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This Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake features a light, moist cake studded with sweet, juicy blueberries, a buttery golden streusel, and a sweet-tart lemon glaze. It comes together easily to deliver a treat that is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an after dinner dessert.
I took two fan-favorite recipes, Sour Cream Coffee Cake and Lemon Bread, and combined them with plump, sweet blueberries, to deliver a coffee cake made for Spring. It is perfectly sweet, without feeling heavy and makes a welcome addition to your Easter Brunch Menu, Mother's Day Spread, or any Spring gathering.
Kristen's Keys for Blueberry Coffee Cake
Before we start baking, I want to point out a few things that make a big difference in this recipe.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Butter, eggs, and sour cream mix more smoothly, which gives you that light, fluffy texture instead of a dense cake.
- Use full-fat sour cream. Fat-free sour cream has added stabilizers that can cause the texture and flavor of the cake to be slightly off putting.
- Toss blueberries in flour. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom so you get berries in every bite, not just the last one.
- Zest before juicing the lemon. It sounds obvious…until you forget once. Zesting first gives you all that bright flavor without the struggle.
5-Star Reader Review
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. -Missy
How to Make Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Between the cake batter, streusel, and glaze, there may feel like there are a lot of steps to making this coffee cake. But the three components come together with ease and each play a huge role in creating a show-stopping cake.
Step One: Prepare Streusel
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small mixing bowl. Add in cold butter, and use your hands, two forks, or a pastry cutter to mix the butter it is evenly dispersed and the mixture is crumbly. I find hands my hands are the most efficient tool for this step.
Step Two: Prepare Coffee Cake Batter
Just like most cake batters, it is best to mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, then fold together. This prevents over mixing the cake, which leads to dense results.
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk or sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large mixing bowl. Add the blueberries to the mixture and toss to coat in flour. This will keep the blueberries suspended in the cake, rather than sinking to the bottom.
- Cream wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating again to incorporate and then fold in the sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla.
- Combine batter. Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the creamed butter and sugar until the flour is fully moistened.
Step Three: Assemble and Bake
Spread the cake batter into a buttered 8x8 baking pan. Sprinkle the prepared streusel evenly over the batter.
Bake until the cake is set or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. If you notice the cake browning too quickly, tent with foil, so the streusel does not burn.
Step Four: Glaze
After baking the cake, let it cool to room temperature. While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze by whisking together powdered sugar with fresh lemon juice. You are looking for a thin glaze that leaves a ribbon trail when drizzled back into the bowl.
Once the cake has fully cooled, drizzle the glaze over the cake. Then serve as desired.
Recipe Modifications
- Add Nuts: Stir up to ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts into the streusel for extra crunch.
- Skip the Lemon: Leave out the zest and use milk in the glaze for a more classic blueberry coffee cake.
- Swap the Fruit: Raspberries, blackberries, or diced strawberries all work well here.
- Frozen 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.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Store the glazed coffee cake in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Make-Ahead: Bake the coffee cake the day before, let cool, cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Glaze an hour or two before serving for a cake that feels freshly prepared.
- Freeze: Bake as directed, cool fully, and skip the glaze. Wrap the cake well with plastic wrap, then a layer of foil, place in a storage bag, and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost the coffee cake overnight in the refrigerator, unwrap, glaze, and serve.
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Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Video
Ingredients
For the Streusel
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup cold butter, cubed
For the Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon table 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 tablespoons lemon juice, + 1 more tablespoon if needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ (175℃). Grease an 8-inch pan with butter.
- For the Streusel: In a medium bowl, whisk together the ½ cup light brown sugar, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon table salt until evenly combined. Add in ½ cup cold butter and use your fingers to mix the mixture 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 ½ cup unsalted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. This should take 3-5 minutes. Once fluffy, add in 2 large eggs and mix again to incorporate. Add in 1 cup sour cream½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon table salt. Stir in 1 cup fresh 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 1 cup sifted powdered sugar over a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons 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 serve.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2023 and updated in 2026.
Hi Kristen. I’ve made many of your recipes and they have all been delicious! I just have a question on this Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake. In the step by step instructions it says to use an 8x8 dish. In the recipe it says to use an 8x8 pan. Is there a difference in temperature or time depending on which is used? I’d love to make this.
Hi JoAnn! I love hearing you enjoy my recipes. So sorry for any confusion on this recipe - I would use an 8x8 cake pan. Metal, glass, and ceramic all work but a metal pan may cook faster.
Kristen, Can I use dried blueberries. Thank you Nancy
Hi Nancy! I personally have not tried, but in theory yes. You will want to use 1/4 cup of dried and soak in hot water for 20 minutes, drain, and proceed with recipe. The flavor will be much more intense and sweeter when using dried.
I made this for my family for Easter and we all agree that its very delicious!! 👌😄
I absolutely love hearing this, Margetha! Thank you for sharing!
My family said this was suburb and all had seconds!!!,
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
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.
Thanks for sharing, Missy! I am thrilled you and your book club enjoyed the coffee cake.
This was absolute perfection! The streusel was incredible and the best part.
So happy to hear you enjoyed, Brandi!