Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake (Print version)
Moist coffee cake highlighting fresh blueberries and bright lemon, finished with a buttery crumb topping.
# What you'll need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tsp baking powder
03 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/4 tsp salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
09 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
12 - 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (or frozen, unthawed)
→ Streusel Topping
13 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
15 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
16 - 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
17 - Pinch of salt
→ Lemon Glaze (optional)
18 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
19 - 1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
# How to make it:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round or square baking pan.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, then blend in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until combined.
05 - Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently. Fold in sour cream, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients just until combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Gently fold fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter.
07 - Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold cubed butter until coarse crumbs form, then sprinkle over batter.
08 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes. If desired, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice to make glaze and drizzle over cooled cake before serving.
# Expert suggestions:
01 -
- The sour cream keeps it impossibly moist even days later—no dry crumbs, just tender crumb.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest deliver a brightness that makes you forget you're eating something indulgent.
- The streusel topping adds just enough texture contrast and richness without overwhelming the delicate cake.
02 -
- Don't skip the 15-minute cooling time in the pan—the cake is still setting and will crumble if you turn it out too early.
- Frozen blueberries are your friend; they stay intact better than thawed ones and honestly taste just as good.
- Overmixing the batter is the quickest way to end up with a tough, dense cake instead of a tender one.
03 -
- Use room temperature eggs and butter—they incorporate more smoothly and create a better crumb structure than cold ingredients.
- Zest your lemon before cutting it in half for juice; once it's cut, the zest dries out quickly and becomes harder to grate.
- If your blueberries are large, toss them lightly in a tablespoon of the dry flour mixture before folding them in; this helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pan.