Blueberry Coffee Cake with Buttery Crumb Topping
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Coffee cake and I go way back.
Like 15 years back. Back to the time when I would drive to Starbucks every morning before 1st period to get a vanilla latte and a piece of blueberry coffee cake.
You think I’m kidding…but I’m not. I had a job in high school working at a photography studio and every dime went to J.Crew and Starbucks.
Ugh. Those were the days!
I absolutely adore blueberry coffee cake and I absolutely adore coffee, especially alternative nespresso pods of Gourmesso, so this recipe has me all jittery inside. So jittery that I had to share it with you, Vin’s work crew and my very pregnant sister-in-law. I just knew that one piece of this blueberry coffee cake would bring a smile to their faces and a happy fullness in their bellies.My work here is done.
Let’s talk about the best part of this cake besides the gorgeous plump blueberries and the buttery moist cake, mmk?
The CRUMB TOPPING is EVERYTHING. Sorry, I had to yell. It’s what makes this cake better than any other coffee cake out there. I don’t mean to toot my own horn…well yes, I kinda do, because I am so in love with this cake. It deserves all the praise in the world and I am going to give this cake everything I have. It took three tries to get it right and it’s so, so right.
This will be on my list of recipes that I know I can bring anywhere. On this list includes Cinnamon Coffee Cake and Chocolate Chip Cookies. Crowd pleasing recipes that won’t fail you…I promise!
Ugh! It brings tears to my eyes! So in love.
Blueberry Coffee Cake with Buttery Crumb Topping
This blueberry coffee cake is buttery, tender, and filled with juicy blueberries. A generous cinnamon crumb topping makes it perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or an afternoon cup of coffee. You can make it with fresh or frozen blueberries, so it’s a recipe you can enjoy throughout the year.
Ingredients
Blueberry Coffee Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Icing
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon water, plus more by the teaspoon as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray and set it aside.
- Make the crumb topping. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup packed brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon to a medium bowl. Stir until evenly combined.
- Add ½ cup softened unsalted butter to the crumb mixture. Use your hands or a fork to work the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbs form. Set the topping aside while you prepare the cake batter.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat ½ cup softened unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar for approximately 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add 1 large room-temperature egg and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Mix until completely incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add one-third of the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Pour in half of the ¾ cup whole milk and mix again. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk. Finish with the final third of the flour mixture. Mix only until the batter comes together. Do not overmix.
- Add 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries. Using a spatula, gently fold the blueberries into the batter while scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. If using frozen blueberries, add them directly from the freezer without thawing.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared springform pan. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter, gently breaking it into small and large crumbs as you work.
- Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. A few blueberry juices on the toothpick are fine, but there should not be any wet cake batter.
- Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the coffee cake to cool.
- While the cake cools, make the icing by whisking together 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of water in a bowl.
- Once the cake is cooled, drizzle with icing any enjoy!
- Slice and serve the blueberry coffee cake slightly warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 992Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 18gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 454mgCarbohydrates: 172gFiber: 5gSugar: 98gProtein: 12g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.
- Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (1 stick), unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (can sub light brown sugar)
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature (try to use whole milk, but if necessary low-fat milk can be substituted)
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray a 9 inch spring form pan with baking spray; set aside.
- Make the crumb topping first – simply add all the ingredients into a bowl except for the butter and mix. Then add the butter and mix by hand until course crumbs forms; set aside.
- Now to the batter – mix together dry ingredients in a bowl; flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; set aside.
- Using a mixer, cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes) scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, . Add vanilla and egg and mix until incorporated, again scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Next alternate mixing dry ingredients and whole milk on low-speed. Start with dry and end with dry so you will mix about 1/3 of the dry, then half the milk, another 1/3 of dry, rest of milk, then the last of the dry ingredients. Do not over-mix during the increments or at the end. Mix until just incorporated and don’t worry about scraping down the bowl as you will do that when you mix in the blueberries. Lastly, fold in the blueberries with a spatula.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and top with the crumble topping. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If crumbs are on the toothpick that’s okay, you just don’t want wet batter. Let cool before opening spring form pan and cutting.
Done this recipe twice already and comes out great every single time. Love blueberries a lot and this is an easy recipe to enjoy it. Will try a blueberry rolls (like cinnamon rolls) soon as I get some fresh yeast from the grocery. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
you’re welcome! Glad you like them!
Hi,
how important it is to cream the butter? Is it a must?
For the Toppings……I find using COLD butter makes it crumbly. (not room temperature). I can’t make it crumbly using room temperature butter.
Hi Elle – it’s very typical to cream butter and sugar before adding other ingredients to make sure the sugar is well dispersed in the batter. Creaming butter also helps add air into the batter so baked goods come out fluffy. You can use cold butter instead of room temperature butter for the crumb topping if you would like. I find it easier to use room temperature butter and the crumb topping still turns out wonderful. Enjoy!
There’s no butter in the ingredients list! How much do I need!?
Hi Helen – so sorry! 1/2 cup (1 stick). I updated the recipe to include it. Enjoy!
This looks perfect, can’t wait to try it!