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Everyone needs a blueberry coffee cake in their life. Whether it’s a weekend treat for friends and family, or a baked good to take to a brunch, this recipe for a classic version of blueberry coffee cake is a keeper!
A coffee cake is really a dessert masquerading as a breakfast item. The difference between the two is the flavors: one is usually savory and the other sweet. Since a blueberry coffee cake does not have an overabundance of ingredients, each one matters tremendously. The flavor comes together from the butter, vanilla extract, blueberries, and the streusel topping.
The ingredients that go into this coffee cake
- Flour is what binds everything together and provides the structure for this cake. I use all purpose flour.
- Sugar sweetens this cake, but what’s great is that there is not an overabundance of sugar added. It’s just enough granulated sugar to add sweetness without being overpowering.
- Baking powder gives both texture and rise to the cake.
- Milk is the main liquid and, if possible, I always use whole milk. Whole milk has the most flavor and richness. And since there is a small number of ingredients in this coffee cake, each ingredient’s flavor component is important!
- Butter is used as a liquid in this recipe since it’s added in a melted state. The butter offers a rich texture, but also lends so much incredible flavor.
- Lemon zest is a major player. Even though not much is used, the zest intesifies the flavor of the blueberries and adds a little pop of citrus.
- Blueberries are obviously the main attraction. I often use frozen blueberries since they are always full of flavor. If using frozen, do not thaw them. Simply fold them in frozen. As an alternative, fresh blueberries can also be used.
- Brown sugar is used in the streusel for a caramel-like flavor.
- Cinnamon is also added to the streusel for a hint of warm spice to complement the blueberry and give more of a tradtional coffee cake flavor.
The great part of this recipe is the fact that it’s easy enough to mix completely by hand! The main ingredients can be combined with a mixer and then the blueberries folded in with a spatula. The batter will be stiff, but the result once baked is a perfectly soft cake full of blueberries!
More coffee cake recipes
Grandma’s Coffee Cake
1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Rhubarb Coffee Cake
1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Raspberry Blood Orange Coffee Cake
1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Watch how to make this classic blueberry coffee cake
Classic Blueberry Coffee Cake
Is there anything better than a classic recipe that works out each and every time? This blueberry coffee cake is one of those recipes. It's simple, easy to put together, and has loads of blueberry flavors. All of this means that it's a classic and a keeper!
Ingredients
For the coffee cake
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
For the streusel topping
- 4 tbsp light brown sugar
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter cold, cut into ½-inch pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking dish and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and add the milk, eggs, vanilla, melted butter, and lemon zest. Whisk to break up the egg yolks and combine the wet and dry ingredients. Whisk until combined, leaving only a few dry pieces. The batter will be stiff.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, ⅔ cup whole milk, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 6 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tsp lemon zest
- Once combined, fold in the blueberries to evenly incorporate into the batter. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- In a small bowl, combine the light brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Mix with fingers and add small pieces of butter. Work the pieces of butter between thumb and fingers until the streusel resembles a coarse meal.4 tbsp light brown sugar, 4 tbsp all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- Evenly spread the streusel over the prepared coffee cake batter. Bake in the preheated oven until the streusel is browned and the cake is domed. A skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should come out mostly clean, 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 42.7gProtein: 4.7gFat: 11.2gSaturated Fat: 6.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.7gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.2gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 57.8mgSodium: 216.1mgPotassium: 257mgFiber: 1.6gSugar: 18.7gVitamin A: 101.3IUVitamin C: 2.8mgCalcium: 107.3mgIron: 1.7mg
I love watching your cooking videos- you are so sweet and kind – you make us laugh- keep up the good work. Bless you
Yummy.
I made it as soon as I watched it. So very good! Substituted buttermilk for the milk. Handpicked blueberries last summer.
Thanks Kaleb!
AH MAZING! Just enjoyed several pieces with black coffee and orange slices. The cake is suprisingly light considering how thick the batter is. Excellent crumb and texture. I used frozen berries and they worked perfectly. My lemon rind was on the “well aged” side and very dry. So, I added a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the cake and give the berries a playmate! This is a great “keeper” recipe. My husband asked me to please make it again! As usual, BRAVO!👏🏻
Hi kaleb!
I discovered you right before the holidays! I love love love watching you and your recipes! I have to thank you so much for getting me through Thanksgiving and Christmas with your fabulous recipes and videos. So grateful for you!
Susan
This recipe is awesome! I even veganized it for my daughter using Miyoko’s butter and soy milk. Came out tender and delish!
Can Grandma’s blueberry coffee cake be made as muffins? Looks so yummy.
GREAT coffee cake!! My mom is 84 and she loves it! You weren’t kidding about the stiff batter. We were using too small of a spatula and broke the handle off!! We DO get to go spatula shopping so it’s that’s double the fun. Thanks for the great recipe!
My coffee cake took longer than 45 minutes. It took 60. Could I have done something wrong🤷♀️
Made this this morning as soon as I watched the video as I never have whole milk on hand and happened to today and I had blueberries that were not eaten from this week! It looks so delicious- as all your recipes do! Thanks for another wonderful recipe:)
Yum! Just made this!! House smells delicious!! Can’t wait! I even added a bit more blueberries!! Ha!!also used some half and half and mixed with my 2% as I don’t buy whole milk and wanted to try this today!!
I loved watching you make the blueberry coffee cake, it easy to make and yummy to eat. Thank you. Nancy
This is delicious! I only know it’s delicious because I got one small piece before my family hoovered the entire cake in ONE day. Next time, I’m going to freeze another serving for myself. Thank you for sharing this recipe…they’re already asking when I’m making another one!
Oh my, this was so good. Still recovering from flooding from hurricane Ian so don’t have a kitchen. Used my outdoor grill to bake it by lighting half, bringing it up to correct temp and using the unlit side as an oven. It came out perfect! I will try it with cranberries and orange zest this week. I am so enjoying your videos and recipes, Kaleb! Thank you.
I made your blueberry coffee cake this morning. It is delicious!!
It is definitely a keeper❤️.
Best recipe and tasted amazing! The cake came out perfect and was a hit. This will definitely be a keeper!
Love blueberry thanks for sharing
Delicious and easy -ran out to buy blueberries as soon as I saw your video .
Made exactly as instructed. Easy, quick and sooooo delishes! Really had great flavor. Definite keeper.
Awesome! You rock, Kaleb! Every recipe I’ve tried of yours has totally worked great and tasted delicious. This recipe is no exception. The lemon zest really adds so much to it. Thank you for all you do.