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A delicious and easy blueberry coffee cake recipe that uses basic pantry ingredients and is so moist it will melt in your mouth!
Even though fresh blueberries aren’t always in season, they are usually easy to find, and most of the time, they’re plump and sweet. I recently picked up a pint, and every single berry was perfect…deep blue, firm, and just the right amount of juicy. It was the perfect excuse to revisit an old favorite: a simple, tried-and-true blueberry coffee cake that has been in my collection for years.
Why This Recipe Works
My sister-in-law shared this blueberry coffee cake recipe with me shortly after I got married, more than 40 years ago. Since then, it has become a favorite that I have passed along to friends and family. It is easy to make, comes together quickly, and uses simple ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry, except perhaps for the blueberries. Whether you are baking for a special occasion or just want a cozy treat with your morning coffee, this recipe is always a good idea.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: white whole wheat flour can be substituted for the all purpose flour.
- Butter can be substituted for the Crisco shortening, but the texture of the cake may change. I can’t honestly say for sure, because I’ve always used Crisco.
- Even though the blueberries are the star of the show, other fresh fruit can be substituted. A combination of fruit is delicious as well. Suggestions are fresh strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, diced peaches, or apples.
- Other possible additions: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest,
How to Make
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the Crisco shortening, milk, and egg until smooth.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix again until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Carefully fold in blueberries.
- Prepare baking pan with softened butter or Baker’s Joy.
- Pour the batter into your baking pan. Spread to the sides.
- Baking times: 8 x 8 inch pan = 45-50 minutes. Bundlette pan = 25 minutes. Cake is done when a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- Optional streusel topping: Combine 1/2 cup white or brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 cup soft butter. Toss with a fork and sprinkle on coffee cake before baking.
Tips for Success
- This blueberry coffee cake recipe should be baked in an 8 x 8 inch pan, but it can also be doubled, and baked in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
- For a twist on the traditional blueberry coffee cake, the batter can be scooped into the vessels of a mini bundt cake pan, as shown in the image above. Consult the recipe card for baking times. It works best to fill the vessels to about 1/2 inch below the rim. If filled up to the top, the cakes rise and overflow.
- The amount of blueberries can be adjusted according to your taste. I like more batter than berries, so I cut the blueberry increment in half and use one cup . If you are a berry lover, then pack them in!
- This is a very forgiving recipe. You can actually dump all the ingredients in your mixing bowl at once, and as long as everything is incorporated, your blueberry coffee cake will be perfect!
Frequently Asked Questions
Cover the baking pan with foil or plastic wrap, and store at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, store in the refrigerator.
Yes! It’s handy to freeze individual pieces so you can grab them as needed. Just place the pieces in a freezer-safe container and use within 3 months.
In times gone by, friends and family would gather around a table to drink coffee, and enjoy sweet cakes or pastries. At some point, bakeries and groceries caught on, and began to market their sweet cakes as coffee cakes. Now coffee cakes are generally served for breakfast or brunch.
SHOP + SOURCE
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Easy Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Crisco shortening
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fresh blueberries (washed + dried)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the Crisco shortening, milk, and egg until smooth.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix again until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Carefully fold in blueberries.
- Prepare baking pan with softened butter or Baker’s Joy.
- Pour the batter into your baking pan. Spread to the sides.
- Baking times: 8 x 8 inch pan = 45-50 minutes. Bundlette pan = 25 minutes. Cake is done when a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- Optional crumble: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 cup soft butter. Toss with a fork and put on coffee cake before baking.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star rating. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you!
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My family loves loves loves this!!!!!!!!!!! It is tasty, moist and perfect, what can I say.
Sometimes I let it cook too long. Do you have any advice to make sure it is cooked all the way but still moist?
I’ve been making this for years and it’s delicious easy. I recently four solid avocado oil (like Crisco ) at Target. It worked great and I guess it’s healthier? These days the definition of healthy changes weekly it seems. Anyway i thought I would recommend this alternative. I store mine in refrigerator.
I made this for a work function. I used gluten free King Arthur all purpose flour, because two of us are gluten free. This cake was delicious! Moist and flavorful. It didn’t last long!
I’m so glad everyone liked it! Thanks for your comment and a special thanks for the rating. I truly appreciate it!
This was delicious! Will keep this recipe. Was easy to make.
Can this be baked in a loaf pan?
Hi Marcia…the honest truth is that I’m not sure. I have never tried it. I have a hard time getting large loaves of bread done in the middle…but I don’t know if that would be the case with this recipe. If you try it, please let us know the outcome! Thanks, Ann
Do I use Crisco shortening or liquid Crisco in the Blueberry Coffee Cake?
Hi Ginger…it’s Crisco shortening. I will clarify that in the post and the recipe card. Thank you!
Thank you, Ann. I really enjoy your posts! Love your style.
Ginger
Thank you so much for your recipes. I appreciate the smaller sized recipes for an 8×8 pan, as our children are grown and no longer at home. Your photo pics are so pretty!
The bundlettes are beautiful! Looks like you may not have put the streusel on them but just sprinkled with powdered sugar?
Correct. If you want to add the streusel, you would need to put it in the bundtlette vessels before you add the batter. When you flip the bundtlettes out of the pan, the streusel will be on top. Thank you!
Easy and delicious! Thank you!
Does Bundtlette pan with 6 cups use entire batter from recipe listed?
Thanks,
Lea
Yes! Depending on how much batter you put in the cups, you may have a little bit of batter left over. But it uses most of it. Thank you!
This looks delicious! Can you substitute vegetable oil for the crisco?
Hi Colleen…I honestly don’t know. I have never tried it. Crisco and vegetable oil are completely different textures, so I would imagine the coffee cake may be flatter. But again, I can’t say for sure. If you try it, let us know how it tastes!
So moist!
Well be trying this blueberry as a bread love blueberrys keep them in the freezer and snack on them frozen great in summer them just melt in your mouth Thank You I really enjoy your ideas recipes and gardening……..
These look almost too pretty to eat! But I think I will try to make them!
Your cakes are beautifully presented. Will you please share the trick for successfully removing them from the specialty mini Bundt pan? Mine stick and so I have abandoned using the pan. Thank you.
Hi Liane, I always use Baker’s Joy. It’s a spray and is found in the section with Pam. I have never had anything stick!
This looks great and I will try it. I have followed you for several years now, back when your little dog was attacked by another dog. I have followed you longer than I have anyone. Your posts are down to earth and not complicated. Your art pictures are wonderful . I love the blue colors around your house, especially on this post. Thanks
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These look delicious, Ann! I love your presentation, too. I’ll be pinning these.
I got this recipe years ago from a lady I worked with but she called it “Blueberry Boy Bait.” I thought you’d get a chuckle out of that! Anyway, my husband really does love it and so does everyone who tries it….love your blog. I will definitely be trying some things. Thanks for sharing! Love your creativity.