Blueberry Coffee Cake
Blueberry coffee cake is a tender, moist cake layered with a cinnamon crumb topping and sweet-tart blueberries. It’s delicious all on it’s own, but a drizzle of lemon glaze takes it over the top. The cinnamon crumb doubles as a filling in the cake and as a topping for double cinnamon sugar goodness. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, coffee with friends, or a yummy afternoon snack with some tea or coffee. Baked at 350°F for 55-60 minutes, it makes 16 servings and costs under $15 using simple ingredients.
This blueberry coffee cake is what I make when I want to feel fancy without actually working that hard, or cheating and going to the bakery.
It’s moist and tender, with layers of cinnamon sugar, and full of plump blueberries that burst when you bite into them. You get that pop by using frozen blueberries. No thawing required!
They stay plump and juicy in the cake and don’t turn everything purple. The optional lemon glaze on top adds a sweet citrus finish, but honestly it’s perfect with or without it.
Make this for weekend brunch, serve it with afternoon coffee, or eat it for breakfast all week. I won’t judge!
More Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
- Breakfast Sliders – Easy make-ahead with eggs and cheese
- French Toast Casserole – Overnight bake for weekend brunch
- Pancake Skewers – Fun finger food with fruit and syrup
- Chicken & Waffle Sliders – Sweet and savory mini sandwiches
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Blueberries – Don’t thaw them! Frozen berries hold their shape better and don’t bleed into the batter.
- Sour cream – Use low fat, fat free, or regular. Substitute plain Greek yogurt if needed.
- Flour – Use all purpose flour for this recipe. I haven’t tried it with self-rising flour or flour alternatives. If you do, let me know how it goes!
- Brown sugar – Use dark brown sugar in the crumb topping for more flavor. You can use light brown sugar but the topping will be a lighter color.
- Cold butter – For the crumb topping, use salted butter for more flavor and make sure it’s cold. Cube it so it’s easier to work into the flour mixture.
- Softened butter – For the cake batter, the butter needs to be room temperature so it creams easy with the sugar and doesn’t have any clumps.
- Cinnamon – For the best flavor, use Saigon cinnamon. It’s not as acidic and the flavor is more intense.
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How To Make Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square or round baking pan with nonstick spray and dust with flour, or line with parchment paper.
- Mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add cold cubed butter and work it into the flour with your fingers until evenly distributed. Set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Cream softened butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. You can use a hand mixer or mix by hand.
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Mix until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just incorporated. Don’t over mix. Fold in frozen blueberries, stirring just until they’re mixed into the batter.
- Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the crumb topping over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter on top and spread gently. Finish with the remaining crumb topping.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Completely cool on a wire rack before removing from the pan. Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Reheating
Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can refrigerate it but the crumb topping stays crunchier at room temp.
Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature or warm slightly before serving.
Freezer: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Warm individual slices in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or in a 300°F oven for 5-10 minutes.
Variations
- Mixed Berry: Use a combination of frozen blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
- Lemon Blueberry: Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest to the batter for more citrus flavor.
- Peach Coffee Cake: Swap blueberries for diced frozen peaches.
- Streusel Topping Only: Skip layering the crumb topping inside and put it all on top for extra-thick crunchy layer.
- Nutty Crumb: Add ½ cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts to the crumb topping.
- Orange Glaze: Use fresh orange juice instead of lemon juice in the glaze.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but frozen berries work better because they don’t bleed into the batter and turn it purple. If using fresh, toss them with 1 tablespoon flour before folding into the batter.
The frozen blueberries cab make the batter stiff and thick. This is completely normal! The batter will loosen as it bakes.
The recipe is designed for an 8-inch pan for a tall, thick cake. A 9×13 pan will make a thinner cake with shorter baking time (check at about 35-40 minutes).
No! The glaze is optional. The cake is delicious with or without it.
Yes! Bake it 1-2 days ahead and store covered at room temperature. Add the glaze right before serving.
The cake needs to set fully or it might fall apart when you remove it. Patience pays off here! Be sure to use the parchment paper to help you lift it out.
An 8-inch square or round pan works best. A 9-inch round will also work but will be slightly thinner.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use frozen blueberries straight from the freezer. Don’t thaw them or they’ll bleed into the batter.
- Work cold butter into the topping with your fingers until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- Cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy for the most tender cake.
- Don’t overmix the batter after adding flour. Stir just until the flour disappears.
- Layer half the crumb topping inside the cake for cinnamon sugar in every bite.
- Cool completely before removing from the pan so the cake doesn’t fall apart.
This blueberry coffee cake recipe is perfect for weekend brunch or breakfast all week long! The cinnamon streusel topping mixed all through it makes every bite flavorful.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream substitute plain greek yogurt
- 2 cups blueberries frozen, don’t thaw
Crumb Topping & Filling
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons butter cold, cubed
Lemon Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeeze
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
- Prepare an 8” square or round baking pan with non-stick spray and dusting with a little flour, or lining with parchment paper.
- In a medium size bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Use your fingers to work the butter into the flour mixture until it is evenly distributed and resembles chunky sand. Set aside.
- In a separate medium size bowl ,mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
- In a large bowl cream the softened butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. You can use a hand mixer or mix by hand.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract and sour cream to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until combines.
- Add the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon, in batches, until all the flour is incorporated. Don't over mix.
- Fold in the frozen blueberries and stir just until they are incorporated into the batter. The batter will be very thick and stiff from the frozen blueberries.
- Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- Sprinkle half of the crumb topping/filling over top.
- Spoon the remaining half of the batter and smooth to cover the streusel mixture.
- Top with the remaining crumb topping.
- Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before removing from the pan.
- In a separate, small bowl, combine the ingredients for the lemon glaze with a whisk or spoon.
- Drizzle over the cooled coffee cake, slice, and serve.
Notes
- Use frozen blueberries straight from the freezer. Don’t thaw them or they’ll bleed into the batter.
- Work cold butter into the topping with your fingers until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- Cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy for the most tender cake.
- Don’t overmix the batter after adding flour. Stir just until the flour disappears.
- Layer half the crumb topping inside the cake for cinnamon sugar in every bite.
- Cool completely before removing from the pan so the cake doesn’t fall apart.
Nutrition
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