A deliciously tender Blueberry Coffee Cake with hints of cinnamon, lemon and a crunchy oat crumble topping.
Happiness is continuing to desire what you already possess.
Friedrich Nietzsche
This delicious and moist blueberry coffee cake recipe balances healthfulness with indulgence. The irresistible taste lies in a combination of whole wheat pastry flour, sour cream, lemon zest, and an aromatic hint of cinnamon and cardamom. Succulent blueberries are speckled throughout the coffee cake. The streusel topping’s satisfying crunch, paired with the hint of spice and light sweetness, makes it difficult to stop at just one piece.
Ingredients
Fresh blueberries: Blueberries are in season from April through October, making this a great time to bake this coffee cake! Choose organic if possible.
Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour: Whole wheat pastry flour is lighter than regular whole wheat, giving the cake an earthy, nutty flavor with added nutrition. Feel free to sub AP white flour or half wheat and half white.
Oats: Adds texture to the crunchy, crumbly streusel topping.
Sugars: Brown sugar (or sub coconut sugar) for the topping and 1/2 – 3/4 cup regular sugar, depending on how sweet you wish the cake to be.
Dairy: Unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes, milk (whole, low fat, or dairy free), and sour cream (or sub-Greek yogurt).
Eggs: Buy local and organic if you can.
Oil: We used avocado oil, but any neutral oil works to moisten the cake.
Vanilla extract: Delicious flavor that also enhances the other flavors in the cake.
Lemon: Zest of 1 lemon, plus lemon juice for a hint of zesty tartness.
How to Make Blueberry Coffee Cake
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with oil (and place parchment on the bottom if desired).
Step 1: Mix the streusel topping. In a bowl, stir brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Cut the butter in until a coarse crumble forms.
Step 2: Prepare cake batter. In a separate large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Cut the cold butter in, using a pastry cutter, forks, or fingers (make sure hands are not too warm). Combine until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
Step 3: Whisk wet ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk oil, milk, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and juice.
Step 4: Combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold wet ingredients gently into the flour mixture. It will be thick.
Step 5: Add batter to pan. Spread 2/3 of the coffee cake batter into the prepared springform pan, sprinkling 1 cup of blueberries on top. Spread the remaining batter over the blueberry layer. Then top with the remaining blueberries.
Step 6: Add crumb topping. Pour streusel evenly over top.
Step 7: Bake. Bake 55-70 minutes, until set in the middle and baked to golden perfection. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Step 8: Cool. Cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes before slicing.
Expert Tips
Use whole wheat pastry flour: Adds deliciously nutty flavor and increases the fiber content, giving this cake a healthy boost!
Don’t over-mix the batter: Be careful not to over-work the batter here or it will be too dense.
Be gentle with the blueberries: Rather than fold in we just layer the blueberries with the batter, avoiding blue streaks that can turn your batter grey and it keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
FAQs
What makes coffee cake different from cake?
The main difference is the topping! Coffee cake has a crumbly streusel topping, usually made with cinnamon and oats. Our blueberry coffee cake is not overly sweet making it a nice addition to breakfast.
Can I use frozen blueberries?
We prefer to use fresh blueberries here, however, if frozen blueberries are all you have, or they are out of season, then frozen works too. Be sure to add frozen, don’t let them thaw. The cake may take another 10 minutes to bake.
Can I freeze Blueberry Coffee Cake?
Yes! Wrap the slices individually in plastic wrap and foil. Place in an airtight freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
What other fruits can I use?
You can try substituting any other type of berry in this cake. Blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries would make fun variations!
Storage & Reheating
Store leftover Blueberry Coffee Cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can reheat the cake in a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes.
I hope this blueberry sour cream coffee cake brightens your week! Enjoy in the morning with a cup of coffee or serve as a dessert with fresh whipped cream!
A moist and healthy Blueberry Coffee Cake recipe with hints of cinnamon, lemon and a crunchy oat crumb topping.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with oil (and parchment on the bottom if desired).
Mix the Stresuel Topping: In a bowl add brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Cut the butter in until a coarse crumble forms. Set the bowl aside.
Make the Cake batter: In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, forks or fingers (make sure your hands are not too warm) combine until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
Whisk together oil, milk, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and juice.
Fold the wet ingredients gently into the flour mixture. It will be thick.
With a rubber spatula spread 2/3 of the mixture in the pan and sprinkle 1 cup of the berries evenly on top. Spread the remaining batter on the top (drop small scoops evenly around and spread the dough over the berries). Top with the remaining blueberries. Spread the streusel evenly over the top.
Bake at 350F for 55-70 minutes, until set in the middle.
Cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes before cutting.
Notes
Store at room temperature in a sealed airtight container up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350F for 8-10 minutes.
Whole wheat pastry flour (ww pastry flour is lighter than regular whole wheat) gives the cake an earthy nutty flavor that we love and adds nutrition. Feel free to use all purpose white flour or half wheat & half white.
Sugar- 1/2 cup makes this cake just lightly sweet complementing the streusel topping. Adding 3/4 cup of sugar does richen the overall flavor of the cake.
We prefer to use fresh blueberries but frozen works too. Be sure to add while still frozen, don’t let them thaw. The cake may take another 10 minutes to bake.
