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Blueberries and lemon come together perfectly in a Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake that is truly worthy of any occasion.

I have a huge grin on my face today and I am positively giddy to tell you that this cake, this fantastically moist, perfectly sweet blueberry coffee cake with a hint of lemon, is the best blueberry coffee cake I have ever tasted.

coffee cake with berries on white plate with floral napkin

I am so happy with this cake, I practically danced across the kitchen after I tasted it. I ate a slice of this cake right after I finished photographing it this afternoon and I ate another slice after dinner.

Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake

Coffee cake, in my opinion, doesn’t get nearly the amount of hype it deserves. A good coffee cake has a tender moist interior with a crisp, crumbly topping. This one is also stuffed to the brim with fresh juicy blueberries.

I was surprised to learn recently that in some parts of the world a “coffee cake” is a cake with actual coffee in it. While I’ve been known to bake a cake with coffee in it from time to time, like this Chocolate Mocha Cake, a true coffee cake is one designed to be eaten alongside a cup of coffee.

Blueberry Coffee Cake with Sour Cream

This blueberry coffee cake with sour cream is ideal for sipping with a Spanish Cafe con Leche or for sharing with friends alongside a pot of coffee. The blueberries in it make me think of summer afternoons, gathered with friends for an afternoon chat on the porch.

Coffee cake is also the kind of cake you can happily eat for breakfast. It’s basically a muffin in cake form, right?

Do I even need to tell you what I’ll be eating for breakfast tomorrow? This is a dangerous kind of awesome, my friends.

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blueberry coffee cake on a white plate with a colorful blue and white towel in the background

Easy Blueberry Coffee Cake

Another thing to love about this easy blueberry coffee cake is that there’s no icing required. It’s sweet and moist all on its own. While I love the taste of icing, I’m not the world’s best cake decorator. So, any easy cake recipe that lets me just bake and go is a winner.

This coffee cake smelled so good while it was baking that I could hardly wait for it to cool to grab myself a slice. After realizing how good it was, I had to put the rest of the cake out of sight.

I cannot wait to enjoy this blueberry coffee cake for breakfast tomorrow with my first cup of coffee.

Gluten Free Blueberry Coffee Cake

Once I discovered how good this blueberry coffee cake recipe is, I decided to see if I could make it gluten free. As it turns out, substituting gluten free flours and starches was super easy and resulted in a cake that we all liked just as much as the traditional version.

I’m always excited when I can share a new favorite recipe with my family members and friends who avoid gluten. Check out more of my Gluten Free Dessert Recipes too.

close up photo of coffeecake on square plate

Moist Blueberry Coffee Cake

Nothing disappoints me more than digging into a slice of coffee cake to find that the inside is dry and crumbly. That is not a problem with this wonderfully moist blueberry coffee cake.

What’s the secret? Sour cream keeps this blueberry coffee cake moist, even a few days later. 

If you love this blueberry coffee cake as much as I do, chances are you’ll hardly have any leftovers after a couple of days. It doesn’t last long when it’s great for dessert and then again the next morning for breakfast.

But, if you DO end up with a few extra slices, rest easy knowing that this cake will taste delicious each and every time you come back for more. And if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, this pan with a lid is fantastic for both baking and storing cake.

powdered blueberries being poured out of a clear glass bowl into a steel mixing bowl containing the coffee cake batter

Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

Cake Ingredients

  • butter
  • sugar
  • eggs
  • lemon juice and zest
  • vanilla extract
  • flour
  • baking powder
  • sour cream
  • blueberries

Coffee Cake Topping

  • flour
  • brown sugar
  • butter
A metal fork rests against the side of a glass bowl which contains the crumbled topping for the coffee cake

Recipe for Blueberry Coffee Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8″ baking pan with butter. You’ll want a big mixing bowl for the batter. Start by beating the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Then, stir in the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix in the eggs one at a time, just until combined. Combine the flour and baking powder in another bowl and lightly coat your blueberries with the dry ingredients.

Then mix the dry ingredients into your batter, one half at a time. Gently stir in the blueberries and pour it all into your greased pan.

For the topping, mix the flour and sugar together before adding the melted butter. Stir it together lightly with a fork, then sprinkle the sugary crumbs on top of the batter in the pan.

top down photo of a coffee cake in a pan that has been lined with parchment paper, showcasing the sweet and crumbly topping

Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

Making this blueberry coffee cake recipe is as simple as mixing together the batter, pouring it into a pan, and adding a crumb topping. Fresh blueberries in the batter add a sweet, tart flavor and beautiful color to this coffee cake.

The crumb topping comes together with just a little flour, sugar, and melted butter. I mix it up in the same bowl I used for the cake batter so that I’m only getting one bowl dirty.

I love baking, but hate cleaning up! Can I get an amen?

slices of blueberry cake on white plates

Easy Coffee Cake Recipes

I’m definitely a coffee cake enthusiast, and this one has already been added to my list of favorite easy coffee cake recipes. I love Layered Pumpkin Coffee Cake, and straight-up Cinnamon Coffee Cake. The satisfaction of sticking your fork into the crisp crumb topping and tasting the moist, sweet interior is unbeatable.

If you like this coffee cake recipe, you should also give this  Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze a try. I’ve also got my eye on these Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins.

4.77 from 21 votes

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Avatar photoMary Younkin
Blueberries and lemon come together perfectly in a Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake that is truly worthy of any occasion.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
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Ingredients 

Coffee Cake

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest or the zest of (1) large lemon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour*
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

*Gluten-Free Alternative

  • cup brown rice flour
  • ¼ cup tapioca starch
  • ¼ cup potato starch
  • ½ teaspoon xantham gum

Coffee Cake Topping

  • cup all-purpose flour**
  • cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup butter melted

**Gluten-Free Topping Alternative

  • cup brown rice flour

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and the sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined.
  • Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Place the blueberries in a small bowl and sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of the dry ingredients, stir gently to coat the berries.
  • Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream and mix again. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and mix just until combined.
  • Gently stir in the blueberries and pour the batter into a greased 8" square pan. Place the flour and sugar for the topping in the same small bowl that was holding the berries and add the melted butter. Stir lightly with a fork to combine. Sprinkle the sugary crumbs over the batter in the pan.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Let cool before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories: 315 kcal | Carbohydrates: 45 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 14 g | Saturated Fat: 9 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g | Trans Fat: 0.5 g | Cholesterol: 63 mg | Sodium: 109 mg | Potassium: 91 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 30 g | Vitamin A: 461 IU | Vitamin C: 3 mg | Calcium: 39 mg | Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

{recipe originally published 8/14/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/25/23}

blueberry lover's coffee cake on square plate with blue napkin

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Rating




106 Comments

  1. Karen says:

    This is the VERY BEST COFFEE CAKE I’ve ever had! Moist, sweet, blueberries lemon, and the crumble….so yummy. Very easy, simple and absolutely delicious. I doubled it and baked in a cake pan, turned out great. So glad I did.5 stars

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      That is awesome, Karen.

  2. Mary Mackey says:

    Would Bob;s Red Mill 1-1 GF flour also work in this blueberry recipe? Leaving the other ingredients the same? Would like to make for Christmas.

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      Yes, You can use a 1-1 flour Mary.

  3. Anne says:

    Can I use frozen blueberries?

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      Yes, you can use frozen, Anne.

  4. Natalie Graham says:

    Can you put canned fruit filling in this recipe .

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      I would not recommend it.

  5. Sandi says:

    Wonder if I could use Blackberries instead of Blue Berries? Thoughts?

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      Blackberries could work nicely, Sandi.

  6. Linda says:

    Do I need to defrost blueberries?

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      Hi, Linda! You should be able to just add the blueberries as they are; no defrosting needed (although it wouldn’t hurt either). I hope you love the coffee cake!

  7. Sherri Simmons says:

    Can I leave out the lemon? I’m just not a fan.

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      Sure thing, Sherri. It isn’t required.

  8. Mark says:

    Love it! I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream because it’s what I had on hand and it came out great. Thank you!5 stars

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      Happy to hear that you’re loving the coffee cake, Mark. I’m glad you were able to adjust the recipe with what you had on hand. Happy baking!

  9. Rita kane says:

    There’s no coffee in the ingredients for the blueberries coffee cake ?

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      There is no coffee in most coffee cake recipes, Rita. Traditionally, coffee cake is simply a cake often served with coffee.

  10. Nanabridge says:

    The perfect combination of blueberries, lemon, and tender, buttery cake. Try it warm with milk poured over. Delicious.5 stars

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      Mmmmmm, that sounds awesome!

  11. Nancy Eastman says:

    Hi Mary, Could I substitute the AP flour with Spelt flour?

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      I haven’t tried that before, Nancy, so I can’t speak to how that might work. If you decide to try baking the cake with Spelt flour, please let me know how it turns out! Happy baking.

  12. Rosaleen Grossi says:

    Good but next time decrease topping to 2/3 recipe5 stars

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      I’m glad you liked the cake, Rosaleen!

  13. CAROLYN says:

    This is Very good !! Didn’t have the lemon or zest and it was still good! Did add almond to the topping and it was good too! Will definitely make it again.5 stars

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      I’m glad to hear the cake was a hit, Carolyn.

  14. Dorothy says:

    Very moist. Texture is almost halfway to a cheesecake at least mine was with sour cream added. We really liked it and will make again.5 stars

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      Thank you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and tell me what you love about it, Dorothy!

  15. Andrea says:

    BEST coffee cake I’ve ever made, everyone gave me rave reviews!! We all loved it!!5 stars

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      Awe! I’m happy to hear it, Andrea.

  16. Susan Dowf says:

    Hi can i use ftozen bluberries?

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      Yes, that will work fine

  17. Sue says:

    This coffee cake is amazing. So moist!!!!
    Can you freeze it?5 stars

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      Yes, I freeze the leftover slices and thaw them at room temperature. (I imagine you could thaw in the microwave too, but haven’t tried that myself.)

  18. Trish says:

    this is a delicious coffee cake but I’m surprised that the servings are 12 out of an 8×8 pan….am I reading that correctly? I can’t imagine serving pieces that are a little over a half an inch square.5 stars

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      Hi Trish, if you divide the cake into 12 servings, (3 rows, cut into 4 pieces each) the pieces will be approximately 2×3 inches in size and you can certainly cut them larger that that. If you cut them into 1-inch squares, (8 rows, cut into 8 slices) you’d wind up with 64 crumbling pieces.

  19. Kathy says:

    tell me how you cut an 8″ pan into 12 servings

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      4 rows crossed with 3 rows. It’s a pretty straightforward cut. If you would like larger pieces, just cut it 3 rows by 3 rows.