If you’ve tried my 5-star rated classic coffee cake, you’re going to LOVE this blueberry version! This Blueberry Coffee Cake is layered with juicy blueberries on the bottom, a soft lemon-kissed cake in the middle, and a crunchy cinnamon streusel on top. It’s bright, cozy, and comforting—perfect for afternoon tea or a quick snack.
Wait, There’s No Coffee?!
We’d better get this out of the way at the start, as it’s one of the most common questions I get asked about coffee cakes! I too was surprised when I first learned that a classic coffee cake doesn’t actually contain any coffee (unlike my coffee layer cake, for example).
The term “coffee cake” actually refers to the way it’s enjoyed—served alongside a cup of coffee or tea as a sweet snack or breakfast treat. I believe the term is more common in North America, where coffee cakes are a bakery staple. That said, coffee cakes like this one are so delicious that they can easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone dessert too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
When I think of a coffee cake, I think of a buttery, soft cake with a crunchy, not-too-sweet crumble topping. Add in blueberries with a touch of lemon, and you get a refreshing twist, which is exactly what this recipe is! Here is why you’ll love it:
Moist & Tender – This cake has an incredibly soft and tender crumb thanks to a combination of butter, oil, and buttermilk. The balance of fats and acidity helps create a moist texture that stays delicious for days.
Beautifully Layered – While not your traditional coffee cake, this version is visually striking with a juicy blueberry layer on the bottom, a light lemon cake in the middle, and a golden cinnamon streusel on top. Each slice reveals a stunning trio of layers that’s as pretty as it is tasty.
Delicious Flavor Combination – The fresh, bright notes of blueberries and lemon bring a burst of fruity flavor to the cake, while the cinnamon streusel adds a warm, cozy touch. It’s the perfect balance of zesty and comforting in every bite.
Surprisingly Simple – Though it looks impressive, this cake is surprisingly easy to make. With straightforward steps and simple ingredients, it’s perfect for both beginners and experienced bakers alike.
For more simple cake recipes, check out my original coffee cake recipe, whole orange cake and chocolate sheet cake!
Ingredients for Blueberry Coffee Cake
Cinnamon Streusel
- Brown sugar – Adds sweetness and moisture while helping create that delicious crunchy, caramel-like streusel topping.
- Flour – Forms the base of the streusel and gives it structure, creating those buttery crumbly clusters.
- Ground cinnamon – Adds warmth and cozy spice that pairs beautifully with the blueberries and lemon.
- Melted butter – Binds the dry ingredients together to create a crumbly streusel that bakes up crisp and golden.
Cake Batter
- All-purpose flour – Provides the structure for the cake while keeping it tender and soft.
- Cornstarch – Helps create a finer, softer crumb by reducing some of the flour’s protein strength. A simple baker’s trick for extra tenderness!
- Baking powder – The main leavening agent, helping the cake rise and become light and fluffy.
- Baking soda – Works with the acidity from the buttermilk and lemon juice to give the cake additional lift and tenderness.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances all of the other flavors in the cake.
- Unsalted butter – Adds richness, flavor, and helps create a soft, tender crumb. Make sure it’s at room temperature so it creams properly with the sugar.
- Vegetable oil – Keeps the cake extra moist and helps it stay soft for longer than a butter-only cake.
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens the cake while also contributing to a light, tender texture.
- Lemon zest – Provides bright, fresh lemon flavor from the fruit’s natural oils without adding extra liquid to the batter.
- Eggs – Add structure, richness, and moisture while helping bind all of the ingredients together.
- Lemon juice – Adds a subtle tangy flavor that complements the blueberries and enhances the cake’s freshness.
- Vanilla extract – Rounds out and enhances all of the other flavors in the cake.
- Buttermilk – Creates a soft, tender crumb and adds a slight tang. Its acidity also reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise.
- Fresh blueberries – Add bursts of juicy sweetness throughout the cake and pair perfectly with the lemon and cinnamon flavors.
How to Make Blueberry Coffee Cake
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional and grease an 8×8-inch square pan (I use my homemade cake release). Line the bottom with parchment paper as well. Set aside.
Cinnamon Streusel
In a small bowl, combine light brown sugar, all-purpose flour and cinnamon. Stir until well combined (and no large chunks remain).
Add in melted butter and mix until well combined. You should have a crumble like consistency. Place in the fridge while preparing the cake batter.
Cake Batter
Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk, mix until well combined and set aside.
In a large bowl combine butter, oil, white sugar and lemon zest. Using a hand or stand mixer on a medium speed, cream for two minutes until light and fluffy.
Add in eggs one by one on a low speed, mixing well in between each addition.
Add the lemon juice, vanilla, and buttermilk, and mix on low speed until well combined. The batter may look a little curdled. Remove any batter from the attachments, as the rest of the mixing will be done by hand.
Add the presifted flour mixture from earlier and fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing—mix only until there are no more large lumps or visible streaks of flour.
Add in blueberries and fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
Once the batter is ready, remove the crumble topping from the fridge. It should have firmed up a bit by now. Break it into small pieces (I do this with my hands). It should resemble coarse sand—slightly chunkier than regular sand—with small lumps throughout.
To assemble the cake, pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top, making sure not to leave any gaps—you want the entire surface of the batter to be covered.
Gently tap the cake tin on the counter once to release any large air bubbles. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. After that, flip it again onto your serving plate so the cake is upright (see video for demonstration). Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
How to Store Blueberry Coffee Cake
To store your blueberry coffee cake, allow it to cool completely before placing it in an airtight container. You can keep it at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. If you’d like to store it for longer, refrigerate it for up to a week (just let it come to room temperature before serving).
Moist Blueberry Coffee Cake
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Streusel
- ½ cup (100 g) soft light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsps ground cinnamon
- 4½ tbsps (63 g) melted unsalted butter
Cake Batter
- 1½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsps (45 g) cornstarch
- 1½ tsps baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt - omit if using salted butter
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- ¼ cup (53 g) unflavored vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- 1 cup (200 g) white granulated sugar
- 2 tsps lemon zest
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 2 tsps lemon juice
- 2 tsps vanilla extract/essence
- 1 cup (225 g) buttermilk - room temperature
- 1½ cups (240 g) fresh blueberries - frozen blueberries okay too, but do not thaw
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional (see note 1 if using a convection oven with a fan) and grease an 8x8-inch square cake tin (I use my homemade cake release). Line the bottom with parchment paper as well. Set aside.
Cinnamon Streusel
- Combine light brown sugar, all-purpose flour and cinnamon. Mix until well combined (and no large chunks remain).
- Add in melted butter and mix until well combined. You should have a crumble like consistency. Place in the fridge while preparing the cake batter.
Cake Batter
- Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk, mix until well combined and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine butter, oil, white sugar and lemon zest. Using a hand or stand mixer on a medium speed, cream for two minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs one by one on a low speed, mixing well in between each addition.
- Add the lemon juice, vanilla, and buttermilk, and mix on low speed until well combined. The batter may look a little curdled. Remove any batter from the attachments, as the rest of the mixing will be done by hand.
- Add the presifted dry ingredients from earlier and fold them in with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing—mix only until there are no more large lumps or visible streaks of flour.
- Add in blueberries and fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Once the batter is ready, remove the streusel from the fridge. It should have firmed up a bit by now. Break it into small pieces (I do this with my hands). It should resemble coarse sand—slightly chunkier than regular sand—with small lumps throughout.
- To assemble the cake, pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Scatter the streusel over the top, making sure not to leave any gaps—you want the entire surface of the batter to be covered.
- Gently tap the cake tin on the counter once to release any large air bubbles. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. After that, flip it again onto your serving plate so the cake is upright (see video for demonstration). Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
8 Comments
AMAZING. I didn’t have any buttermilk handy so I used one cup room temperature honey Greek yogurt as a substitute, and oh my! This coffee cake came out so plush, so soft and moist. It’s going to be my go-to recipe for berry flavored coffee cakes. Thank you MK 😊
Aww you’re so welcome Vivian! So glad you loved the recipe and that the honey Greek yogurt worked great too 😀
I am trying this recipe for the first time. Will put photos 📸 when it’s finished.
Hope you loved it Naomi! 🙂
Hi MK, your receipes are absolutely the best. Thank you and much love.
Thanks so much Shireen! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes 🙂
Very good!
Thanks so much Kimberly! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂