Soft, sweet, packed with blueberries and covered by a blanket of streusel topping, this melt-in-your-mouth blueberry coffee cake is the best way to enjoy cake for breakfast. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Remember when brunch get-togethers were a thing? Holiday breakfast gatherings with extended family? Potlucks? Actually leaving the house? This blueberry coffee cake was my go-to for occasions like this for years.
Guaranteed to impress and to bring people back for seconds, it always received rave reviews and recipe requests. I’m looking forward to having an occasion to bake it again sometime soon, but until then Zach just has to indulge me (or sometimes reign me in) as I insist on blueberry coffee cake for breakfast every few days.
It may sound humble at first (how glamorous is coffee cake, anyway?), but with its juicy blueberry spangled interior, its soft, plush, melt-in-your-mouth crumb, and the thick blanket of crumbly, buttery streusel topping. It joins the ranks of other crowd pleasers like my French toast casserole, blueberry muffins, and sticky buns. Don’t wait for a special occasion to make it, though, I’m sure you can find an excuse to whip up a pan. And then make sure you let me know what you think of it!
What You Need to Make Blueberry Coffee Cake
This recipe is pretty straightforward with (mostly) basic ingredients, but let’s touch on a few of them before we begin.
- Corn starch. Corn starch is a versatile ingredient that I use in so many of my recipes for different reasons. Here, it provides a soft, plush, melt-in-your mouth crumb.
- Cream cheese. This is my secret weapon for blueberry coffee cake! It encourages a dense, tight crumb (the batter is very thick and heavy) and adds softness, moisture, and a subtly tangy flavor the complements the blueberries like nothing else.
- Buttermilk. The buttermilk is not here to react with baking soda (we’re not using any!) or any other acidic ingredient, not in this instance. Instead, it’s a thicker and more flavorful liquid that adds a subtle tang and moisture to the cake. If you don’t have it you can substitute regular milk (whole or 2%) but keep in mind the cake may not be as moist.
- The streusel ingredients pictured above on the left are also fairly common (butter, sugar flour, salt), but I do things a bit differently than you may be used to. More on that below.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Blueberry Coffee Cake
The cake is simple and can be made with either an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer.
- Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugars then beat in eggs and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt) then alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter, stirring until completely combined.
- Carefully stir in blueberries.
- Spread into greased 13×9 baking pan.
Tip: While it’s not impossible to over-mix this cake, it’s much more difficult to do so with this recipe than it is with many of my other cakes (like my vanilla cake). It’s actually more likely you’ll accidentally under-mix, so make sure your butter and cream cheese are well creamed and your flour is thoroughly incorporated!
How to Make Streusel for Coffee Cake
I make my streusel the easy way, no pastry cutter or ice cold butter required. It’s simple and I think it has a better, more buttery taste than classic streusel…
- First combine flour, sugars, and just a pinch of salt.
- Add melted butter (make sure it’s not too hot!)
- Use a fork to toss the ingredients together until all of the flour/sugar mixture is moistened. Don’t overdo it! It should be clumpy! Over-mixing yields a paste-like streusel.
- Use your hands to crumble/scatter over the blueberry cake.
Once everything’s assembled, all that’s left to do is bake your blueberry coffee cake.
Tip: I typically bake this cake in a metal pan. You may use a glass pan instead, but keep in mind it will most likely take longer to bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
My coffee cake is infused with cinnamon flavor. It also uses more brown sugar and vanilla (both of which I reduced in this recipe as I thought they bullied the fresh, vibrant flavor of the blueberries too much and I wanted flavors that complemented them instead). This recipe was designed so that the blueberries really shine! I also use a touch more cornstarch to help absorb some of the excess moisture from the berries.
This cake also takes a bit more time to bake, thanks to the added bulk from the berries.
Yes, but the resulting cake will be a bit short (about ⅔ the height of my bundt cake or pound cake). Generously grease and flour the pan and then bake on 350F (175C) for about 55 minutes.
Yes! Do not thaw them. Keep in mind some frozen blueberries (particularly those labeled “wild”) tend to bleed in the batter. It won’t affect the tase but it will give you some pretty lavender swirls in the cake.
Yes, most berries (blackberries, raspberries) or even cherries would work well here. You can even use strawberries, but I would recommend quartering them first and the cake won’t keep quite as long.
Yes you can, but keep in mind the baking time will be reduced (I’d start checking at 40 minutes). Another option is to sprinkle the surface of the cake with granulated sugar for a sweet, low-maintenance topping.
I usually don’t add a glaze to my blueberry coffee cake because it’s perfectly fine without it. However, if you’re craving a pretty white drizzle, just use the simple glaze in my classic coffee cake recipe (no changes needed).
More Recipes You Might Like
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 8 oz cream cheese softened (226g) (use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese)
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (250g)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar tightly packed (50g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (335g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup buttermilk ¹ (120ml)
- 2 ¼ cup blueberries² (330g)
Streusel Topping³
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (175g)
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar firmly packed (225g)
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled until no longer hot to the touch (140g)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and lightly grease and flour a 13×9 baking pan.⁴
- Combine butter, cream cheese, and sugars and use an electric mixer (or a stand mixer) to cream together ingredients until well-combined, light, and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat on medium-low speed until combined, pausing to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- In separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, cornstarch and salt.
- Add about ¼ of the flour mixture and stir on low speed until just combined. Add about ⅓ of the buttermilk and stir until combined. Continue to alternate adding flour and buttermilk until all are added and mixture is completely combined.
- Use a spoon or spatula to stir in the blueberries.
- Spread batter into prepared pan (batter will be thick) and prepare streusel, if using.
Streusel
- To make streusel, whisk together flour, sugars, and salt. Drizzle in melted butter and use a fork to stir/toss together until mixture is clumpy but combined (all the butter should be absorbed). Do not use butter that is too hot and do not over-mix or the mixture will be like a paste! It should be clumpy and crumbly.
- Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter.
- Bake on 350F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center yields moist crumbs or no crumbs.
- Allow to cool before cutting and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
My blueberry coffee cake was originally published on October 26 2015. Photos have been updated, a video has been added, and the recipe has been modified to be more clear, to include metric measurements, and to use a more classic streusel topping.
Bruce
I’ll be making this and your chili tomorrow. I figure if I’m going to be snowed in, might as well eat well! Your buttermilk cornbread is a possibility, too. I’ll let you know what I think, of course.
Sam
I hope you love it all! It’s always nice to stay home and cook when it’s snowing. We’ve been having a few of those recently, I think I’ve had enough for now.
Bruce
It looked and smelled so good when it came out of the oven that I only waited 10 minutes before I had a piece. I was surprised that the cream cheese didn’t reduce the lightness at all. The cake was rich, but fluffy, and loaded with blueberries. Great streusel on top. If you line the pan with non-stick foil, you can lift the whole cake out for easy cutting and serving.
Sam
You made it 10 minutes without trying it? I’m impressed! That would probably be a record in my house. 🤣
Willy
I tried this for the first time. You videos make it easy to follow. WOW, it was amazing. Everybody loved it.
Thanks
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Willy! I’m happy to hear the videos are helpful. 🙂
Meenal
I can’t eggs. Can you suggest egg replacement on this receipe.
Sam
Unfortunately I don’t know of any here. 🙁 Hopefully someone else may be able to chime in with some advice.
Erica K.
I made this recipe with no deviations, and OMG it is DELICIOUS! Thank you Sam for another amazing recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
Yay! I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Erica! Thanks for trying my recipe! 🙂
Sheela
I made this yesterday, and I wanted to let you know that everyone in my household loved it!!! Even my dad who is picky about desserts loved it. He thought it was not too sweet, and very moist!!!It was perfect. It is a keeper 🙂 I love your recipes because they are not to hard to make, but so tasty!!!
Sam
Thank you so much, Sheela! I am so glad you have enjoyed everything so much! 🙂
Michelle Stottlemyer
Can you omit the cream cheese i want a light fluffy cake dense cakes dont go over well in my house
Sam
Hi Michelle! Unfortunately the cream cheese is a vital part of this cake. It is a dense cake but it’s very moist. I think this one may actually go over well. 🙂
Elaine Leech
This cake was easy to make and delicious. Rave reviews from everyone. Question – is it necessary to store the leftover cake in the fridge or is it ok on the counter for a few days, covered? Thanks so much for another great recipe.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Elaine! You can store it at room temperature for a few days, if it lasts that long. 😉
Lynette Cory
This is the best coffee cake I have tasted since I was a child. My grandmother had a fresh peach coffee cake and has the same texture as this. Sam you are extremely talented. I bake at least 5 days a week and your recipes can’t be beat. This is delicious in every way. Thank you Sam for all your recipes. They are spot on❤
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lynette! 🙂
Dawn
If I do not have buttermilk I use 2% milk plus 1 tablespoon Hellman’s mayonnaise. This helps keep the cake moist.
KAY
I used 3 cups fresh blackberries!!! This was the best coffee cake we have ever had…even my Grandmother’s 40 year old sour cream coffee cake did not stand up to this!! SOOO GOOD!
Sam
YUM I love the sound of using blackberries! And WOW I think that is one of the best compliments I think I’ve ever gotten, thank you, Kay!! 🙂
Mary
This was wonderful, perfect, definitely a recipe to add to the rotation. Moist, rich, and flavorful. Some necessary changes due to the pandemic and dietary restrictions: Less sugar and half the topping. I didn’t have the full amount of cream cheese (about 2 tbsp shy). No vanilla extract (Eureka! The luscious flavor of butter is more prominent without it!) I was skeptical, but frozen blueberries worked fine. I thoroughly agree with the omission of cinnamon, which would have killed it.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Mary! 🙂
Andrea
Sooo good, moist and not too heavy, perfect amount of berries to cake. Your site is my go to for any of my baking needs! Always enjoy seeing new recipes!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Andrea! Thank you for trusting my site so much! 🙂
Sheela
Hi Sam,
I wanted to watch the video with this, but I don’t see one
Sam
Hi Sheela! If you have an ad blocker enabled it will prevent the video from playing. I do have the video over on YouTube as well. 🙂
Sheela
Thanks. I was using a different computer. That explains why. I like using your videos as a guide. They are very helpful.
Rose
Hi Sam ! I so love all your recipes but fir some reason this cake did not come out right for me at all. It was extremely dense …very heavy …don’t know why, but I gave it to my birdies band squirrels because we didn’t like the heaviness of it. If u had seen your video, which I could not find, maybe I could have figured out what I did wrong. Please tell me …I would love to enjoy this cake too !!
Sam
Hi Rose! I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy it. This coffee cake is supposed to be dense, but it should be dense, soft and moist. The video should appear right above the ingredients. If it’s not showing make sure you aren’t using an ad blocker as they also block my videos 🙂
carin
There’s just two of us. And while we *could* eat a whole 9×13 cake, we probably shouldn’t. Will cutting the recipe in half and baking in 8×8 be successful with this recipe? Estimate for reducing the bake time? Thanks.
Sam
Hi Carin! Cutting it in half should make it fit into an 8 inch square pan. I don’t have any guesses on bake time though.
Brooke Nyberg
I made a half batch, bake time was approx 35 minutes
Hana
Hi sam I love your channel so much and I hope you upload you beignets recipe please because it looks delicious
Sam
Thank you so much, Hana! I should have it perfected within a couple of weeks so stay tuned. 🙂
Sharon Palmer
Question: Streusel topping recipe for your Blueberry Coffeecake lists flour twice, 1 1/3 cups at 175grams, plus 1/4 cup at 225 grams . Instructions also mention sugars which is plural but only brown sugar is listed. I would assume that the second flour listing should be granulated sugar but 1/4 cup of granulated sugar should weigh 50 grams, not 225. Could you please clarify?
Sam
Oh no! Thank you so much for catching this, Sharon, it seems it was a mistake caused by a holdover from the original recipe, I’m not sure why it didn’t update properly but I’ve fixed it! So sorry about the confusion!
Sue
Hi Sam. Just wanted to bring to your attention that you list 2 flours in the streusel and the granulated sugar is not listed.
Sam
Oh no, how embarrassing! I’ve fixed it, thank you for bringing this to my attention, Sue!