This easy blueberry coffee cake is soft, moist, and topped with a buttery streusel. A classic recipe perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
This easy blueberry coffee cake is a classic recipe with a soft, moist crumb and a buttery streusel topping. It’s simple to make and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Even though fresh blueberries aren’t always in season, they are usually easy to find. 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.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Uses simple pantry ingredients and comes together quickly.
- So reliable…it bakes up soft and moist every time.
- A classic blueberry flavor with a buttery streusel topping that works for any occasion.
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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Simple to make and very tasty..not too sweet. Followed recipe exactly.
Hi Pauline…thank you very much for the comment and rating. I’m so glad you liked the coffee cake!
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!