 in / 18 cm ) with cling film and press the dough evenly into the bottom, then place the tin in the freezer while you make the cream.
- Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan, add the blueberries, cornstarch, Earl Grey tea, Jerusalem artichoke syrup, and agar-agar, and stir to combine.
- Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally so nothing catches on the bottom, until the cream comes to a boil.
- Let the cream simmer for 1–2 minutes, then blend it until completely smooth.
- Pass the cream through a fine sieve to catch the tea leaves and blueberry skins, leaving a delicate, smooth filling.
- Take the base out of the freezer, pour the cream over it, and tap the tin gently on the worktop to release any air bubbles on the surface.
- Freeze the cake for 4 hours until set, then slice and serve.
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