This is the best moist and tender blueberry lemon coffee cake! Bursting with fresh blueberries and lemon flavor, this blueberry coffee cake is topped with a lemon streusel and a drizzle of lemon glaze. It is so easy to make this recipe!
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This recipe was originally published in January 2021, it has since been updated with new images and a new recipe.
Blueberries and lemons are a match made in heaven! It's why I love my blueberry lemon cookies and blueberry lemon loaf cake. Basically, if you want blueberry and lemon recipes, I am your gal.
This blueberry lemon coffee cake has just 30 minutes of prep time, and you get such a tender and moist lemon cake that is packed with fresh blueberries. I've topped it with a crunchy lemony streusel. It's perfect in the Winter when it's citrus season but I also love having it during the Spring when blueberries are at their ripest.
This sour cream coffee cake recipe uses my favorite pecan sour cream coffee cake base recipe, which is just so soft thanks to the sour cream. I think it's perfect for brunches, bake sales, or just because.
I timed this recipe while testing it, and it took me 30 minutes (with everything weighed out beforehand!) to make the crumb topping, and the cake, and get it into the oven. It's super simple to make and you'll just need a handheld electric mixer and a few bowls.
Simple & Fresh Ingredients
- Sugar: you'll need both light brown sugar and granulated sugar for the streusel topping, but just granulated sugar for the cake.
- Sour Cream: This is what makes the coffee cake so tender. I recommend using full-fat sour cream for the best taste and texture.
- Lemons: you'll need some fresh lemons for the zest which goes in the streusel, in the cake, and is tossed with the blueberries.
- Fresh Blueberries: I have only tested this recipe with fresh blueberries and not frozen ones.
- Lemon Extract: I added a bit of lemon extract for extra lemon flavor, but you can leave that out if you don't have it on hand.
Step 1: Whisk together all of the crumb topping ingredients in a small bowl. Once you get large clumps, place the bowl in the fridge. Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit/175 Celsius and grease and line an 8x8 baking pan.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand held mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Step 4: Mix in the egg, lemon extract and vanilla extract.
Step 5: Add the sour cream and your lemon zest. Mix until combined.
Step 6: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed, stopping as soon as it's combined.
Step 7: In a small bowl or jug, toss the washed and dried blueberries with the cornstarch and lemon zest.
Step 8: Gently fold the blueberries into the coffee cake batter.
Step 9: Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan.
Step 10: Take the crumb topping out of the fridge and sprinkle on top. Note, if it's kind of stuck together you may have to use a fork to break it apart! Bake in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out with no crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan before removing and slicing.
Coffee Shop Coffee Cake!
This coffee cake is so good, people will think you bought it at the fancy coffee shop in your neighborhood.
If your crumb topping is getting too brown, you can tent the pan with some aluminum foil.
I used an 8x8 square pan, but that pan holds the same amount of batter as a 9-inch round pan, so feel free to use that instead! When lining your crumb cake, just make sure you properly line your cake pan and have enough parchment paper overhanging so you can easily lift it out.
Try these blueberry-related recipes next!
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Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
The Best Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 8x8 baking pan
Ingredients
Lemon Crumb Topping
- ⅓ cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (73 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 cup (120 grams) all purpose flour
- pinch kosher salt
- zest of a lemon
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter melted
Blueberry Coffee Cake
- 1 ¾ cup (210 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- zest of 2 lemons
- 1 cup (227 grams) sour cream room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (222 grams) blueberries washed and patted dry
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Generously grease an 8x8 baking pan and line with parchment paper, making sure the paper is overhanging. This will make it easier to remove the cake.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the crumb topping ingredients until large and small clumps form. It might be a bit wet but that's fine, it will harden in the fridge! Place in the fridge.⅓ cup (66 grams) granulated sugar, ⅓ cup (73 grams) light brown sugar, 1 cup (120 grams) all purpose flour, pinch kosher salt, zest of a lemon, 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.1 ¾ cup (210 grams) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- Mix in the egg, vanilla extract and lemon extract.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- Add in the sour cream and zest of 1 of the lemons (leave the other one to the side for now!). Mix on medium-low speed until just combined.zest of 2 lemons, 1 cup (227 grams) sour cream
- Pour the dry ingredients in and mix on low speed until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, gently toss the blueberries with the zest of 1 lemon and the cornstarch.1 ½ cups (222 grams) blueberries, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Gently stir the blueberries into the cake batter.
- Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan. Use a small offset spatula to smooth the top out into an even layer.
- Take the crumb topping out of the fridge. Sprinkle it on top evenly. If it has hardened too much, you can use a fork to break it up into small pieces.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean. If the crumb topping is getting too brown you can tent it with aluminum foil.
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Catherine says
Made this last night!
Perfect ... the lemon with the blueberries so refreshing.
None left!