If you love bright citrus flavors and juicy blueberries, this lemon blueberry coffee cake is the perfect treat, whether for breakfast or brunch! The cake is soft, buttery, and filled with blueberries bursting with flavor. Then topped with a crumbly, crunching topping for the texture and balance.
This homemade coffee cake comes together easily and pairs perfectly with your morning coffee or tea. Whether you’re baking for a weekend brunch with friends or having family gathered, this lemon blueberry coffee cake is always a crowd favorite.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake:
Blueberries are the perfect pair with the lemon in this recipe, but it is also absolutely delicious with frozen raspberries.
Ingredients needed for this recipe:
How to Make This Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake:
- In a small bowl, combine the two sugars, flour, melted and slightly cooled butter, and salt. Stir the mixture together until small clumps form and the mixture is thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9-inch round springform pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest, gently massaging the zest into the sugar with your fingers.
- Add the butter to the bowl and, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes until well combined and fluffy.
- Once the mixture is light and fluffy and has slightly increased in volume, add one egg. Continue to beat on medium speed until completely combined before adding the second egg and beating again until well combined.
- Once fully combined, add the yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix for another 30 seconds- 1 minute.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix for just about 30 seconds or until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Use a rubber spatula to fold in the blueberries. (Note: if using frozen blueberries, keep them frozen).
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.
- For the Icing: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- When the cake has cooled completely, drizzle with the icing and serve.
Recipe Tips
This coffee cake is super moist inside with a crunchy, crumbly topping. Here are my best tips for making your coffee cake stand out every time.
Keep the crumb topping from burning by using light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Dark brown sugar caramelizes too quickly and will burn before the cake is done baking.
Room temperature butter is about 65°F. You want the butter to be solid but give a little when you press into it with your finger. If it’s too warm and smears when you press it, pop it in the refrigerator for a bit. Using butter that’s too warm will result in a cake that could sink in the middle.
If you want to serve this on a cake stand or platter, use a springform pan. You can also make it in a 9×9 square baking pan and serve it cut into squares.
Sifting your dry ingredients will prevent any lumps from getting into your cake.
If you use frozen blueberries and they thaw slightly, they will turn the batter purple. Don’t fret, the cake will not be purple on the inside when it bakes.
If you want your icing to be pure white, you can leave out the vanilla extract or swap it for ¼ teaspoon almond extract.
Let the cake cool completely before you drizzle it with icing. If the cake is still warm, it will just slide off the sides and make the crumble soggy.
What to serve with this Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake:
FAQ
Similar Recipes
This lemon blueberry coffee cake is a bright, fresh, and comforting recipe that’s perfect any time of day. The combination of sweet blueberries, tangy lemon, and buttery crumb topping creates a bakery-style cake you’ll want to make again and again.
Make this lemon blueberry coffee cake for your next brunch gathering or over the weekend so you can indulge in a slice every day for the whole week.
Serve it warm with a cup of coffee for a cozy breakfast or share it with friends at your next brunch gathering.
Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients:
For the topping:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (lightly packed)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
- ½ tsp sea salt
For the cake:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups fresh or frozen (still frozen blueberries)
For the Icing:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
For the topping:
- In a small bowl, combine the two sugars, flour, melted and slightly cooled butter, and salt. Stir the mixture together until small clumps form and the mixture is thoroughly combined. Set aside.
For the cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9-inch round springform pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest, gently massaging the zest into the sugar with your fingers.
- Add the butter to the bowl and, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes until well combined and fluffy.
- Once the mixture is light and fluffy and has slightly increased in volume, add one egg.
- Continue to beat on medium speed until completely combined before adding the second egg and beating again until well combined.
- Once fully combined, add the yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix for another 30 seconds- 1 minute.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix for just about 30 seconds or until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Use a rubber spatula to fold in the blueberries. (Note: if using frozen blueberries, keep them frozen).
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.
For the Icing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- When the cake has cooled completely, drizzle with the icing and serve.
Notes:
- Keep the crumb topping from burning by using light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Dark brown sugar caramelizes too quickly and will burn before the cake is done baking.
- Room temperature butter is about 65°F. You want the butter to be solid but give a little when you press into it with your finger. If it’s too warm and smears when you press it, pop it in the refrigerator for a bit. Using butter that’s too warm will result in a cake that could sink in the middle.
- If you want to serve this on a cake stand or platter, use a springform pan. You can also make it in a 9×9 square baking pan and serve it cut into squares.
- Sifting your dry ingredients will prevent any lumps from getting into your cake.
- If you use frozen blueberries and they thaw slightly, they will turn the batter purple. Don’t fret, the cake will not be purple on the inside when it bakes.
- If you want your icing to be pure white, you can leave out the vanilla extract or swap it for ¼ teaspoon almond extract.
- Let the cake cool completely before you drizzle it with icing. If the cake is still warm, it will just slide off the sides and make the crumble soggy.
