Moist and tender, this Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake is studded with plump berries and finished with an irresistible buttery streusel and bright lemon glaze.
Inspired by my Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe and Cranberry Coffee Cake Muffins, this Blueberry Coffee Cake features a light and tender crumb, crunchy streusel, sweet blueberries, and a tart lemon glaze, to create the perfect balance of flavors and textures.
And while you make think the word cake in this recipe indicates that Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake is a dessert, coffee cakes are traditionally served at breakfast with a cup of coffee. I personally love pairing a homemade latte with a slice of coffee cake.
Although in my book, this Blueberry Coffee Cake is perfectly suitable for dessert OR brunch. It is rich, buttery, sweet, tart, light, and tender. And it happens to be really easy to make!
What Makes This Recipe the Best
- Sweet Berries. The addition of sweet, plump blueberries adds a burst of sweetness, texture, and flavor to this coffee cake, just as they do in homemade blueberry muffins.
- Sour Cream. The secret to keeping this blueberry coffee cake light and fluffy is the addition of sour cream. The tang from the sour cream also helps to balance out the sweetness of the cake itself.
- Buttery Streusel. While most coffee cakes feature streusels, this recipe has streusel overload and that is a good thing! The texture and flavor that the buttery crumble adds to this coffee cake are insanely delicious. In fact, you will never see a crumb of it left behind on my plate! I am sure to lick the plate clean--even when entertaining, it is just that good!
- Addition of Lemon. Blueberries and lemon are a natural match made in heaven. By adding lemon zest to the coffee cake batter and using fresh lemon juice to make a tart lemon glaze, the Blueberry Coffee Cake is given a bright, fresh flavor that complements the blueberries.
Notes on Ingredients
- Butter: Unsalted butter is used for both the cake batter and the streusel, to give the overall blueberry coffee cake a rich flavor, delicate crumb, and buttery streusel.
- Sour Cream: Be sure to use full-fat or reduced-fat sour cream, not fat-free as the consistency of the cake may be affected.
- Blueberries: You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries to make this blueberry coffee cake. If using frozen berries, do not defrost them before adding them to the cake batter.
- Sugar: This recipe calls for brown sugar, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar. The brown sugar adds warmth and color to the streusel. Powdered sugar is best for the glaze, as it dissolves easily into the lemon juice. While granulated sugar is best suited for the cake batter.
- Lemon: For this recipe, you need fresh lemons, as you need both the zest and juice from the lemons.
Kristen's Tip
Zest the lemon BEFORE slicing it open to juice it! It is next to impossible to zest any fruit after it has been sliced open.
How to Make Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Step One: Prepare the Streusel
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add in the cold cubed butter, and using your hands, combine the mixture until crumbs form and the butter is well distributed through the flour and sugar.
- Set aside for assembling the cake.
Step Two: Prepare the Coffee Cake Batter
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla, and mix again until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in the blueberries and toss to coat the berries in the flour. This will help the berries from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and gently fold together until the flour is fully moistened. Be careful to not overmix the batter, as this will lead to a dense, tough crumb on the coffee cake.
Step Three: Assemble and Bake
- Spread the cake batter into a buttered 8x8 baking dish.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the cake.
- Bake until the cake is set, checking after 30 minutes to see if you need to cover the cake with foil so that the streusel does not burn.
- Allow the cake to cool before glazing.
Step Four: Glaze the Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Sift the powdered sugar over a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the sifted powdered sugar, whisking to combine. Add additional lemon juice, as needed, to create a smooth glaze that drizzles easily from the whisk.
- Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled cake and slice and serve as desired.
Storage Directions
Once the coffee cake has fully cooled, cover it well, and store it for up to 3 days at room temperature or well wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you would like to freeze the blueberry coffee cake, bake it as directed, and cool fully. Wrap the cake well with plastic wrap, then a layer of foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost the coffee cake overnight and then glaze before serving.
FAQs
Personally, I find that the lemon zest and lemon glaze add a nice bright, tart flavor to the blueberry coffee cake. That said, if you don't care for a subtle lemon flavor simply omit the lemon zest from the cake and use milk instead of lemon juice to prepare the glaze or skip the glaze altogether.
Yes! If desired add up to ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel topping before baking.
More Delicious Brunch Recipes
This Blueberry Coffee Cake is the perfect addition to any brunch menu. Be it fancy, festive, or casual! Add it to the menu along with any or all of the following dishes below.
- Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
- Easy Fruit Salad
- Baked Bacon
- Homemade Breakfast Sausage
- Breakfast Sliders
If you enjoyed this recipe for Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Streusel
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold butter cubed
For the Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh blueberries see note for using frozen berries
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
For the Glaze
- 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch pan with butter.
For the Streusel
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add in the cold butter and use your fingers to mix the mixture together, until crumbs form and the butter is well distributed through the flour and sugar. Set aside.
For the Cake
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. This should take 3-5 minutes.
- Add in the eggs and mix again to incorporate. Add in the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla, and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the blueberries and toss to coat them with the flour.
- Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and use a spatula to combine then fold the mixture together until it is just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
- Evenly sprinkle the streusel mixture over the top of the cake batter.
- Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few crumbs. Be sure to check on the cake after 25 minutes to see if the streusel is browning too much. If it is, lightly tent with foil and continue baking it until set.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool for at least 10-15 minutes before drizzling it with glaze.
For the Glaze
- While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by sifting powdered sugar over a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the sifted powdered sugar, whisking to combine. Add additional lemon juice, as needed, to create a smooth glaze that drizzles easily from the whisk.
- Drizzle over the cooled cake and serve.
Missy
I made this blueberry coffee cake for my book club this week and it was a huge hit. Simple to make and the lemon glaze really took it to over the top amazing.
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing, Missy! I am thrilled you and your book club enjoyed the coffee cake.
Brandi
This was absolute perfection! The streusel was incredible and the best part.
Kristen Chidsey
So happy to hear you enjoyed, Brandi!