Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Tender and moist cake with crunchy cinnamon sugar crumbs and blueberry filling. This Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake is the perfect cake to enjoy with a cup of coffee. It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or any time of the day!

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This recipe was originally published on May 29, 2023

WHY IS THIS CAKE CALLED A COFFEE CAKE, BUT IT DOESN’T EVEN HAVE COFFEE IN IT?

Yes, this is not a coffee-flavored cake. Coffee cake is literally just a cake that’s meant to complement your coffee. It’s a sweet cake with cinnamon crumble in the center and on top of the cake. This one is a little bit different because it is layered with a thick blueberry compote. It’s tender, moist, and fruity. I promise – you, your kids and significant others will love this just as much as I do!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe >

Ingredients Needed & Notes >

Equipment You’ll Need >

Step By Step Instructions >

Baking Tips >

Serving & Storage >

Recipe Card >

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

• This cake and coffee are so good to be enjoyed together.
• Tender, moist, and fruity!
• Every bite is layered with sweet cinnamon crumbs, blueberry compote, and vanilla cake.
• Everyone will love this blueberry coffee cake!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED & NOTES

Blueberries – It’s always best to use fresh blueberries, but if they’re not in season you can use frozen blueberries. Fresh or frozen, both work perfectly in this recipe!

Lemon – We need some liquid to help the berries cook without burning and it also enhances the flavor. Fresh lemon perfectly complements the blueberries.

Sugar – Two types of sugar are used in this recipe. You’ll need granulated sugar to make the cake batter and blueberry compote and brown sugar to make the crumble

Flour – No need for fancy flour, you’ll just need all-purpose flour!

Leavening agent – You’ll need baking powder and baking soda to make this cake. They help the cake batter rise, which gives volume, texture, and crumb to your finished cake.

Cornstarch – You’ll need this to thicken the blueberry compote.

Butter – You can use either salted or unsalted butter. I prefer unsalted butter because I don’t want my buns to taste too salty. If you use salted butter, I recommend skipping the salt.

Eggs – You’ll need large eggs. Egg size matters, so make sure you’re using the right eggs. Also, eggs are best at room temperature. If you forget to take them out of the fridge ahead of time, then pop the eggs in warm water for ten minutes.

Sour Cream – Use full-fat sour cream! This adds moisture without thinning the batter, resulting in a more tender crumb. If you run out of sour cream, greek yogurt works well too. They have the high-fat content and acidity that we need.

Vanilla – A little bit of vanilla extract to enhance the flavor.

Salt – This will do the job of balancing out the flavor.

BAKING TOOLS & EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED

(Check my favorite baking tools and equipment here!)

• Medium saucepan
• Medium bowls
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Rubber spatula
• 9×13 inch baking pan
• Parchment paper

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THIS BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

(Be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions)

STEP 1 – Make the Blueberry Filling

Put the fresh blueberries in a large colander, gently rinse, and wash them with cool water. (If you’re using frozen blueberries, do not thaw)

Combine the blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As you continue to stir, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. The blueberries will break down into a thick juice, then remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

STEP 2 – Make the Cinnamon Sugar Crumbs

In a medium bowl, combine light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, and salt, then whisk until well combined. Add the cold butter cubes, and gently toss the butter cubes through the flour mixture until each piece is well coated.

Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour-sugar mixture until it resembles a coarse meal, pea-sized chunks with a few larger chunks of butter. Keep tossing the butter through the flour mixture as you work. Refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the cake.

STEP 3 – Preheat the Oven, Prepare the Baking Pan, and Make the Cake Batter

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with soft butter, then line with parchment paper. Let the excess hang over the sides to form a sling so you can easily lift the cake from the loaf pan.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then add the sour cream and vanilla extract, and beat until just combined.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix everything until just combined, do not overwork the cake batter.

STEP 4 – Assemble the Cake and Bake

Carefully spread about half of the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle about 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar crumbs on top of the batter, then evenly spoon all the blueberry compote over the cinnamon sugar crumbs. Spread the remaining batter on top, covering all the blueberries, then sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar crumbs on top.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. A couple of moist crumbs on a toothpick is ok!

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer the cake to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before serving.

While the cake is cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. Start with 2 tablespoons of milk because you want the glaze to be very thick.
Drizzle the glaze on top of the cooled cake.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

• Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. Room-temperature ingredients blend easily and incorporate together to create a smooth batter without flecks of eggs.
• Measure flour correctly. When measuring the flour with cups, make sure to spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup. Do not scoop and pack the flour. By doing this, you will yield too much flour and make the dough dry. A kitchen scale is the best option, it’s so much more accurate than cup measurements, that’s why I always write the recipe with grams. 1 cup flour = 125 grams.
• Keep your eyes on the cake while baking. Think of baking times just as suggestions, because every oven is different! The temperature can vary greatly, even when you set it to the same temperature as in the recipe.
• Let the blueberry filling cool completely before layering your cake.
• Place the cinnamon sugar crumbs in the fridge to keep it cool, to avoid the butter chunks melting at room temperature.
• A couple of moist crumbs on a toothpick is ok. If you left the cake in the oven too long, it may have been a bit dry.

HOW TO STORE THE LEFTOVERS

You’ll need to store leftovers in an airtight container. This coffee cake keeps well for up to 2 days at room temperature and for up to a week in the fridge.

If you want to freeze this cake for later, I recommend cutting it into individual slices. Wrap each slice with layers of plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out, and place it in a freezer-safe container. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Send me a message or write a comment below.
Also, be sure to snap a picture and tag me on your social media posts with #thejobaker
Happy Baking!