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.
Mary Brueggemeyer
Hello Barbara, I have enjoyed making (and eating) your lemon blueberry coffee cake! I made a cream cheese streusel for the top by using softened cream cheese in place if the butter. It added a nice cheese cake-like pizzazz to the top. I will definitely make again! Thank you.
Barbara Schieving
That sounds like a fantastic way to change it up. Thanks for sharing Mary! Glad you’re enjoying the recipe.
Eileen
Today is the umpteenth time I’m yet again making this cake. Every single time it has come out perfect, so moist, lemony, fruity and my special favorite is the crumb topping with the glaze. They are a bit on the sweet side, but I put less sugar in the batter itself (instead of 1 cup, I put about 3/4). I am from Europe so tend to find cakes here in the US too sweet.
Now I make other adjustments as well, here are my tips.
For the crumb topping I use half the stick of butter (4 tbsp) and adjust the sugar and flour to get the crumb texture.
I never ever measure blueberries! A 12 oz package of frozen blueberries is what goes in and it is about the right amount.
Same goes about the lemon juice for the icing, I use the juice of the whole lemon I had just zested for the batter, sometimes I put some of the lemon juice in the batter as well. In that lemon juice I put enough icing sugar to get the glaze consistency, sometimes it’s runnier and will seep into the cake, still delicious!
More often than not, I use 11×9 baking tin, lined with parchment paper and then cut it up to square pieces.
The whole thing is gone in 2 days between my husband and I! I have made it for guests, colleagues, family members- everyone loves that cake and asks for a recipe.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for sharing Eileen! I love that you’ve made it umpteenth times for family and friends and they all love it.
Pat Recupero
I was looking for a recipe for a blueberry coffee cake and came upon this recipe that had the added ingredient of lemon. I made this cake today and followed the instructions exactly. The process was fairly simple and the result produced a soft layer of blueberry cake with a slightly crunchy crumb topping and the crown jewel of a sweet/tart lemon glaze. I will make this cake many times for family and friends. Thank you.
Barbara Schieving
What a lovely description – thanks Pat! Glad it was a hit.
Tammy
I loved the cake but I added brown sugar and cinnamon to the crum topping for a bit more flavor. I also saved some icing for the table so the quests could serve themselves the final tip of sweetness! They loved it. Many thanks for your great recipe!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Tammy! Such a fun way to change it up and you can’t go wrong with letting the guests serve themselves to their own piece.
Tye Macon
I make this recipe all the time now. I never have lemon zest so I sub half of the vanilla extract with lemon extract and it comes out perfect…
I just received some amazing bakeware for Christmas and I want to make this recipe into muffins… do I need to change anything??
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Tye! How fun to have new bakeware. This recipe is similar https://www.barbarabakes.com/best-blueberry-streusel-muffins/ just a different topping and without the glaze or lemon.
Carol Aylward
Can I double the recipe and use a 9×11 pan ?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Carol – others have made the recipe successfully as written in a 9×13 pan. It would be too much batter if you double it and cooked it in a 9×11 pan. Enjoy!
Vicki Mitchell
I first made this lemon blueberry coffee cake for my women’s club. It all got eaten. Now if I ever have to serve a crowd, it’s my go to cake! It is now on my Christmas menu, making a loaf size for breakfast and 2 small loafs as Christmas gifts! Great recipe. Merry Christmas!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Vicki! Sounds like a perfect start to the day. Merry Christmas!
Nelly
I made this recipe years ago and it is a favorite. I can’t tell you how delicious and moist this is. I make every year during holidays and its now a tradition. Thank you for such an awesome recipe.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know how much you love the recipe Nelly. Sounds like an awesome tradition. Happy holidays!
Leann
Hi Barbara – I wanted to make this for day after Thanksgiving. Any tips / advice on how to prepare in advance so it is not a lot of work the morning of?
Thank you!
Leann
Barbara Schieving
Hi Leann – This coffee cake freezes and thaws very well. I would make it this weekend and freeze it on a cookie sheet, once frozen wrap it well with plastic wrap, and return it to the freezer. Thanksgiving night remove it from the freezer and let it thaw on the counter overnight. It freezes well with the icing but if you’d like the icing to be fresh, ice it the morning you’re serving it.
Leann
So helpful Barbara! Thank you for the prompt response – I’ll let you know how it goes! Though, you have not had a recipe that has disappointed yet!
Barbara Schieving
That’s great to hear – thanks!
Jackie
There is NOTHING more heavenly than this delicious coffee cake!!
Barbara Schieving
Now that’s a rave review – thanks Jackie!
grace
I baked this wonderful coffee cake in a regular 9 inch cake pan lined with parchment paper as recommended by some kind soul on the internet it worked so well my son thought I had bought it at the market. Thank you for the recipe. Grace
Barbara Schieving
That’s a great suggestion – thanks Grace. Glad the recipe was a hit!
Sheila Pittman
This sounds delicious! If I don’t have a springform pan and use a 9x9pan instead, would the baking time need to be adjusted?
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Sheila! I haven’t tried it, but the cook time should be similar.
Cindy
Thank you for this recipe! SO delicious! I substituted almond milk and it worked out well. I didn’t have a springform cake pan so just baked it in 9X13 glass pan and it was still delicious. I accidentally put the icing on right away before waiting 10 minutes but luckily it had a positive effect! The icing kind of caramelized along the edges, and the result was lemon bar taste! Anyway, it’s going to be my go to now for potluck events! Thank you!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for the rave review and sharing your changes Cindy!
Tye
Hi Cindy! I would also like to use a 13×9 pan. Did you grease the glass pan? Change the cook time or temperature? How flat did they come out?
Marie K
I made this last week and it lasted all of three days before it was gone. And it’s just my husband and me. I then tried it with strawberries and it is just as good and will probably be gone in three days too.Marr
Marie K
P.S. I think I might try it with peaches too.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Marie! I’ll have to try it with strawberries.
Kim Welsh
Hey Barbara, I have made you recipe before, but am at the lake without my springform pan! Do you think I could use a round layer cake tin? Also, I now have a daughter who is gluten intolerant. Do you think GF flour would work? I know, so many questions, sorry:)
Kim from Winnipeg Canada
Barbara Schieving
Hi Kim – yes, it will work in a round cake tin, it’s just harder to get that first piece out of the cake pan. I haven’t tried it, but there are some good gluten-free baking mixes that should work well with this recipe. Enjoy!
Kim Welsh
Thanks, I will let you know how it turns out
Cassie B
So good! I did half the flour as cake flour and used princess flavor instead of vanilla. Then swirled in Lemon Curd. So stinking good!!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Cassie! A lemon curd swirl sounds like an awesome addition.
Catherine
Can you freeze this?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Catherine – yes, it freezes very well. I’m frozen it whole and also leftover slices. Just cool it completely and wrap it well in plastic wrap.
Lindsay
I entered this at the county fair and got Best of Show!! So yummy!
Barbara Schieving
Wow – that’s exciting. Congratulations Lindsay! I’d love to see pictures if you took some. Are you on Instagram?
Peg
Great recipient
We have a blueberry bush that produces a great deal of fruit so I am always on the look out for different blueberry recipes
My husband requested that this one becomes a regular
Thanks Barbara
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Peg – How fun to have a blueberry bush!
IKP
Great recipe! I’ve made this several times after picking fresh berries! It’s “Oh so delicious”!! I’ve also used key lime juice in place of lemon and that gives it an extra tropical twist! Thanks for the Yummm….
Barbara Schieving
Thanks! Lime sounds like a great way to change it up.