Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
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Bright, zesty lemon meets juicy blueberries in this soft and tender coffee cake! Topped with a buttery crumb and hint of sweetness, it’s the perfect treat for breakfast or brunch with your favorite cup of coffee.
While I am not a huge breakfast person I do like to enjoy a nice brunch on the weekends once the weather gets warmer. There’s something so relaxing about taking a plate out on the back porch and enjoying the weather with brunch and a cup of coffee.
If I’m having a quick breakfast I tend to grab a bagel, English muffin, or a piece of toast. However, if I’m making something for the family then I tend to make sweet brunch choices like French toast, cinnamon rolls, or coffee cake.
Overnight Raspberry French Toast Casserole is a favorite when I’m having people over for brunch because I can make it the night before and pop it into the oven when they arrive. Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning and they can be frozen for later. I’m always partial to a great coffee cake and this Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake is decadent and delicious.
What is Coffee Cake?
Coffee cake is a soft, tender cake that’s meant to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee. It is not actually made with coffee. It’s called “coffee cake” because it’s traditionally served alongside coffee, especially for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack. What makes it different from other cakes is that it does not have frosting on top, there’s a crumble topping on top, and it’s less sweet than a traditional cake.
One thing I love about coffee cake is that you can make a variety of flavors and it’s great for brunch or for dessert! I started thinking about what flavor of coffee cake would be good for the spring.
Making a carrot coffee cake was one of my first thoughts but I wanted something with berries so that it was both sweet and tart. I decided that a lemon blueberry coffee cake would be delicious.
While you can use fresh berries I opted for frozen blueberries in hopes that they would stay whole and not burst while this cake was baking. They were also about half the price of the fresh berries which was a win in my book.
In order to get the tender crumb of this cake you will need to add some type of dairy. This can be milk, sour cream, or yogurt. I opted for Greek vanilla yogurt because I wanted the extra hint of vanilla in my coffee cake.
For the lemon flavor in the cake I used both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. The lemon juice will add a subtle flavor while the lemon zest gives it an extra little punch of flavor.
Then I put the crumb topping on top of the cake. There are so many different variations of crumb topping but I went with a very simple flour, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon mixture to put on top of the cake.
How do you make the crumb topping?
In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Mix with your hands until the mixture resembles wet sand. Make sure you don’t over mix. You still want to have some lumps in the mixture. It may seem like a lot when you are sprinkling it over top of the cake but you want all that goodness.
Ingredients:
- salted butter (or unsalted if you prefer)
- granulated sugar
- vanilla yogurt (or you can use plain yogurt or sour cream)
- eggs
- lemons (you will need the zest and juice)
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour (you can also substitute 1:1 gluten free flour)
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- frozen blueberries (you can also use fresh blueberries)
- brown sugar
To make the coffee cake preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the bottom of a springform pan with a parchment circle and spray the sides with baking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the lemon zest and juice. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.
Pour into the prepared pan. In a small bowl combine the flour, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over top of the coffee cake. Bake for 60-70 minutes.
This coffee cake was amazing! The crumb of the cake was moist and delicate while the blueberries stayed whole and burst in my mouth with every bite. The crumble on top was sweet with a bit of a crunch.
How do I add more lemon flavor?
If you want more lemon flavor combine 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with a tablespoon or two of fresh lemon juice and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over top of the cake for big lemon flavor.
We enjoyed this cake with a cup of coffee. The bitterness of the coffee worked so well with the sweetness of the cake and the tartness of the lemon.
This may be one of the best coffee cakes I’ve made to date! I really loved the texture of the coffee cake and it didn’t get too dry like some coffee cakes do.
How do I store the leftovers?
You can put the coffee cake on a plate and cover with plastic wrap or foil for 2-3 days. It will stay fresh in a cake carrier or cake dome for up to 5 days. You can also slice the cake and freeze the slices individually in an airtight container or freezer bags. To thaw simply remove from the freezer and lay on the counter to thaw.
If you’ve tried my Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:
Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 2 lemons zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups frozen blueberries
For the crumb topping:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup salted butter cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Place a parchment round at the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan. Spray the sides of the pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the blueberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Meanwhile, place the flour, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Add in the pieces of butter and mix with your hands until it resembles the consistency of wet sand. Sprinkle over top of the coffee cake.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the outside edge of the cake and release the cake from the pan.
- Cool completely on a wire cooling rack then cut into slices.
Notes
More Brunch Recipes:
- Beer Cheese Scones from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Loaded Hash Browns from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Lemon Panna Cotta from Art of Natural Living
- Ham and Broccoli Breakfast Casserole from Blogghetti
- Lavender Bee’s Knees Martini from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Lentil Curry and Rice Soup from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
- Cranberry and Tangerine Scones from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
I love fruity coffee cakes! I’d love a big slice with all those blueberries.
One of my favorite flavor profiles. What a beautiful crumb on that cake.