Why You’ll Adore This Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake!

• Effortlessly Simple to Prepare: We’ve meticulously timed this recipe, and with ingredients pre-measured, it takes only about 30 minutes to prepare both the delightful crumb topping and the moist cake batter, getting it ready for the oven. This recipe is designed for ease, requiring just a handheld electric mixer and a few essential bowls. Perfect for busy bakers or those new to the kitchen!
• Abundantly Bursting with Blueberries: Every single bite of this blueberry coffee cake promises a generous scattering of fresh, sweet blueberries. We ensure a high concentration of fruit throughout the cake, so you’ll never have a plain bite. Their juicy pockets of flavor are truly the star!
• Incredibly Soft & Tender Texture: Our tried-and-true coffee cake recipe is the secret to its luxurious softness and plush crumb. The inclusion of sour cream is key, infusing the cake with incredible moisture and a tender consistency that practically melts in your mouth.
• Perfect for Any Occasion: This delightful lemon blueberry coffee cake is wonderfully versatile, making it an ideal choice for a variety of gatherings. Serve it at elegant brunches, casual afternoon tea parties, bustling bake sales, or simply as a comforting snack with your morning coffee. Its vibrant flavors and inviting aroma are guaranteed to brighten any day!

Essential Ingredients for Your Coffee Cake

• All-Purpose Flour: This recipe has been thoroughly tested exclusively with standard all-purpose flour, which provides the perfect structure and tender crumb. We recommend sticking to this type for optimal results.
• Sugar Varieties: You’ll need both light brown sugar and granulated sugar for the irresistible streusel topping, each contributing to its unique texture and sweetness. For the cake batter itself, only granulated sugar is required, ensuring a light and airy base that allows the lemon and blueberry flavors to shine.
• Full-Fat Sour Cream: This hero ingredient is the secret to our coffee cake’s remarkable tenderness and moist texture. We highly recommend using full-fat sour cream, as its richness and acidity contribute significantly to both the taste and luxurious mouthfeel of the cake.
• Fresh Lemons: Fresh lemons are indispensable! You’ll need their aromatic zest for three key components: infusing the streusel with a bright citrus punch, adding depth to the cake batter, and tossing with the blueberries to enhance their flavor and prevent sinking.
• Fresh Blueberries: For the best results, this recipe has only been tested with fresh blueberries. Their natural sweetness and firm texture are ideal for baking, ensuring they hold their shape and burst with flavor in every slice.
• Lemon Extract (Optional but Recommended): While optional, a touch of lemon extract significantly intensifies the overall lemon flavor of the cake, making it truly pop. If you don’t have it on hand, the cake will still be delicious, but for an extra layer of zestiness, we highly recommend including it.
• Unsalted Butter: Ensure your butter is at room temperature for the cake batter (it creams better!) and melted for the streusel topping.
• Large Egg: A single large egg, ideally at room temperature, helps bind the cake ingredients and adds richness.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leavening agents work together to give the coffee cake its perfect rise and airy texture.
• Kosher Salt: A pinch in the streusel and a bit more in the cake batter balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
• Vanilla Extract: A classic addition that complements the lemon and blueberry beautifully, adding warmth and depth.
• Cornstarch: Used to coat the blueberries, preventing them from sinking to the bottom of the cake and keeping their juices from bleeding into the batter.

Creative Substitutions & Delicious Variations

Feel free to customize this blueberry lemon coffee cake to suit your preferences or what you have on hand. Here are some fantastic ideas:

• Using Frozen Blueberries: If fresh blueberries aren’t available, you can absolutely use frozen blueberries! The key is not to thaw them beforehand. Toss them directly from the freezer with the cornstarch and lemon zest as instructed. Be aware that frozen berries contain more moisture, so your cake might require an additional 5-10 minutes of baking time.
• Experiment with Different Fruits: While blueberries are sensational, you can easily swap them out for an equal amount of other berries like fresh raspberries or blackberries for a delightful twist. We advise against using strawberries, however, as their higher moisture content can alter the cake’s texture significantly.
• Add Poppy Seeds: For a delightful texture and a classic flavor pairing, stir in a tablespoon of poppy seeds to the cake batter to create a fragrant lemon poppy seed coffee cake. This adds a subtle crunch and a nutty undertone.
• Explore Different Extracts: Beyond lemon and vanilla, consider other complementary extracts. This cake would be utterly delicious with a hint of Fiori di Sicilia, an Italian citrus-vanilla extract that imparts a unique and sophisticated aroma. Almond extract could also add a pleasant depth.
• Sour Cream Alternatives: If sour cream isn’t readily available, you can substitute it with an equal amount of full-fat Greek yogurt. The Greek yogurt will provide a similar tang and moisture, contributing to a wonderfully tender cake.

Easy Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: To begin, prepare your exquisite lemon crumb topping. In a small bowl, combine all the dry ingredients for the streusel: granulated sugar, light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, a pinch of kosher salt, and the bright zest of one lemon. Whisk these together until they are well combined. Now, pour in the melted unsalted butter and mix until large and small clumps delightfully form. This mixture might seem a little wet, but that’s perfectly normal! Once combined, place the bowl in the fridge to chill while you prepare the cake batter. This chilling step helps the streusel maintain its texture during baking. Simultaneously, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously grease and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal later.

Step 2: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for the coffee cake: the remaining all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and half a teaspoon of kosher salt. Ensure these are thoroughly combined to distribute the leavening agents evenly. Set this bowl aside for later incorporation.

Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a large bowl and a handheld electric mixer, cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Beat them on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and pale yellow. This step incorporates air, contributing to the cake’s tender texture.

Step 4: Next, add the large egg (ensure it’s at room temperature for optimal emulsification), vanilla extract, and lemon extract (if using) to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat until these wet ingredients are fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is incorporated.

Step 5: Gently fold in the room temperature sour cream and the zest from one of your lemons (reserve the other lemon’s zest for the blueberries later). Mix on medium-low speed until the sour cream is just combined into the batter. Be careful not to overmix at this stage.

Step 6: Gradually add the reserved dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Mix on the lowest speed, stopping as soon as the flour streaks disappear and the ingredients are just combined. Overmixing can lead to a tough cake, so mix only until barely incorporated.

Step 7: In a small bowl or a measuring jug, gently toss the washed and thoroughly patted dry fresh blueberries with the remaining lemon zest and one tablespoon of cornstarch. This coating helps prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake during baking and minimizes color bleeding into the batter.

Step 8: With a light hand, gently fold the cornstarch-coated blueberries into the coffee cake batter using a spatula. Mix just until the blueberries are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Again, avoid overmixing to maintain the cake’s tenderness.

Step 9: Carefully pour the prepared cake batter into your greased and parchment-lined 8×8 inch baking pan. Use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to gently spread the batter into an even layer, ensuring it fills the pan uniformly.

Step 10: Retrieve the chilled crumb topping from the fridge. If the mixture has solidified too much, gently use a fork to break it apart into small, distinct crumbs. Evenly sprinkle this crunchy streusel over the top of the cake batter in the pan. Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 60-70 minutes. The cake is perfectly baked when a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before attempting to lift it out using the parchment paper overhang and slicing. This ensures the cake sets properly and is easy to handle.

Expert Tips & Tricks for Perfect Coffee Cake

Achieve bakery-quality results with these insider tips and tricks:

• Embrace a Kitchen Scale for Accuracy: For truly consistent and perfect baking results, I cannot stress enough the importance of using a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients, especially flour. It is the most accurate method, eliminating inconsistencies that arise from varying packing methods when using cup measurements. You can easily find a reliable kitchen scale online for under $20. If you must use volumetric cup measurements, ensure you spoon your flour into the cup and level it off without packing it down. Adding too much flour is a common pitfall that often leads to a dry, dense coffee cake.
• Prevent Over-Browning with Aluminum Foil: If you notice the crumb topping or the edges of your coffee cake are browning too quickly during the baking process, simply tent the pan loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. This will shield the top from direct heat, allowing the cake to continue baking through without burning the streusel.
• Elevate with a Lemon Glaze: While the streusel topping is fantastic on its own, a simple lemon glaze adds an extra layer of zesty sweetness and a beautiful finish. I often use the delicious lemon glaze recipe from my blueberry pound cake – you’ll want to halve that recipe for this coffee cake. Alternatively, a light dusting of powdered sugar offers an equally elegant touch!
• Flexible Pan Sizes: This recipe is designed for an 8×8 inch square baking pan. Interestingly, an 8×8 square pan holds roughly the same volume of batter as a 9-inch round pan. So, if you prefer a round coffee cake for a different presentation, feel free to use a 9-inch round cake pan instead. The baking time may vary slightly, so always rely on the toothpick test.
• Proper Pan Lining for Easy Removal: Since this is a coffee cake with a crumb topping, we want to lift it cleanly out of the pan rather than flipping it. To achieve this, make sure to thoroughly grease your cake pan, then line it with parchment paper, allowing a generous overhang on two opposite sides. These parchment “handles” will make it incredibly easy to lift the entire cooled cake out of the pan for neat slicing and serving.
• Understand Variances in Baking Time: This coffee cake is deliciously thick, and oven temperatures can vary significantly from one kitchen to another. Therefore, the suggested baking time of 60-70 minutes is a guideline. Don’t be alarmed if your cake needs a bit longer in the oven; it’s perfectly normal. Always trust the toothpick test – insert it into the center, and if it comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs, your cake is ready!

Common Questions About Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about this delicious recipe:

The Best Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake

Ella Gilbert

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