Blueberries and Cream Coffee Cake

There’s nothing like a warm slice of homemade coffee cake and a cup of tea in the morning to get your day started on the right foot. With juicy blueberries and a lovely, cinnamon-tinged crumble, blueberry coffee cake is especially delicious in the summertime when fresh blueberries are in season (though you can swap these out for another type of berry if you’d like). That said, you can make it with frozen berries anytime. Add lemon zest for a touch of citrus or chocolate chips for sweetness; serve it with scrambled eggs for breakfast or ice cream for dessert—this cake is easy to make your own.

Ingredients for Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

• Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can better control the salt content.
• Sugar: Sugar helps retain moisture and adds sweetness.
• Eggs: The eggs provide structure and help the cake rise.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract enhances all the flavors of this cake and adds a nice note of vanilla.
• All-purpose flour: Learn how to accurately measure flour so you don’t add too much or too little.
• Baking powder: If your baking powder has been in your cabinet for more than seven months, replace it before making this recipe.
• Salt: Salt helps to balance the inherent sweetness of blueberry coffee cake.
• Sour cream: Sour cream’s tanginess keeps this cake from being too sweet and also contributes moisture.
• Fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries: You could also use blackberries or raspberries in place of the blueberries if preferred.
• Brown sugar: When mixing the brown sugar, make sure it has no lumps (use your hands if necessary).
• Chopped pecans: Another type of nut, such as walnuts or almonds, would be fine.
• Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon pairs nicely with the brown sugar, butter and vanilla.
• Confectioners’ sugar: A dusting of sugar before serving is optional, but tasty.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the ingredients

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Fold in the blueberries.

Editor’s Tip: Beat each egg for at least a full minute to ensure that each ingredient is properly blended.

Step 2: Prepare to bake

Spoon half of the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch fluted tube pan. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans (if desired) and cinnamon. Sprinkle half over the batter. Top with the remaining brown sugar mixture. Cut through the batter with a knife to swirl the brown sugar mixture.

Step 3: Bake

Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Just before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe Variations

• Brighten with citrus: A little lemon zest complements the flavors in this cake.
• Add chocolate chips: For an extra-sweet treat, add some miniature chocolate chips to the batter.

How to Store Blueberry Coffee Cake

Wrap any leftover cake in foil and keep it at room temperature. It’ll last for up to three or four days.

Can I freeze blueberry coffee cake?

Yes, you can freeze blueberry coffee cake. After the cake has completely cooled, wrap it tightly with both aluminum foil and plastic wrap before sticking it in the freezer. It will stay good for up to three months.

Blueberry Coffee Cake Tips

How can I prevent the cake batter from being too grainy?

It’s important to use room-temperature ingredients so that the batter turns out smooth, not grainy.

How do I know when this cake is done?

The best way to check if your cake is done is to insert a toothpick in the middle to check for wet batter. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If you underbake the cake, it will come out too dense, so adhere closely to the cooking time in this recipe and always check with a toothpick before taking the cake out of the oven.

Can I double this blueberry coffee cake recipe?

You could, but if you do this, treat it as two separate batches; don’t attempt to make one big cake.