I agree with Amylou on both counts. The flour will keep the berries afloat. You can make purple cake instead of yellow by just beating the berries in, but use a berry cake recipe to do that.

Make the cake he wants. He might actually like the blueberry cake, but still be sad he didn't get his choice, and just say yes to please you. There are ways of asking without guiding his choice, but kids have so little power. Getting to choose your own flavor for your birthday cake is a big deal. And adults like carrot cake too.

How about blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup for breakfast on a different day? Or a blueberry pie alongside the carrot cake? Or freeze enough blueberries for a cake and surprise him when they're no longer in season with a blueberry cake on another occasion?

I agree with Amylou and plllog. He's asked for a birthday carrot cake, and he'll be so disappointed if his loving grandma makes something different.

I agree with what everyone else has said. Make the kid a Carrot Cake! It's his Birthday.

Pop the blueberries in the freezer and make the blueberry cake later for your birthday.

Fair enough. I appreciate the answers. A carrot cake he shall have.

For fun, make some blueberry cupcakes maybe? I did blueberry cupcakes with lemon butter cream frosting a couple of summers ago. I also did lemon cupcakes with blackberry frosting. I have a pic of that experiment, they were VERY good.

Very inviting, Annette. I love blackberries, blueberrIt’s, black raspberries and raspberries.

An acquaintance knows where there s a huge mulberry tree. I’ve never had those.

Norah, I make blueberry cake and muffins often in season. You can use the same batter for either, careful not to “mix”, but just fold to combine.

The “Jordan Marsh* Blueberry Muffins recipe can be found online. It’s very good.

* A Boston department store, no longer in business. They used to serve these delicious muffins in their restaurant. I top mine with some coarse bakers’ sugar.

Maybe you could make blueberry ice cream or sorbet?

My very favorite use for blueberries is blueberry muffins with a streusel topping.

I agree with everyone else about making him the cake he wants, and I'm very glad you've decided to do just that!

Rusty

Well, only norar knows the family dynamics. Nothing wrong with asking? I was always given options. First choice was always Mom-mom Nellie's mile-high- banana-cream-pie if she was up to it. Summer birthday so anything blueberry crumble or strawberry shortcake was fine. Never cared much for cake since my mother did not like baking so I think I was sensitive to that 'chore'.

I do freeze blueberries from my garden every year but fresh is so good. Muffins with streusel topping a favorite and I don't even care much for sweets.

Tossing the berries in flour or the dry cake/muffin mix will help. Even better is adding some wet batter in the cake/muffin tins first, then tossing the floured berries into the remainder batter, then fill.

Personally I don't mind bottom berries that mix with some butter for a bottom crust caramelizing. I suppose I'm an edge person brown/crusty over a cake center.

Enjoy the birthday! Most important is the pleasure you give each other.

Blueberry Muffins from America's Test Kitchen...so good1

Make a "10" with blueberries on top of the icing. That was what I used to do on my kids' birthday cakes.

Blueberry Muffins (or cake) Jordan Marsh’s recipe

IIRC, I baked these in a 6-tin because it was a hot day and I wanted to bake them outdoors so that Iwould avoid heating up the kitchen & house.

This batter is thick, the berries don’t sink to the bottom, even with a cake. I do not wash or wet them; nor do I flour them. I found them into the batter just before I fill the tins or cake pan.

Norar, what did you decide to bake for your grandson? Maybe you chose both carrot and blueberry cakes!? I’d go for that.

We went blueberry picking and he requested a blueberry cake instead of carrot after eating the fresh berries. I think what he really wanted was the cream cheese icing. DD says I spoil her kids and I say that's what grandparents do.

... and you give them an extra helping of sugar just as they are getting ready to hit the road to go back home .... *grin*

"DD says I spoil her kids and I say that's what grandparents do."

Darn right that's what they do! ;-)

Well, norar, you got fresh air and exercise and made some wonderful memories. I bet he loved that cake, seeing and tasting the connection between the berries from bush to fork. And blueberry-anything baking in the oven is pure joy.

FWIW, BraveTart, Stella Parks, did an experiment on tossing the berries in flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom. Her conclusion was that it made no difference. Her advice was to withhold the berries, fill the muffin tins with a dollop of plain batter, mix the berries into the remaining batter, then finish filling the tins.

This is her picture of her experiment. The muffins on the left have berries that were tossed in flour; the muffins on the right have berries that were mixed in without the flour toss; the muffins in the middle were made with the dollop of plain batter on the bottom.

https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/07/how-to-stop-blueberries-from-sinking-muffin-baking.html