Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake is tender & plush, and is bursting with blueberry flavor in every bite! A ripple of blueberry jam runs through the center, fresh blueberries dot the top of the cake, surrounded by cinnamon brown sugar streusel. A dusting of powdered sugar finishes things beautifully!
You’ll never taste a blueberry coffee cake recipe as plush and tender as this one! It’s bursting with lemon and blueberry flavor and is easy enough to make on a weekday.
Why you’ll love this Blueberry Cake recipe:
- Fresh Blueberry Flavor – This cake is bursting with fresh blueberry flavor from the blueberry jam ripple and the fresh blueberries baked on top!
- Plush & Tender Cake – This cake bakes to soft, tender perfection. It’s perfectly moist, and never dry or dense.
- Easy Recipe – Despite there being a few steps to this recipe, it’s still easy enough for any skill level of baker! It’s a “lazy” cake – just one layer, and easier & quicker than assembling and frosting a layer cake – but still incredibly delicious!
Ingredient Overview:
- Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Eggs – Use large eggs, at room temp.
- Sour Cream – Use full fat sour cream, at room temp.
- Milk – I used 2% milk, at room temperature.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon & level your flour for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly in will lead to too much flour.
- Vanilla extract – Use real vanilla extract.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Sour Cream – Full fat greek yogurt works in place of the sour cream in a pinch.
- Gluten-free – I have not tested a gluten-free version of this recipe. Let me know if you try it! My best recommendation would be to start with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Dairy-free – Use your favorite dairy-free products to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Fruit Flavors – See recipe variations at the bottom of this post for other fruits you can use here.
How to Make this Blueberry Cake Recipe Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Make the Cake Batter. We’re using the reverse creaming method here (more on this in the FAQs below) which is a fancy term, but just means that we’re creaming the butter into the dry ingredients, rather than the other way around. Whisk together your dry ingredients & sugar in a large bowl. Add cubed softened butter to the flour mixture & mix on high speed until completely combined, using a hand mixer or stand mixer. You’ll have a sandy mixture (below left). This will take a few minutes. Then, whisk together the wet ingredients in a glass measuring cup, and mix them in just until combined. The batter will be slightly thick.
Step 2: Assemble the Cake. Spread half the batter into a lined 9-inch round cake pan, then spread a layer of blueberry jam on top. Dollop on the remaining batter, and spread it evenly.
Step 3: Finish & Bake the Cake. Sprinkle the blueberries and streusel topping over the top of the cake, and bake as directed in the recipe card below.
Serving + Storing this Recipe:
Let cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment paper and cool on a wire rack. Slice into it after about 30 minutes total, or wait until it’s cooled completely if you prefer. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or in the fridge for 2-3 days. Let come back to room temperature before enjoying.
Expert Success Tips:
- Don’t Over Mix – Mix the wet ingredients in just until they disappear into the batter. Over mixing can lead to a dense loaf cake.
- Don’t Over Bake – Follow the baking cues given in the recipe card below for best results.
- Kitchen Scale– A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
FAQs:
Reverse creaming is a process in which dry ingredients and sugar are whisked together first, and the softened butter is then creamed into this dry mixture. This coats the flour in fat, which helps inhibit gluten development, ensuring a plush and tender cake.
Yes, you can double this and bake it in a 9-inch springform pan for a deep dish coffee cake. Use 3/4 cup of the blueberry preserves in the center. Or double & bake in a 9×13 pan. Use 1 cup preserves.
I think you could halve it and bake it in a 6-inch round cake pan. Start with 13-18 minutes for your bake time and add time from there until done.
It’s light, fluffy, tender, and moist – not dry at all!
Yes. Bake and cool the cake, and don’t add the powdered sugar. Wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. I also like to stick it in a ziploc bag as added insurance from absorbing any smells/flavors from other foods in the freezer. Freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let come to room temperature when ready to glaze & serve it. I wouldn’t *plan* for this, as most things are just going to be better fresh.
The difference here is subtle – this is essentially a coffee cake, with a crumb topping – but not as much topping as the latter traditionally would have.
Yes, you can use a 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish instead of a round cake pan. Bake time should be pretty similar.
Recipe Variations:
- Other Fruits – You can use raspberries and raspberry jam or blackberries and blackberry jam in this cake instead of blueberry!
- Glaze – Drizzle on a lemony glaze if desired! Whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and a spoonful of blueberry jam until desired consistency is reached.
Special Tools:
- Cake Pans – These are my absolute favorite 9-inch cake pans! I’ve had them for 6+ years and use them for every cake recipe, and they are still in great shape.
- Offset Spatula – Offset spatulas make frosting a cake so easy! They can also be used for spreading cake and brownie batters evenly.
- Scale – Everyone needs a kitchen scale to ensure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts vary SO widely based on how you measure it.
More Blueberry Recipes to Love:
- Double Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake
- Blueberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
- Strawberry Blueberry Pie
- Baked Blueberry Streusel Donuts
- One-Bowl Blueberry Crisp
- Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins
- Skillet Blueberry Peach Cobbler
- Blueberry Spinach Salad with Honey Balsamic
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Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Crumb Topping
- 2 tbsp salted butter, melted 28 grams
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled 33 grams
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 53 grams
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
For the Cake
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled 195 grams
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 106 grams
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 53 grams
- 1/4 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature 4 tbsp or 57 grams
- 1/3 cup milk 85 mL
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- zest of 1/2 a lemon
- 3 tbsp lemon juice 38 grams
- 1 tbsp full fat sour cream, at room temperature or greek yogurt, 30 grams
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Blueberries & Jam
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries If using frozen, do not thaw
- 1/3 cup blueberry preserves or jam 106 grams
For Serving
- dusting of powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. (A 9-inch square pan works, too.)
- Make the Crumb Topping: Melt the butter in a small bowl. Stir the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon until a crumbly mixture forms. Set aside.
- Make the Cake Batter: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and both sugars in a medium bowl. Cube the softened butter and add it, mixing on high speed until completely combined – you'll have a sandy mixture. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, measure the milk, then whisk in the remaining wet ingredients. Stream this into the bowl while your mixer runs on low, mixing just until the last bits are combined. Don't over mix!See note below if you don't want to reverse cream.
- Assemble the Cake: Spread half the cake batter into your prepared pan, then dollop on the jam, and spread it evenly with an offset spatula. Dollop on the remaining batter, and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the blueberries on top, then the crumble topping.
- Bake: Bake the cake for 32-37 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should have moist crumbs or come out clean. It shouldn't have wet batter. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then use the parchment to lift the cake out onto a cooling rack.
- Serve + Store: Let the cake cool as long as you can wait before digging in. (As long as it's not going to burn your hands, dig in!) Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy! This is best fresh from the oven, but cooled leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for 1 day, or in the fridge for 2-3 days. Let come back to room temperature before serving.
Notes
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Make the Cake Batter: Cream the butter in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the sugars and mix until well creamed with the butter, 1-2 minutes. Add the egg, and mix on medium high until well combined & smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the milk, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and sour cream and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and mix just until everything is combined and the last streaks of flour disappear.
Nutrition
Tameka says
Another WINNER 🏆 This recipe is soooooooo delicious! Thanks so much Stephanie!
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad to hear that, Tameka! 🙂