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.
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❤️ 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.
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Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup granulated sugar 99 grams
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour 35 grams
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
Cake Batter
- 2 cups all purpose flour 284 grams
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened, 1 stick
- 1 cup granulated sugar 198 grams
- 2 eggs large
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk 4 ounces
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar 60 grams
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray with flour.
- Prepare crumb topping by mixing the sugar, flour, and butter together in a small bowl well with a fork and set aside. The mixture should be sandy and then start to form small clumps.
- 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 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The center should be 210 degrees F. with an instant read thermometer.
- Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice to create a thin glaze.
- Cool the cake 10 minutes in the pan, 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.)
Lynda M
This was delicious! I used a mix of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries because that is what I had on hand but I worked and was delicious . The only thing different I did was cook it longer because 35 minutes was not enough, more like 50. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Lynda! Sounds like delicious changes. Bake time can very depending on how juicy the berries are.
Sarah
My family absolutely adores this recipe its requested for most birthdays, mothers day fathers day and today my nieces 8th grade graduation party. Today I turned the cake into muffins and they are so amazing!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Sarah! Great idea to make muffins as well.
Wendy
I really comes together easily and quickly! My first one is in the oven. I’m making two for a family reunion next week. I hope they freeze well. My question however, is this: should I glaze then freeze, or wait until I’m ready to serve for the glaze? Advice, please?
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Wendy – I’m sure they’ll be a big hit at the reunion. I have done it both ways and both work well. You’ll get a prettier presentation if you glaze it the day you’re serving it. Enjoy!
Sue
I have to agree with other reviews – this coffee cake is totally delicious and so addictive! I followed the recipe to a T other than 2 small modifications: 1) I don’t own a springform pan so I baked mine in a pretty, square ceramic casserole pan. It served well in big hefty square pieces with extra glaze drizzled overtop and 2) I prefer to make crumb toppings with cold butter. I find that the yummy clumps that are formed when i work the ingredients together with my fingers is the perfect consistency when baked. Thanks for a fabulous, fresh recipe!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for the rave review Sue! Glad it was a hit 🙂 Sounds like delicious changes.
Pamela
This is an amazing coffee cake! We are in the middle of a historic snow storm here in the Midwest. It’s the middle of April and feels more like December. I decided to bake this up this afternoon, if we can’t feel like spring, I can make it taste like spring!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Pamela! A great way to warm up on a cold spring day 🙂
Michelle
I just love this recipe! I take this to work parties, and this is always a hit!
Barbara Schieving
That’s awesome – thanks Michelle!
Hillary
It is unreal how easy this was. The result I got considering the ease of assembly is ridiculous! I didn’t make any substitutions but I did add a little vanilla to the glaze. The cake is gorgeous, dense, crumbly, crunchy, sweet and sour and just so so so good. My mum’s favorite combo is blueberry and lemon, and that’s what she wanted in a car for her birthday. She was thrilled! (Pairs well with a Rose ?)
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Hillary! That’s my kind of birthday cake too.
Marilyn
Barbara,
Just finished our first slices of your beautiful Lemon Blueberry Coffeecake!! Exceptional!!
The recipe went together like a dream ..my huge frozen blueberries took the temperature of the batter way down, but 60 minutes at 350 degrees in my oven got it done and very moist.
We saved your recipe for future use, but it will be reused again soon.
Thanks,
Marilyn
Kendra
Excellent recipe. Made this morning and will definitely make again! Springform pan is key. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!!
Kim Sommerville
I made this cake today with only 1 change, I used half and half instead of milk, as I was out of milk. This is one of the best recipes I’ve ever had. I never liked blueberries or lemon before I had chemo for breast cancer in 2016. Now I can’t get enough of either. Thank you for a recipe I know I will enjoy for years!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Kim! Wishing you years of enjoyment.
Robin
I did the same substitution today..I had half and half that needed to be used. This is a delicious cake!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks so much Robin!
celia
i want to make this cake but dont want to make it dairy, so you think i should use soy milk or non dairy creamer?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Ceilia – I haven’t tried it, but I assume soy or almond milk would be good substitutes.
Helen Reynolds
We included your Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake in a roundup of delicious blueberry recipes with a link back to your post! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks! I’ll check it out.
Santa Fe hiker
Hi Barbara, I’ve now made this yummy recipe about 6 times always to rave reviews.. Just wanted to say it’s wonderful. My only addition is adding 1/2 c chopped pecans and 1 t cinnamon to crumb topping. Thanks again! And I make it at high altitude with no needed changes too.
Barbara Schieving
Sounds like delicious additions – thanks for sharing!
Allison
Hi Barbara! This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try your recipe tonight…but curious if I can use buttermilk instead of whole milk?
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Allison! You can use buttermilk but you made need to add more if the batter is too thick. Enjoy!
Allison
Thank you! I ended up doubling the recipe (dangerous I know) but it was perfect. Can’t wait to share with family.
Michal Wheeler
Just made this coffee cake for new neighbors. It really is excellent and I will be making it again soon. Love, love loved it!!!
Barbara Schieving
Now that’s a rave review – thanks!! Lucky neighbors 🙂
Sharon
I’ve made this delicious cake numerous times! It’s the best coffee cake I’ve ever made. I did add extra blueberries, almost a cups worth and I ran out of lemon juice so used lime juice and zest once. I think I liked the lime better. Either way it’s always a huge hit when I make it. It’s been added to my recipe book. Thank you for an awesome recipe!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Sharon! Lime does sound great with it.
Kathy
Just made this coffee cake and it is delicious! Had it in the oven an extra 10 minutes to get it done in the middle and more fresh lemon juice in the glaze than suggested but followed everything else to a t. We help off 10 minutes before we started digging in, it’s all we could wait! Will definitely make it again.
Waltraut Knop
This cake was a hit! Texture and taste were fabulous and I’ll definitely make this again next year when I have fresh blueberries again. It took a lot longer to bake though. I had to leave it in the oven for 1.5h (covered it after 45min).
Halina
Hi I am new to your bake goods. But I did try the zucchini streusel baked by my sister in law and asked her to share the recepie. She send me the link. I can’t wait to bake the lemon blueberry streusel.
Bonnie
This cake was delicious. I froze it before I glazed it so I could take it camping. I glazed it that morning and everyone enjoyed it with breakfast. It stayed very moist.
Anne
I love this recipe and have made it many times. Do you think I could use raspberries instead of blueberries as I have tons of fresh raspberries from the garden right now.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Anne! Yes, I think it would work well with raspberries too.
Rosalie
Will this cake freeze well. Are you able to substitute buttermilk for milk?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Rosalie – yes, it freezes very well. You could substitute buttermilk but you may need to add more if the batter is too thick.
Meg
Would you freeze it crumble, icing and all or just the cake? Need to make it ahead for this weekend. 🙂
Barbara Schieving
Hi Meg – I would freeze it with the crumble on, thaw it in the fridge overnight, and then ice it the next morning. Enjoy!