This blueberry coffee cake is loaded with blueberries and blueberry jam and topped with a crumbly, melt-in-in-your-mouth streusel topping. It's sweet, subtly tangy flavor is sure to capture your heart.
Whether you're looking for a quick, grab-and-go breakfast or a lazy Sunday morning treat, this blueberry coffee cake is for you. Heck, I even enjoy it for dessert with a scoop of ice cream on top. Juicy blueberries are suspended in a fluffy, perfectly moist cake that has just the right amount of tang from the sour cream. Finish it off with swirls of blueberry jam and a sweet, crumbly streusel topping and you've got yourself a breakfast treat that is sure to inspire a big smile and an even bigger "Yummmm!". Time to start baking.
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Why You'll Love This Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
You can't really go wrong with coffee cake. This recipe is extra special though with the addition of blueberries and blueberry jam. Here are some of my favorite things about it.
- Quick and easy. Requiring only 15 minutes of prep time, this is the perfect treat to whip up on those days when life feels just a little bit too busy. Sure it needs some time in the oven, but you can feel free to go about your day while the smell of this delicious blueberry streusel coffee cake wafts through your home.
- Packed with blueberries. There is no shortage of blueberries in the recipe. They are perfectly suspended throughout the batter so that every bite contains a few juicy morsels.
- The streusel for this cake really pulls it all together. The richness of the brown sugar and the warmth from the cinnamon make this melt-in-your-mouth topping irresistible.
- Jam. The swirls of blueberry jam are a unique twist that keeps the blueberry flavor constant throughout every bite.
- Versatile. This is a great basic recipe. Feel free to make it your own by using a different berry or even adding some walnuts.
Another fruity breakfast is my overnight pear french toast bake.
What Is A Coffee Cake?
A coffee cake is a simple, sweet cake meant to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea. Unlike other cakes, they are not frosted but they are often topped with streusel or another crumbly topping with a drizzle of icing. This breakfast treat comes in a variety of flavors ranging from classic cinnamon to raspberry cream cheese to blueberry.
Coffee Cake vs Streusel vs Buckle Cake
Coffee cake is a broad term referring to any cake meant to be enjoyed with coffee (or tea). Streusel refers to a crumbly mixture of sugar, fat (often butter), and flour used to fill and/or top baked goods. It also often includes nuts and spices, but not necessarily. A buckle cake is a cake that has fruit folded into the batter and streusel on top. Many buckle cakes, like this one, can also be deemed coffee cakes because they are meant to be enjoyed with coffee.
Recipe Ingredients
This is a relatively simple recipe that requires simple ingredients. You might already have many of them in your kitchen. Here is what you will need to make blueberry streusel coffee cake. Scroll to the recipe card below for detailed measurements.
Streusel Topping
- All-Purpose Flour - Feel free to use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour instead.
- Light Brown Sugar - It is crucial to use brown sugar here. It adds a depth of flavor that you don't want to miss out on. Try dark brown sugar for a hint of molasses.
- Ground Cinnamon - Try adding a touch of nutmeg along with the cinnamon.
- Salted Butter - The butter should be softened to room temperature so that it mixes easily with the other ingredients.
Cake
- All-Purpose - You can use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour instead.
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Salted Butter - Make sure your butter is at room temperature. It will not cream properly with the sugar if it is too cold.
- Granulated Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar - Looking for a richer flavor? Try dark brown sugar instead.
- Large Eggs - The eggs must be at room temperature, they will incorporate into the batter more easily, helping prevent over-mixing.
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Sour Cream - Allow the sour cream to come to room temperature before incorporating it into the batter. It will mix in much more easily and help prevent you from overmixing.
- Fresh or Frozen Blueberries - You can use a different berry if you'd like. Raspberries and/or blackberries would be a great choice.
- All-Purpose Flour - This is to coat the berries so that they are suspended in the batter as opposed to sinking to the bottom.
- Blueberry Jam - You are more than welcome to use a different jam here. Get creative!
How to Make Blueberry Coffee Cake
Here's a quick rundown of how to make blueberry coffee cake. Make sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
Streusel Topping
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper overhanging the sides. Grease the parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Blend the butter into the mixture with your fingers and use a spatula to mix it into a sandy, clumpy consistency.
- Chill. Put it in the refrigerator.
Cake
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat together the sugar and butter for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing between each addition.
- Mix together the vanilla extract and sour cream.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Gently fold in ⅓ of the dry ingredients and combine. Fold in ½ of the sour cream and combine. Repeat until you run out of ingredients.
- Coat the blueberries in flour and fold them into the cake batter.
- Swirl. Add the cake batter to the prepared pan and drop dollops of blueberry jam on top. Swirl the jam through the cake with a knife and cover it with streusel topping.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before using the parchment paper to lift it from the pan.
Tips for Success
Are you ready to make the best blueberry coffee cake you have ever tasted? Follow these simple tips and tricks and you won't be disappointed.
- Room temperature ingredients. When making the batter for this blueberry coffee cake with sour cream it is crucial that the butter, eggs, and sour cream are all at room temperature. If they are not, they will not mix easily with the other ingredients, which will lead to over-mixing. The butter for the streusel should also be at room temperature so that it blends well with the flour, cinnamon, and sugar.
- Don't over-mix the batter. Over-mixing the batter will cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, ending you with a dense, tough cake.
- Toss the blueberries in flour. If you skip this step, the blueberries will sink to the bottom of the coffee cake as opposed to being suspended throughout.
- Toothpick test. Because this cake is covered in streusel, it can be hard to tell when it is done. To be safe, use a toothpick to poke the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If it comes out gooey, give this blueberry dessert a few more minutes in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
As the name suggests, blueberry coffee cake is meant to be served with a cup of coffee. You don't have to stop there, though. This cake is delicious no matter how you serve it. Here are some ideas for you.
- With a warm beverage. Blueberry streusel coffee cake is the perfect accompaniment to your morning cup of coffee or tea. Feeling extra sweet? Try serving it with my Crock Pot Hot Chocolate.
- With a drizzle of icing or frosting. Whip up a simple vanilla icing or my famous Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and drizzle it over the finished cake.
- A la mode. Top this delicious coffee cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- With whipped cream. Buy your favorite from the store or make my Stabilized Whipped Cream. Feeling adventurous? This Chocolate Whipped Cream is to die for.
- Brunch style. Serve this coffee cake as part of a larger brunch menu. I love it alongside some scrambled eggs, bacon, and a glass of orange juice. Yum!
How to Store Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake
Allow the coffee cake to cool completely before sealing it in an airtight container. You can store it on the counter for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you decide to freeze the blueberry coffee cake, allow it to thaw at room temperature before diving in.
More Blueberry Desserts:
Blueberries might just be my favorite fruit. I love finding ways to incorporate them into desserts. Here are some other recipes starring these tasty little morsels.
- Blueberry Cheesecake
- Blueberry Pie
- Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
- Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
- Banana Blueberry Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
Recipe Card
Blueberry Coffeecake
This blueberry coffee cake is loaded with blueberries and blueberry jam and topped with a crumbly, melt-in-in-your-mouth streusel topping. It's sweet, subtly tangy flavor is sure to capture your heart.
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- 63 grams (½ Cup) All-Purpose Flour
- 100 grams (½ Cup) Light Brown Sugar
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 5 Tablespoons Salted Butter, softened to room temperature
Cake
- 250 grams (2 Cups) All-Purpose/ Plain Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoons Salt
- 4oz (½ Cup) Salted Butter, at room temperature
- 100 grams (½ Cup) Granulated/ Caster Sugar
- 100 grams (½ Cup) Light Brown Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs, at room temperature
- 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 6oz (¾ Cup) Sour Cream, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
- 2 Teaspoons All-Purpose Flour
- 3oz (⅓-1/2 Cup) Blueberry Jam
Instructions
Streusel Topping
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment so that the parchment paper overhangs on the sides, this will help you pull the baked cake out of the pan later. Grease the parchment with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Use your clean fingers and blend in the butter and use a spatula to mix it all together to moisten everything, this will take a couple of minutes, you want a wet sand texture, and thick clumps are good. Set it in the refrigerator while you prepare the cake.
Cake
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld electric whisk beat the sugar and butter together for 2-3 minutes, scrape down the bowl after the first minute then continue mixing. You want a light fluffy mixture.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition and making sure the egg is fully combined, there should be no trace of egg yolk. In a separate bowl mix together the vanilla extract and sour cream.
- Gently fold in ⅓ of the dry ingredients until just almost combined, then gently fold in ½ of the sour cream until just combined, then repeat with ⅓ of the dry, the rest of the sour cream, and finish with the remaining flour. Do not over-mix.
- In a separate bowl toss the blueberries and flour together, coating the blueberries helps prevent them from sinking. Gently fold the blueberries into the cake batter, do not over-mix as the blueberries will bleed their color.
- Add the cake batter to the prepared pan then drop dollops of blueberry jam on top and use a butter knife to swirl it into the batter. Sprinkle all of the crumble on top into an even layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes, since the cake is covered in a crumble it is best to check by using a toothpick test, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake, moist crumbs are okay but if there is any wet batter the cake will need to cook longer.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before using the parchment overhang to gently and quickly remove it from the pan. Best served the day it is made but leftovers will last in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: blueberry coffee cake, blueberry coffee cake with sour cream, blueberry streusel coffee cake, blueberry desserts
Rosann says
The recipe calls for baking powder but the instructions say baking powder and baking soda, if it required baking soda, how much is used? Thank you.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Rosann, so sorry for the confusion. There is no baking soda in this recipe, just baking powder. Please let me know if you have any further quetsions or if you try the recipe I would love to know what you think! XX Liz
Jennifer Mason says
This is no reflection on your baking techniques, but why does the texture of coffee cakes always look dry and have a grainy-looking consistency which inevitably has always been a natural deterrent for me not to try and bake?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Jennifer, thanks for reaching out. I know a lot of coffee cakes can be very dry. I think this one is nice and moist but it is best the first day you bake it. XX Liz