Blueberry Coffee Cake

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This moist and flavorful Blueberry Coffee Cake with a hint of lemon is topped with a sweet streusel and simple lemon glaze.

We love coffee cake — try this Pumpkin Coffee Cake or Apple Coffee Cake next!

Image of a piece of coffee cake on a plate, with a fork on the side.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

This Blueberry Coffee Cake is rich, moist, and sweet with blueberries rippled throughout a crunchy streusel topping, and a zippy lemon glaze drizzled over that! It’s one of my boys’ favorite treats, especially if I let it pass for breakfast!

Image of the streusel topping before and after being mixed.

Does coffee cake have coffee in it?

Legend has it that Europeans came up with the idea of eating sweet cakes while having their coffee, so coffee cake accompanies coffee, but coffee doesn’t actually go into the batter.  Today, coffee cakes are known as simple, one-flavor cakes, often with a streusel and/or simple glaze topping. 

Collage illustrating the steps to make Blueberry Coffee Cake.

Blueberry Coffee Cake dry ingredients

This coffee cake is very thick and dense, which is an important element in the final texture. A thick base keeps the streusel from sinking into the cake during baking. Because of that strategic balance, many logical substitutions may not work well in this recipe. I don’t recommend swapping out the heavy cream for milk, for instance, or the maple syrup for a different sweetener. While both seem like they’d work, the cake won’t turn out the same. 

  • Flour. I have not tested this cake with anything other than white, all-purpose flour.
  • Baking agents. Before spending time, energy, and money on baking, make sure the baking soda and baking powder you’ll be using are fresh. Here’s how to determine that. We also add in some salt to balance and intensify the flavors in this cake.
  • Cinnamon. This spice adds a nice subtle flavor, but feel free to increase it for a stronger cinnamon flavor or leave it out entirely!
  • Blueberries. I recommend fresh because frozen berries bleed a lot and make the cake overly moist.

Wet Ingredients

  • Unsalted butter. We want to control the salt in the cake so using unsalted butter facilitates that. If you don’t have butter, vegetable or canola oil also work well in this cake.
  • Brown sugar. Light or dark brown sugar both work in this cake. For a more intense sweetness and flavor, I prefer dark brown sugar.
  • Maple syrup. Not to be confused with pancake syrup! Pure maple syrup adds a very subtle flavor that complements the lemon and blueberries beautifully. I would not recommend using honey instead of syrup.
  • Heavy whipping cream. The cream adds a richness to the cake, plus we use some in the glaze!
  • Baking extracts. Vanilla and almond extracts add a nice flavor to Blueberry Coffee Cake. Neither extract is entirely necessary, so don’t worry if you don’t have any to add.
  • Greek yogurt. Our favorite yogurt to use in this cake is Honey Vanilla Greek yogurt (made by Greek Gods®; not sponsored). Whatever yogurt you choose to use, make sure it has a nice flavor for the best coffee cake. Don’t use a plain or low-fat yogurt. Full-fat sour cream will work in place of the Greek yogurt.
  • Lemon. Bottled lemon juice won’t quite cut it here, because we also need the zest of the lemon. When zesting the lemon, avoid the white pith of the lemon — this is very bitter. Using a microplane (like this one), zest only the very outside yellow part of the lemon.

QUICK TIP

Wait! Why is sugar considered a wet ingredient? It sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it? But because sugar dissolves into the batter, it is considered a wet ingredient and goes in with the other liquids. Nobody said cooking always makes sense!

No eggs?

That’s right, it’s not a typo! There are no eggs in this blueberry coffee cake. The cake is intentionally a very moist and dense cake, so we don’t add any eggs to the batter.

Overhead view of the baked Blueberry Coffee Cake, without the glaze.

Streusel Tips

  • Let the melted butter cool. The streusel calls for melted butter, but it’s important to use the butter when it has returned to room temperature. Hot melted butter will melt the sugar and cause a greasy streusel. 
  • Add more flour if needed. If the streusel seems too wet and isn’t a crumbly consistency, you may need to add an additional 1-2 tablespoons flour.  
  • Don’t press the down the streusel. Once the streusel is sprinkled on top of the blueberry coffee cake, resist the urge to press it into the batter.

Close-up view of two squares of coffee cake, stacked on each other.

Blueberry Coffee Cake Storage

  • To maximize the shelf life of Blueberry Coffee Cake, only glaze the pieces you’ll be eating right away. Cover leftover cake with plastic wrap to prevent drying out and keep the glaze in an airtight container in the fridge. You will likely need to microwave the glaze for 10 seconds and stir it briskly after it’s been refrigerated.
  • The covered coffee cake will last about 1-2 days at normal room temperature but will stay good for about 1 week in the fridge (in an airtight container). Warm leftover pieces in the microwave and glaze while still warm. After the first day, the streusel topping does soften, and the cake becomes moister.
  • Freeze leftover Blueberry Coffee Cake by wrapping each piece tightly with plastic freezer wrap and then placing individual pieces in a freezer bag. There is some loss of texture and flavor when frozen and thawed, especially if the cake has been glazed. Coffee cake can be frozen for 2-3 months; thaw the bars at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.

More blueberry desserts

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Blueberry Coffee Cake

5 from 2 votes
This moist and flavorful Blueberry Coffee Cake with a hint of lemon is topped with a sweet streusel and a simple lemon glaze.
Piece of coffee cake on a plate, with a fork on the side.
Print Recipe

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Piece of coffee cake on a plate, with a fork on the side.
5 from 2 votes
This moist and flavorful Blueberry Coffee Cake with a hint of lemon is topped with a sweet streusel and a simple lemon glaze.
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Blueberry Coffee Cake
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 16 pieces
Chelsea Lords
Calories 310kcal
Cost $6.29

Ingredients

Coffee Cake

  • 1 and 1/2 cups white, all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon EACH fine sea salt and baking powder
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries (frozen berries make the cake too moist)
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter (or use vegetable/canola oil), melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon almond extract optional
  • 3/4 cup full-fat Greek yogurt (we use honey vanilla Greek Gods; don't use low-fat yogurt)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Streusel

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons white, all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • Optional: 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/16 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

  • PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (or for easy cleanup, you can line with parchment and then grease).
  • DRY INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add in the blueberries and toss to coat. Set aside.
  • WET INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl, add the melted and cooled butter, packed brown sugar, maple syrup, and heavy cream. Add in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and Greek yogurt. Zest the outer rind of a lemon (avoid the white pith) to get 1 teaspoon zest. Juice the lemon to get 2 tablespoons juice; add juice and zest to wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth.
  • COMBINE: Combine wet and dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix the batter. The batter is very thick. Spread and then smooth the batter evenly in the prepared pan with a spatula.
  • STREUSEL: Melt the butter in the microwave and then let stand at room temperature until cooled (don't add hot butter to the streusel -- it will make it greasy). In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cooled melted butter and mix until the streusel is evenly combined and forms small clumps. If clumps aren't forming or the streusel is too wet, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the cake batter. Do not press the streusel into the cake.
  • BAKE: Bake for 37-45 minutes or until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs attached). (My oven takes 40 minutes.) Cool completely in the pan before adding the glaze.
  • GLAZE: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over entire cooled coffee cake or over individual slices. (See storage note below.)

Recipe Notes

Storage: Covered coffee cake will last about 1-2 days at normal room temperature but will stay good for about 1 week in the fridge (in airtight containers). Warm leftover pieces in the microwave and glaze warm. After the first day, the streusel topping does soften and the cake becomes more moist.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 273IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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A delicious blueberry coffee cake with an easy glaze via chelseasmessyapron.com
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42 Comments

  1. I never feel like I have the time or energy to make cinnamon rolls…but a blueberry cinnamon roll CAKE is something I could totally swing! It sounds amazing! And because it has fruit, it is definitely breakfast-worthy.

  2. You don’t even know how excited I get when I see the words cinnamon roll in one of your recipe titles, Chelsea! This cake looks so amazing… I would have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and maybe even as a snack in between), ha! Most definitely pinning this!

    1. I made this Sunday and it was SO SO wonderful! Loved the blueberry, lemon and cinnamon flavors together. I did undercook it because I have an irrational fear of overcooking baked goods 😀 haha so no pictures for instagram… But had to tell you I tried it and loved it 😉 Thanks Chelsea!

  3. Definitely acceptable for breakfast and dessert. 🙂 This cake sounds heavenly! I love lemon and blueberry together. So perfect for spring time! And on my gosh that streusel topping. Like the inside of a cinnamon roll times 10 is the best thing I’ve heard all day. 🙂

  4. You are nailing the fruity cakes and pies! If I had to choose, it would be this one. The chewy rolls covered in frosting and bursting with blueberries is irresistible!

  5. I was just telling my sister that I wanted to make a blueberry coffee cake and you nailed it! Ok, so I call it coffee cake and you call it cinnamon roll cake and quite frankly I love your name better. 🙂 As long as it has blueberries, cake, and sugary cinnamony goodness then that’s all I care about. 😉 My sis will go crazy when I show her your recipe. Definitely must make this asap!!! Yummy yummy…oh and I’d happily eat this for anytime of the day. 🙂

  6. I say breakfast AND dessert! I love recipes like that!! Coffee cake is so good, especially when there are a ton of crumbs on top. I can never resist crumbs! Hope you have a great weekend, Chelsea!

  7. I’d eat this for breakfast, lunch or dessert – it looks amazing! Blueberries and cinnamon roll in cake form with a thick streusel topping? Totally made my heart sing 🙂 Pinning and hope you have a great weekend Chelsea!

    1. You are so sweet thank you Kelly! Thanks for pinning and I hope you’ve enjoyed your weekend with your precious little ones!

  8. I know i’ve already posted a comment on this recipe but I made this Sunday!! SUPER good. Just loved the blueberry, lemon and cinamon combo! Fabulous…even without the icing 😉 I would have posted a picture of instagram, Chelsea. But I slightly undercooked it and it wasn’t nearly as pretty as your pictures. haha But had

  9. 5 stars
    I made this cake yesterday and brought it to work with me today. I got a TON of compliments including, “this is just stupid good” (which is the highest form of compliment from this young lady!) Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!!

  10. Hi there…just found your blog while looking for some tasty “breakfast cake”… This cake is really good and I made it twice, but it doesn’t rise, and it doesn’t look “fluffy” like yours…so I am not sure what I am doing wrong…twice I done it and the same results.

    1. Hi DeeDee! Glad to hear you’ve liked the flavor of this cake! A few thoughts – is it possible your baking soda or baking powder are old? They may no longer be effective and causing a less fluffy cake. Other thoughts – you may be over-stirring the mixture making it more dense OR using too much flour (packing in too much flour in the measuring cups). Hope these ideas are helpful!

  11. Can I make this the day before and bake it in the morning. Any help will be most appreciated

    1. I wouldn’t recommend making this the day before baking; recipes with baking powder do need to bake relatively soon after being prepared.

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