Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
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
Ingredients
- 2 cups (284 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) whole milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 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.
Notes
*If your crumb topping is not crumbly after adding the butter, add a little additional sugar and flour until you get a crumbly mixture.
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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!
Thanks Alise! Glad it was perfect for you too 🙂
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!
Thanks for the rave review Angel!
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.
Hi Kathy – you can make it a day or two ahead of time and it does not need to be refrigerated. Enjoy!
Just made with a Meyer lemon from backyard and is still hot and is excellent! Must have another piece once cooled for comparison! 😂
That’s so fun to have a Meyer lemon tree in your yard Karen! Glad it was a hit – thanks for sharing!
Delicious! Wondering if this can be made as a bundt cake as well?
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.
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.
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?
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?
Now that’s a rave review – thanks Jess! In the recipe card right under print, just click the stars 🙂
Can Greek yogurt or plant milk be used instead of whole milk? I don’t have milk on hand.
Hi Diane – Greek yogurt is probably too thick but plant milks should work fine.
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.
Thanks for sharing Krystal! Let me know how the raspberry version turns out.
Can you make this with dehydrated blueberries?
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.
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.
Thanks Lucille! How fun to make it with blueberries you picked in your son’s yard. Glad it was a hit!
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.
Thanks Susan! Glad you enjoyed it. Definitely a great way to use fresh blueberries.
I made this recipe yesterday and it was fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing it…my whole family loved it!
That’s great to hear – thanks Kathy!
Hi there! Just came across your site, cake looks lovely!! I don’t have a spring form pan, can I use a regular cake or perhaps a tube pan (I have those on hand)? Much obliged!
Yes, you can use a tube pan or a 9×3 inch cake pan. You can also make it into muffins or loaves. Here’s the cook times for muffins https://www.barbarabakes.com/best-blueberry-streusel-muffins/ and loaves https://www.barbarabakes.com/lemon-blueberry-quick-bread/ Enjoy!
Can u freeze this cake after u make it?
Hi Danielle – yes, it freezes and thaws very well. Just wrap it with plastic wrap and thaw overnight on the counter. Enjoy!
This blueberry lemon coffee cake was a big hit with my family. I bake often and I would rate this recipe as excellent and easy to make.
That’s so nice to hear – thanks Ron!
I’d like to bake this but I only have 2% milk. Can I use it instead of whole milk?
Hi Sue – yes, I often sub 1% milk even. Enjoy!
I only have a cup of fresh blueberries on hand. Should I just omit them altogether?
Hi Joanne – no, it will still be enjoyable with just 1 cup of blueberries.
Made this today for my family. It was very simple and the cake came out prefect. I add some Cinnamon to the strudel topping.
Sounds like a delicious addition. Glad it was a hit – thanks Cynthia!
Do I put flour all in the cooking pan before putting in batter?
Hi Cassandra – you spray the pan with a non-stick cooking spray with flour, like Bakers Secret, or grease and flour the pan (the ingredients for greasing and flouring the pan are not included in the ingredients list.) Here’s a good post about greasing and flouring a pan if you’ve never done it https://www.crazyforcrust.com/how-to-grease-a-pan/ Then you mix the beat and sugar as outlined in step 4, add the eggs, vanilla, milk and lemon zest, and then you add the flour that you’ve mixed with the baking powder and salt into the mixing bowl with your other ingredients. Then you pour it into your prepared pan. Enjoy!
If using frozen blueberries, should we keep them frozen or thaw them first? Thanks!
Hi Matt – use them frozen and increase the cook time. Enjoy!
My crumb topping never comes out crumbly even though when I mix it together it is crumbly. Something happens when it baked and I don’t get that crumb cake type topping. Any thoughts on what isn’t working ? Thank you !
Hi Sam – it sounds like it’s melting into the cake? So perhaps you’re not waiting for the oven to preheat, or your oven temperature is not high enough – have you checked to see how accurate your oven is? Do you live in a humid climate?
Crumb topping is way off. I added 1/3 cup of additional flour to get a light crumb topping but it made double wahat I needed.. I Also used sour milk in the cake which was great.
Hi Lynn Ann – Glad you enjoyed the cake. Sorry you had trouble with the topping. I’ve made these cake more times than I can count and never had a problem. Do you live in a humid place?
Duluth, MN
. Maybe if you didn’t melt the butter.
Soften the butter slightly, not melt, for crumb topping and everything works together perfectly!
Great recipe!
I had the same problem. It was NOT a crumble. The cake was still good though.
Thanks Debbie – glad you enjoyed it. I added a note to the recipe.