Blueberry Crumble Cake Recipe with Step-by-Step Video Tutorial

Blueberry Crumb Cake is light and fluffy, filled with fresh or frozen blueberries and finished with a crunchy cinnamon streusel. It’s an ideal coffee cake for breakfast or brunch.

Coffee Cake

If you enjoy blueberry muffins, you’ll love this blueberry crumb cake—classic coffee cake with a generous streusel topping. The streusel, made from flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter, gives the cake a satisfying crunch and sweet contrast to the mildly sweet, tender crumb.

Streusel can be placed only on top or also layered into the middle for extra texture. While some coffee cakes are finished with icing, the crumb topping here provides enough sweetness so icing is optional.

Despite the name, coffee cake does not always contain coffee; it’s simply served with coffee or enjoyed at breakfast or brunch.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

This recipe produces a light, fluffy, moist cake thanks to buttermilk; you can substitute milk mixed with vinegar or lemon juice if needed. The streusel is thick and crunchy with a gentle cinnamon flavor—add a bit more cinnamon if you prefer it stronger.

Both fresh and frozen blueberries work well. If using frozen berries, sprinkling them on top of the batter before adding streusel prevents color bleeding. Alternatively, rinse frozen berries until the water runs clear and pat them dry before folding them into the batter.

For the Streusel

Make the streusel first and chill it until assembly to prevent the butter from softening and the crumbs from dissolving into the batter. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter, then cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or fork. You can also rub the mixture between your fingers until it forms small crumbs that still clump when squeezed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Cake Batter

Basic cake ingredients include:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Butter
• Granulated sugar
• Large eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Buttermilk (or milk plus vinegar/lemon juice)
• Fresh or frozen blueberries

How to Make Blueberry Crumb Cake

Sift or whisk together the dry ingredients to keep the cake crumb light and tender. In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla and scrape the bowl.

1. Add half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
2. Mix in all the buttermilk until just incorporated.
3. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix gently—do not overmix.

Gently fold in fresh blueberries, or if using frozen berries, layer them on top of the batter before adding streusel or prepare frozen berries as directed to avoid bleeding.

For the Blueberries

Fold fresh blueberries in gently. For frozen berries, either place them on top of the batter before streusel or rinse and dry them, then toss with a tablespoon of flour to reduce color bleed before folding into the batter.

Assembling the Blueberry Crumble Cake

Spread the batter evenly in a greased 9×9-inch pan. Sprinkle the chilled streusel over the top, pressing some pieces together in your hand to form larger clumps for a variety of textures.

Baking Tips

Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 45–55 minutes, or up to about 60 minutes when using frozen berries, until the center springs back and no longer jiggles. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil. A toothpick test can be unreliable because streusel may clean the pick; use touch to check the center instead, being careful not to burn yourself.

Storage

Store the cake at room temperature for up to five days. Keep it in the pan covered tightly with foil or plastic wrap, or place slices in an airtight container.

This blueberry crumb cake is fruity, sweet, and perfectly balanced by a crunchy streusel. Enjoy!

More Coffee Cake Recipes

• Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
• Coffee Cake Banana Bread
• Irish Apple Cake
• Coffee Cake Muffins
• 9×13 Coffee Cake
• Cinnamon Chip Coffee Cake

4.34 from 39 ratings

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 55 mins

Total: 1 hr 15 mins

A light and fluffy cake loaded with blueberries and topped with sweet, crunchy streusel.

Yields 9 Servings

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup (113 g) butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup (237 g) buttermilk*
• 2 cups (280 g) blueberries, rinsed and dried

Streusel:

• ⅔ cup (80 g) all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup (134 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 6 Tbsp (85 g) cold butter

Equipment

• 9-inch square baking dish
• Stand mixer with paddle attachment (optional)
• Fine mesh sieve (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan.
2. Make the streusel: combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Cut or rub together until small crumbs form and the mixture clumps when squeezed. Refrigerate until assembly.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt for the cake. Set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Scrape the bowl.
5. Add half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix gently; do not overmix.
6. Gently fold in blueberries (fresh) or layer frozen berries on top of batter before streusel. Spread batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with streusel, forming some larger clumps for texture.
7. Bake at 375°F for 45–60 minutes, or until the center springs back and no longer jiggles. Tent with foil if browning too quickly. Allow cake to cool completely before cutting.
8. Store covered tightly in the pan or transfer to an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Notes

• To make buttermilk: mix 1 cup milk with 2 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice; let sit 5–10 minutes.
• For frozen blueberries: either sprinkle them over the batter before streusel or rinse and dry them, then toss with 1 Tbsp flour to prevent bleeding.
• For a thinner cake, bake in a 9×13-inch pan at 375°F for 20–35 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice |
Calories: 394 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 72 g |
Protein: 6 g |
Fat: 9 g |
Saturated Fat: 5 g |
Cholesterol: 63 mg |
Sodium: 367 mg |
Fiber: 2 g |
Sugar: 42 g

Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates.

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*Originally published 1/20/13. Photos updated March 2022.