Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake (Printable)
Moist cake bursting with blueberries and lemon zest, topped with a sweet glaze for a perfect brunch treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1/2 cup milk
06 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, do not thaw)
→ Crumb Topping
13 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
15 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
→ Lemon Glaze
16 - 1 cup powdered sugar
17 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round or square baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
02 - Combine flour, sugar, and cubed butter in a small bowl. Blend with fingers or fork until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.
03 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
04 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
06 - Add half of the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, then milk, followed by remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing.
07 - Gently fold in blueberries, tossing frozen berries with 1 tablespoon flour beforehand if using frozen to prevent bleeding.
08 - Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the surface. Evenly sprinkle crumb topping over batter.
09 - Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice until smooth and pourable. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in under 20 minutes of actual work, then the oven does the heavy lifting.
- The lemon zest and juice brighten everything without tasting artificial or harsh.
- Frozen blueberries work just as well as fresh, so you're never stuck waiting for the right season.
- One slice with coffee feels like a small victory, not a guilty indulgence.
02 -
- If you use frozen blueberries straight from the freezer without thawing, they stay intact instead of turning the batter blue.
- Overmixing the batter after you add the flour is the number one way to end up with a dense, tough cake instead of something tender.
- The cake tastes even better the next day when all the flavors have settled and the crumb has firmed up slightly.
03 -
- Zest your lemon before juicing it, and don't be shy with the zest; it's where all the real lemon flavor lives and makes the difference between just okay and genuinely delicious.
- Keep the butter for the crumb topping cold right up until you start mixing it with your fingers; this gives you those distinct little pockets instead of a dense, paste-like texture.