Blueberry Coffee Cake
coffee cakes
This blueberry coffee cake is soft and moist with a buttery crunchy streusel on top. Dotted with juicy blueberries, this cake is a treat and perfect for breakfast, brunch and also for dessert. The texture is just right especially with a bit of the crunch from the streusel, and the glaze gives it a little sweet stickiness. I like to call it blueberry muffin cake cause it has the delicious flavors of my bakery style blueberry muffins only in cake form with more streusel topping. Serve this blueberry streusel coffee cake with coffee, tea, or even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
What is coffee cake?
Coffee cake or cinnamon coffee cake is a tender, buttery cake topped with crunchy crumbles and a cinnamon-sugar ribbon running through the middle. Why do they call it coffee cake? Coffee cakes are called as such because they are intended to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee. It is thought that this originated with Northern and Central Europeans in the 17th century. It’s perfect with a cup of coffee just like the name of the cake suggest but equally good with a nice cup of earl grey! There is absolutely no coffee in this cake. It’s merely called a coffee cake, something that any cake can be called, but the term is most often used for cakes with a German ring to them like a streusel cake or cake with a streusel on or in them. This blueberry coffee cake is just that with blueberries added the batter. It is a wonderful version of this classic recipe.
Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe Ingredients
- BLUEBERRIES: Fresh blueberries are best for this cake recipe
- FLOUR: This recipe calls for all purpose flour however if you insist on using cake flour you may.
- BAKING SODA & BAKING POWDER: Baking soda and baking powder help the cake rise.
- SUGAR: Regular granulated sugar for the cake portion of this recipe and brown sugar or light brown sugar for the streusel topping and filling
- BUTTER: Butter adds flavor and provides structure in the creaming process.Room temperature for the batter and melted for the crumb topping. I use unsalted.
- SALT & VANILLA EXTRACT: Use both for flavor. I use pure vanilla extract for best flavor and often I will add a ¼ teaspoon of almond extract too for more flavor
- CINNAMON: We can’t have crumb cake topping without cinnamon!
- EGGS: You’ll want large eggs for this recipe and at room temperature
- SOUR CREAM: Please use full fat sour cream – it’s what makes the cake texture so moist and delicious. A good substitute is Greek yogurt. Make sure it is room temperature.
- For the GLAZE: Powdered sugar, milk, lemon juice and some more vanilla
- VARIATIONS: Spice it up by adding more spices to the cake and streusel topping if you would like a pinch of nutmeg, clove, allspice or cardamom. Use another berry you prefer like raspberries, blackberries or even rough chopped strawberries. Sometimes I will add a pinch of cinnamon to the cake batter as well and also a splash of almond extract along with the vanilla for more depth of flavor.
How do you make Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake? (Details in recipe card below)
- First, prepare your baking pan of choice - grease generously.
- Prepare crumb or streusel topping in a small bowl - stir the ingredients together then set aside
- Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and lemon infused sugar together. Then add the eggs on at a time, followed by the sour cream, and vanilla, and beat until combined. The mixture may look curdled– that’s OK and simply a result of varying textures/temperatures trying to emulsify.
- Combine wet & dry ingredients/flour mixture just until batter is combined
- Toss berries with flour or cornstarch (optional) then gently fold them into the batter
- Spread cake batter into the prepared pan and then sprinkle the streusel or crumble overtop, press it down gently so it sticks.
- Bake
- Make glaze and drizzle overtop - then slice and serve
Storage and Leftovers
How long does Blueberry Coffee Cake last?
The leftover cake will last at room temperature in an airtight container a few days, or if wrapped very tightly with plastic wrap, in the fridge up to about 3-5 days. You can also freeze your leftovers so they will last longer.
Can you freeze Blueberry Coffee Cake? You can freeze this cake! Freeze the entire coffee cake before serving by allowing it to come to room temperature, then wrapping tightly and storing in the freezer. (Don’t forget to label well!). It will last up to 1-3 months in the freezer. You can also freeze leftover slices for a quick snack later. Again, wrap tightly and label well. To thaw an individual slice, place in the microwave for up to 30 seconds. To thaw a loaf, leave out at room temperature overnight. If freezing cake ahead of time, it is best to add icing or glaze right before serving rather than before freezing.
Blueberry Coffee Cake Tips
- Baking temperatures vary from oven to oven and depending on what pan you chose to use to bake this in - I would say safely start checking cake at the 40 min mark and every 5 min after as to not over bake it.
- Make sure the ingredients listed as room temperature are in fact room temp so that they incorporate into the batter evenly
- DO NOT over mix batter - usually I mix batter just until barely combined (some streaks of flour in batter are fine) as I know I will be mixing the batter more when I add the blueberries - fold them in super gently. It should be thick and relatively smooth, but some small lumps are fine. The batter is thicker than regular cake batter.
- DO NOT over bake cake - test with a tester and the cake will be done when: The edges of the cake pull away from the sides of the pan and It smells fragrant, The top and edges are golden brown, a toothpick or paring knife comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (as the cake will continue to ‘cook’ in hot pan out the oven), the cake springs back when pressed gently.
- If your streusel topping is browning too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil and move the cake to the lower third of the oven for the rest of the baking time.
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Recipe
Ingredients
For Crumb Topping
- 1 cup flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup butter melted and cooled slightly
- Pinch of salt
For the Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1½ cups sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon zest (I usually do 1 heaping tablespoon)
Blueberries
- 2½ cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and pat dry
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch or flour for dusting (optional)
Vanilla Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter and set aside.
Make Crumb Topping
- To make the streusel, in a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and melted butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Use your hands to mix to form larger crumb pieces. You want it to be crumbly. Cover, and chill while making batter
Make Cake
- Add lemon zest to sugar and rub together to infuse set aside
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer and a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth, approx 2 minutes. You might need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add eggs 1 at a time and beat until combined.
- Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Turn off the mixer and add in all of the dry ingredients. Mix on low until just combined. Do not over-mix. A few streaks of flour are fine.
- Toss berries with cornstarch (optional)
- Add the berries to the batter and fold gently with a spatula until evenly distributed. Do not over-mix.
Assemble & Bake & Glaze
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the streusel over the batter and lightly press into the batter.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean or mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven. Let the cake cool completely in pan on wire rack.
- To make the glaze, in a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth.
- Drizzle the cooled coffee cake with the glaze. Cut the cake into squares and serve.
Recipe Note
- Do I need to toss berries with flour or cornstarch? The light coating of flour or cornstarch around the berries will absorb some of the fruit’s liquid, making them less likely to sink t the bottom of pan. This is especially helpful when the batter is thin; thicker batters are a little better at cradling the fruit and keeping it suspended. So in this case it is optional.
