Tender, moist lemon coffee cake loaded with blueberries crowned with a crunchy, sweet crumb topping and drizzled with a tart lemon glaze. A fun way to change up blueberry muffins. It makes a family-favorite breakfast or brunch recipe.
❤️ Why You’ll Love this Recipe: This simple but impressive coffee cake has the perfect balance of moist, cakey texture and sweet crumb topping. It’s a great make-ahead treat for brunch, breakfast, or an afternoon pick-me-up.
Update: This is one of the most popular recipes on the blog! So I’ve updated the post with new tips and a video to make it even easier for you to enjoy this lemon blueberry coffee cake ASAP.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
I first made this recipe as an alternative to my streusel blueberry muffins which everyone loves. It’s a fun twist that’s easy to transport if you’re bringing a baked treat for a crowd. To boost the flavor of this coffee cake, I added lemon zest to my traditional blueberry muffin recipe.
And since coffee cake is always better with a crumb topping, I had to add streusel. For the cherry on top, a sweet-tart lemon glaze. The glaze sits on top and drips down the sides for a beautiful presentation
Lemon Glaze for Coffee Cake
Make a quick and easy lemon glaze with just two ingredients: powdered sugar and lemon juice. Whisk until you have a smooth, pourable texture. When the cake is cooled, you can drizzle the glaze on with a spoon if you like. However, I prefer to use a quart-sized Ziploc bag.
Put the bag in a tall drinking glass or mug and fold the edges over the top of the mug to make a wide opening. Then fill the bag with your glaze. Seal up the bag and snip off a bit of one corner with scissors. Then simply drizzle the glaze over the top of the coffee cake.
If you want to get drips down the side of the cake, put a little puddle of glaze along the edge of the loaf. It will make a pretty little drip down the sides. If your glaze doesn’t drip nicely, you may need to thin it out a bit more.
Storage
You can store leftover coffee cake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to four days. For longer storage, keep the wrapped cake in the freezer for up to three months. You can defrost the cake overnight at room temperature to serve.
If your family loves blueberry muffins as much as my family does, they’ll love this coffee cake too. It takes blueberries to a whole new level.
More Breakfast Baking Recipes
If you love this lemon blueberry coffee cake, try these other tasty breakfast and brunch recipes next:
- Cinnamon Creme Coffee Cake is my riff on the beloved cake from Corner Bakery.
- Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake is a beautiful coiled cake with cinnamon spice and classic glaze.
- Pumpkin Sour Cream Coffee Cake has a sweet glaze and a dense, pumpkin flavor.
- Banana Bread Coffee Cake, Crazy for Crust
- Banana Streusel Coffee Cake with Maple Glaze, Shugary Sweets
- Marionberry Cherry Crumb Cake, filled with tart marionberries and dried cherries crowned with a sweet, crumbly topping and glaze.
Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups 284 grams all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup 198 grams granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup 4 ounces whole milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup 99 grams granulated sugar
- ¼ cup 35 grams all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
Icing
- 1 cup 60 grams powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray with flour.
- Prepare crumb topping and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and milk. Mix in lemon zest. Add flour mixture and mix just until combine. Stir in blueberries.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with crumb topping.
- Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. About 210 degrees with an instant read thermometer.
- Cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and remove ring. Drizzle icing on cake. Cool completely before serving. (Unless you’re like us and would rather eat it hot even though the cake doesn’t cut as well.)
Crumb Topping
- In a small bowl, with a fork mix together sugar and flour. Add butter and mix until mixture is sandy and clumps together.*
Icing
- Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice to create a thin glaze.
Betsy
Can you make the batter ahead of time?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Betsy – if you want to make it ahead of time, mix the dry ingredients together and make the crumb topping and the icing but add the wet ingredients just before baking.
Kellina
This recipe is amazing and delicious! I have made it as the recipe shows and as muffins. The muffins are great for potlucks and travel well. Thank you for sharing
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for the rave review Kellina!
Sarah
I only had 1 cup of blueberries, so I added some frozen peaches (defrosted, dried them off good, cut them up and dusted with flour) and it turned out amazing! Will make again!!
Barbara Schieving
Peaches sound like an awesome addition. Thanks for sharing Sarah!
Ali
Can you put weight measures in the recipe please? Much more accurate than cups (American? Canadian? Metric?)
Barbara Schieving
Hi Ali – I do like using weight measurements more and more when baking. Next time I make this cake, I’ll weigh the ingredients and update the recipe.
Marcela
Love your recipe!!! I had just 1 cup of blueberries and tasted amazing! I will try again with the 2 cups, anyway, my family love it!! I made it for Father’s Day and I think it will become a tradition ❤️ Thanks for sharing!!
Barbara Schieving
I’m glad it was a big hit. Thanks Marcela!
Chris
Made this for mothers day. Turned out great. Delicious recipe.
Barbara Schieving
That’s great to hear – thanks Chris!
JRM
Barbara, I am recovering from surgery and am restricted in what I can do for another week or so. I am able to bake however and made this cake, with lots of lemon juice and Valencia orange peel in the icing. It was tremendous, thanks. Pay no attention to the grumpy people in your comment section.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks! Sounds like a great way to change it up. I hope you’re feeling better soon!
Carol
Barbara, have you ever used this recipe to o make a loaf? If yes wondering if you made adjustments. Let me know and Thank you
Barbara Schieving
Hi Carol – I have made it in loaf pans without the drizzle. Here’s a link https://www.barbarabakes.com/lemon-blueberry-quick-bread/
Arthur PERRONE
You are nuts. With all the advertisements and other BS all over your pages I had trouble finding your actual recipe.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Arthur – most blogs, including mine, have a jump to recipe button right at the top of the post that makes it easy to find the recipe. It’s a great recipe that you’re getting for free just by viewing the ads – certainly not any reason for you to be rude to me. Are you rude to people when they come to your house, or just rude to people online that you don’t know because you feel anonymous? My site is well done and loaded with lots of great information. I work hard on it and am proud of my little corner of the net.
KAT
Good for you!! I’ll add that your ads are not in the middle of the page, like most, which shifts the recipes around while I’m reading. Thank you for the free recipe and all the work you put into your site. I’m talking this to an open house tomorrow, I’m sure they will be very happy.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Kat! Your support means a lot. I’m sure the cake will be a hit at the open house.
Blu Campbell
Your really complaining about having to scroll to the bottom to get the information you obtained for free?
Thank you Barbara for sharing this wonderful recipe with us. I also found a few other recipes (while scrolling to the bottom) that I also want to try. I can’t wait to share them with my family.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks!
Alise
Hi made this coffee cake, it is really a great little cake! I made it in springform, after cooling for a while I loosened the spring inverted a plate on top, however I wanted the drizzle on the crumb topping, so inverted another plated on top of cake flipped and all was perfect! My family loved it!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Alise! Glad it was perfect for you too 🙂
Angel
This was so so soo so sooo good. I’m not much of a baker or, a review leaver for that matter, but I just had to say thank you for this recipe. I didn’t change a thing and it turned out perfectly. Thanks again!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for the rave review Angel!
Kathy Evol
I am making this for Christmas breakfast. Sadly, I won’t have the time to make it that morning. How far in advance can I make it, and does it need to be refrigerated? I plan to do the icing drizzle after I warm it up that morning.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Kathy – you can make it a day or two ahead of time and it does not need to be refrigerated. Enjoy!
Karen Albro
Just made with a Meyer lemon from backyard and is still hot and is excellent! Must have another piece once cooled for comparison! 😂
Barbara Schieving
That’s so fun to have a Meyer lemon tree in your yard Karen! Glad it was a hit – thanks for sharing!
Carol Roeder
Delicious! Wondering if this can be made as a bundt cake as well?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Carol – it should work well as a bundt except you’d have to cool it and serve it upside down so the topping didn’t get soggy. The cook time would probably be shorter 35 – 45 minutes.
Kate Welch
I just made this and I was surprised that it was way too sweet. The cake part was great. But everyone left the outer layer uneaten. The crumble or the glaze would have been plenty. But not both.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Kate – the crumble on top is my favorite part – I try to get a little bit in every bite. Do you perhaps live outside of the US where they prefer cakes less sweet?
Jess Kramer
I made this on a whim for my coworkers, Its was phenomenal! Ill keep this recipe for ever! Made with fresh berries and I made the recipe to a T, Amazing! Thank you but how do I do a star rating?
Barbara Schieving
Now that’s a rave review – thanks Jess! In the recipe card right under print, just click the stars 🙂
Diane
Can Greek yogurt or plant milk be used instead of whole milk? I don’t have milk on hand.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Diane – Greek yogurt is probably too thick but plant milks should work fine.
Krystal
I have made it with Greek yogurt and it turned out great. Going to try it today with sour cream and raspberries instead of blueberries. This recipe is amazing I have served it to company and everyone asks for seconds.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for sharing Krystal! Let me know how the raspberry version turns out.
Annette M Tholberg
Can you make this with dehydrated blueberries?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Annette – I haven’t tried it with dehydrated blueberries, but I often use Craisins in coffee cake recipes and it works well. I would soak the dried blueberries in hot water for 5-10 minutes and then drain thoroughly before adding to the recipe. Let me know how it goes if you try it.
Lucille B.
I made this yesterday with fresh blueberries picked from my son’s yard. Not only does this cake look amazing, it is flavorful and moist. My family loved it and I will be making it again and again.
Only change I made was to use lemon extract instead of lemon juice in the glaze which gave it a stronger lemon flavor. Otherwise, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Lucille! How fun to make it with blueberries you picked in your son’s yard. Glad it was a hit!
Susan
I made this coffee cake this morning. I love the look of it baked in a springform pan and drizzled with the lemon glaze. My husband had to take a slice of it to make sure it was good enough to share with others. I did have to bake it about 10 minutes more than the recipe directed but I know all ovens run a little differently. It’s a great way to use those fresh blueberries this time of year.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Susan! Glad you enjoyed it. Definitely a great way to use fresh blueberries.
Kathy
I made this recipe yesterday and it was fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing it…my whole family loved it!
Barbara Schieving
That’s great to hear – thanks Kathy!