This Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake recipe is an easy-to-make treat combines the goodness of fresh blueberries with a tender, moist cake with a crumbly, buttery streusel on top. This blueberry coffee cake is the perfect accompaniment to your morning cup of coffee or tea, or enjoy for dessert. This delicious blueberry dessert cake isn't too sweet, and makes about 9 good-sized pieces.
Best Coffee Cake Recipe
There is nothing like a piece of lightly sweet, tender cake with a cup of coffee or glass of milk. Coffee cake is a classic treat that has been around for a long time and is a favorite snack or dessert.
This is the best blueberry coffee cake (Blueberry Buckle) I have tasted. The streusel topping adds just the right amount of sweetness and a bit of a light crunch.
What is a Buckle vs Coffee Cake?
Coffee Cake: A broad term for cakes enjoyed with coffee or tea, available in various flavors, including cinnamon, nuts, chocolate, etc. It may or may not contain fruit and can have different textures and shapes.
Buckle: A type of coffee cake with fresh fruit mixed into the batter, causing the top to slightly collapse or "buckle." It has a dense texture, streusel topping, and a rustic appearance. In essence, a buckle is a fruit-filled variation of a coffee cake.
Can I Use Frozen Blueberries?
- Yes, using frozen blueberries in your blueberry coffee cake is so convenient when fresh aren't available!
- Keep Them Frozen: Use the blueberries straight from the freezer—no need to thaw.
- Toss in Flour: Lightly coat the frozen blueberries with a bit of flour to help them mix better.
- Mix Carefully: Gently fold the blueberries into the batter to avoid turning it blue.
- Check Baking Time: Baking might take a bit longer. Check with a toothpick until it comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
The Streusel Topping
No blueberry coffee cake is complete without the streusel topping. The streusel is an opportunity to add extra flavor and texture to your blueberry buckle coffee cake!
This crumbly, buttery mixture of flour, sugar, and sometimes nuts, elevates the cake's texture and adds a delightful contrast to the softness of the cake.
As it bakes, the streusel becomes golden brown and slightly caramelized, forming a crispy crust that beautifully complements the moist cake and juicy blueberries.
Streusel Topping Variations for This Coffee Cake
- This easy Blueberry Coffee Cake recipe has a lovely cinnamon crumb topping, but here are some other variations you may like:
- Nuts: Mix chopped nuts such as almonds, pecans, or walnuts into the streusel topping for added crunch and a nutty flavor.
- Coconut: Add shredded coconut to the streusel for a nice twist. The coconut will toast in the oven and bring an extra layer of crunch to the cake.
- Citrus: Mix in some grated lemon zest or orange zest to the streusel for a bright burst of citrus flavor.
- Chocolate: Add a chocolate flavor by adding mini chocolate chips to the streusel.
- Spices: Experiment with other warm spices like nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom in the cinnamon streusel topping.
- Brown Butter: Use brown butter (butter that has been cooked until it turns brown and has a nutty flavor) instead of regular butter for the streusel.
- Glaze It: You can take this blueberry breakfast cake over the top by also drizzling on a sweet vanilla glaze made with powdered sugar, vanilla, and a tiny amount of milk mixed together.
You can even mix and match these streusel variations to create your own unique combinations.
Variations of Coffee Cake Flavors
Coffee cakes can be made in a wide variety of delicious variations to suit different tastes. Here are some popular coffee cake variations to try:
- Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake: A classic choice, this coffee cake is layered with a generous amount of cinnamon-spiced streusel filling in the center of the cake, creating a sweet swirl of flavor in every bite.
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake: Adding sour cream to the batter creates a moist coffee cake with a subtle tangy flavor that complements the sweetness of the cake.
- Apple Coffee Cake: Diced apples mixed with cinnamon are a delightful addition to coffee cake, giving it a cozy and comforting taste reminiscent of apple cake.
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake: Perfect for fall, this variation incorporates pumpkin puree and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for a delightful autumn treat.
- Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake: The combination of juicy blueberries and lemon extract or zest and lemon juice adds a hint of lemon and tanginess to the cake, creating a bright flavor.
- Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake: Chocolate lovers will adore this variation that features mini chocolate chips in the batter, delivering sweet bursts of chocolate goodness.
- Nutella Swirl Coffee Cake: Swirls of Nutella throughout the batter create a rich and indulgent cake with a hazelnut-chocolate twist.
- Cream Cheese Coffee Cake: The addition of cream cheese to the batter results in a velvety and creamy texture, adding a hint of tanginess to balance the sweetness.
- Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake: A sweet combination of raspberry jam and almond extract brings a fruity and nutty flavor to the cake.
- Cardamom Orange Coffee Cake: Fragrant ground cardamom and fresh orange zest infuse the cake with an exotic and citrusy taste and aroma.
Ingredients in Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake
Streusel Topping
• Sugar (or use half brown sugar)
• All-Purpose Flour (or whole wheat)
• Cinnamon
• Unsalted Butter softened
Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake Batter
• Unsalted Butter
• Sugar
• Large Egg
• Vanilla Extract
• Whole Wheat Flour (or all-purpose flour)
• All purpose flour
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Buttermilk
• Sweet Blueberries
How to Make This Yummy Blueberry Dessert
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Then prepare a 8"x8" or 9"x9" baking dish by greasing it with butter and dusting it with flour (or use cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
Prepare the Streusel Topping
2. In a mixing bowl, add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly and the size of peas.
Make the Coffee Cake
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, using a mixer.
4. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
5. In a separate medium bowl, add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the room temperature buttermilk. Mix with each addition.
7. Mix the batter well.
8. Add the blueberries to the batter.
8. Fold the blueberries into the batter gently.
10. Add the batter to the baking dish.
11. Spread the thick batter in the prepared cake pan in an even layer.
12. Spread the streusel topping over the blueberry coffee cake batter evenly.
13. Bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is done and the topping is a light golden brown.
Storing Your Blueberry Coffee Cake
• Cool: Let the coffee cake cool completely.
• Wrap: Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
• Room Temperature: If you'll eat it in 1-2 days, store it at room temperature, well-wrapped.
• Refrigerate: For longer storage, like 3-5 days, keep it wrapped or in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Freeze: If you want to keep it for over a week, freeze it. Wrap well and thaw at room temperature when needed.
Just remember, the sooner you eat your blueberry coffee cake, the fresher it will taste!
More Easy Dessert Recipes
Easy Blueberry Pie Recipe
Slow Cooker Blueberry Cobbler
Apple Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Flaky All-Butter Pie Crust
Classic Dump Cake
We think this is the best coffee cake recipe, with the plump blueberries and delicious topping. We hope you like it, too!
If you make this blueberry crumb cake / Blueberry Buckle recipe, please leave a comment below with a star rating.
Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Mixer
- 9"x9" Baking Dish (or 8"x8")
- Spatula
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup Sugar
- ⅓ cup All-Purpose Flour (or whole wheat)
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ cup Unsalted Butter softened
Coffee Cake Batter
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter softened
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ⅔ cup Buttermilk
- 2 cups Blueberries
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Then prepare a 8"x8" or 9"x9" baking dish by greasing it with butter and dusting it with flour.
Prepare the Streusel Topping
- In a mixing bowl, add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly and the size of peas.
Make the Cake Batter
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, using a mixer.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
- Fold the blueberries into the batter gently.
- Spread the thick batter in the prepared baking dish in an even layer.
- Spread the topping over the batter evenly.
- Bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is done and the topping is a light golden brown.
Claudia says
Easy and very good! I'm always looking for good cake recipes to serve with brunch or tea.