Tulo

Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

A square of blueberry coffee cake on a plate showing a moist yellow crumb studded with whole blueberries under a golden cinnamon streusel topping.
Photo by Anh Nguyen on Pexels

Sour cream keeps the crumb dense and moist even after baking, while tossing the blueberries in flour before folding them in keeps them suspended through the batter instead of sinking to the bottom. A thick butter-and-brown-sugar streusel adds a crunchy contrast to the soft cake underneath.

Prep
20 min
Cook
42 min
Total
1 hr 2 min
Servings
9

Ingredients

Servings9
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 whole egg, large
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for streusel
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed, for streusel
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Nutrition per serving

Calories
392
Protein
6g
Carbs
56g
Fat
17g

Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.

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Instructions

  1. 1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.
  2. 2Make the streusel: in a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then cut in the cold cubed butter with a fork or your fingers until the mixture forms coarse, pea-sized clumps. Stir in the pecans if using. Set aside.
  3. 3In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. 4In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, egg, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.
  5. 5Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain; the batter will be thick.
  6. 6Toss the blueberries with a tablespoon of the reserved dry flour mixture from step 3's bowl scrapings, or a spoonful of extra flour, then fold them gently into the batter.
  7. 7Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and scatter the streusel topping evenly over the surface, pressing it gently into the batter.
  8. 8Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake (avoiding a blueberry) comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  9. 9Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then lift out using the parchment overhang and cool for at least another 15 minutes before slicing.

Tips & variations

  • If using frozen blueberries, don't thaw them first; add them straight from the freezer so they don't bleed purple streaks through the batter.
  • A teaspoon of lemon zest added to the wet ingredients brightens the berry flavor without adding tartness.
  • Full-fat plain Greek yogurt works as a 1:1 swap for the sour cream with almost no change in texture.
  • Leave out the pecans in the streusel for a nut-free version, or swap in chopped walnuts.

Storage & reheating

Store cooled cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (the sour cream keeps it moist longer than most quick breads). Warm individual slices for 10-15 seconds in the microwave before serving. To freeze, wrap unfrosted, unstreuseled slices tightly and freeze for up to 3 months; this cake freezes best without cutting into it first, so slice only what's needed.

Tips from the Tulo kitchen

  • Weighing the flour instead of scooping with a measuring cup prevents a dry, dense cake, a packed cup of flour can run 20-30 grams heavier than the 125 grams a properly spooned-and-leveled cup should weigh.
  • Pressing the streusel down gently before baking helps it stick to the batter instead of rolling off in clumps once the cake rises.

FAQ

Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh?

Yes. Use them straight from the freezer without thawing and add an extra 3-5 minutes to the bake time, since frozen berries lower the batter's starting temperature slightly.

Why did my blueberries sink to the bottom of the cake?

This usually happens when the berries go into the batter dry and heavy without any flour coating, or when the batter is too thin to hold them; tossing the berries in a spoonful of flour first gives them enough surface texture to stay suspended.

Can I make this cake ahead of time?

Yes. Bake it up to a day in advance and store it covered at room temperature; the sour cream in the batter keeps it from drying out overnight.

Can I substitute buttermilk for the sour cream?

Yes, but the cake will be slightly less dense; use the same amount of buttermilk and reduce the baking soda to a scant 1/4 teaspoon since buttermilk is more acidic than sour cream.

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