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.)
Lettie Glenz
Wonderful recipe.. I used nice warm blueberries off my bushes. Temps here are 102 today.. I still had to bake this.. so good and moist. Don’t change this delicious recipe.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks so much Lettie! How wonderful to have blueberries right off your own bushes!
Fly By Night
What to do for high altitude (7000 feet)?
Barbara Schieving
King Arthur Flour has a good chart on high altitude baking https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html At 7000 feet you’ll want to reduce the baking powder to 1/2 teaspoon. You can also increase the oven temperature, decrease the cook time and increase the flour and liquids slightly as indicated in the chart.
Annette
Can you make this in a regular cake pan? Does it have to be in a spring pan?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Annette – you can make it in a regular cake pan as long as it’s 3 inches tall. You don’t want to fill the pan more than 2/3’s full. You can also make it in loaf pans https://www.barbarabakes.com/lemon-blueberry-quick-bread/ or muffin tins https://www.barbarabakes.com/best-blueberry-streusel-muffins/ Enjoy!
Janice
This is one of my favorite blueberry coffee cakes moist and delicious. Only change I make is I drizzle plain or vanilla glaze. 5 stars
Miriam Reilly
I’m in the middle of making this recipe and thinking the lemon icing may be too much lemon. I may cut the lemon juice in half or something different. What are your thoughts?
Angie
No don’t cut the lemon juice on half. It gives it a really nice lemon flavor. If you were eating the icing by itself I would cut it in half but since it’s going on the cake it is not overpowering.
Tara
Good, but dry compared to other recipes. I would increase the liquid or add some sour cream.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Tara – if it was dry, perhaps it was slightly overcooked. Glad you enjoyed it.
Tara
No, not over baked. Recipe needs additional liquid.
Barbara Schieving
Everyone has different tastes and expectations. This recipe has over 300 comments and most people rave about it.
Angie
I have made this several times and have been told it’s the best lemon coffee that they have ever had. Everybody raves about. I have never had this come out dry.
Peter Prainito
Cake was delicious, but I feel the crumb topping and icing makes the cake overly sweet. I even cut the powdered sugar amount in half and still found it way too sweet. I will definitely make it again but either modify the crumb topping, or omit either the crumb topping or icing altogether. Also the 45 minute cooking time wasn’t enough time to get the cake to test done. Mine required a full hour. I started testing the cake at 45 minutes and in 5 minute intervals until it finally tested done after 60 minutes. I know oven temperatures can vary, but 15 minutes more cooking time is a huge variance from the stated 45 minutes in the recipe.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Peter – different ovens, different pans, and blueberries that are bigger and juicer can make a 15-minute difference in cook time. I don’t find a 15-minute difference that huge with a cake with fruit. So many people love this cake, including my family, but if you prefer a less sweet cake, definitely change it up to suit your tastes.
Eileen H
I made this one and it was delicious! Now I’d like to make it again, but I’m wondering if I can make it ahead and freeze for a couple of weeks?
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Eileen! Yes, I’ve frozen this both iced and un-iced and it freezes and thaws well. I just thaw it overnight on the counter. Be sure it’s wrapped well.
Kimberly
Just tried this recipe. It is a KEEPER. Wonderful taste and texture. The only issue I had was with the topping. I double checked to be sure I used the correct portions in the recipe. I had to add more flour and it was still too thin, so I threw in a couple handfuls of quick oats too as it wasn’t crumbling. I am thinking the 1/4 flour is incorrect. I made three tinier cakes to give away. Very pretty, too!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Kimberly – 1/4 cup flour is correct perhaps your climate is a little more humid? How fun to make three smaller cakes to give away.
Susan Gonzalez
This is an amazing coffee cake. Probably shouldn’t share how many times I have made it. Did buy a really deep Fat Daddio’s pan to make it in. The u-pick fields have been open near our house and this is my go to recipe.
Barbara Schieving
How fun to pick your own blueberries. Thanks Susan!
Shriya
This recipe looks DELICIOUS! Is it possible to use a cupcake pan for this recipe to make individual cakes instead of a cake pan?
Barbara Schieving
You can – you’d make them similarly to this https://www.barbarabakes.com/best-blueberry-streusel-muffins/ Enjoy!
Liz P
Great recipe. If making this 2 days ahead, would you recommend storing on the counter, fridge or freezer?
Thanks!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Liz! I would either store it covered on the counter or freeze it. I’m not sure you’d notice much difference between those two options. Enjoy!
Tracey
Can I use the apple pie crumble for my topping? Use brown sugar butter and cinnamon and bake it or will it ruin the coffee cake altogether?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Tracey – I think that should work just fine.
Paula
We’re looking for a microwaveable coffee cake recipe for a 4-h project. How could we bake this in the microwave?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Paula – I’m sorry I don’t have any experience making cakes in the microwave. I would try a mug cake similar to this https://www.tablefortwoblog.com/the-moistest-chocolate-mug-cake/ and sub flour for the cocoa add lemon and a few blueberries.
Mya T.
Can I bake this in a loaf pan instead? Make it like a pound cake.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Mya – you sure can – https://www.barbarabakes.com/lemon-blueberry-quick-bread/
Angela
Could you make this as muffins?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Angela – you sure can. Just add lemon to this recipe https://www.barbarabakes.com/best-blueberry-streusel-muffins/
betsyros
I made this fabulous coffee cake yesterday and I finally gave it all away when it became apparent that I was going to eat the whole cake myself!!! Really a wonderful dessert with coffee or tea or just by itself!
Barbara Schieving
I can’t resist a little nibble all day long either. Glad you loved it – thanks!
Liz Graham
I love this coffee cake and make it often! Delicious!
Barbara Schieving
That’s great – thanks Liz!
Heide
Can you use frozen blueberries for this?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Heide – yes, you can use frozen blueberries. Don’t thaw them; you’ll probably need to increase your cooking time. You want the center of the cake to be about 210 degrees. Enjoy!
Brandi
Do you think I could use sour cream instead of milk? I have so much sour cream in my fridge to get rid of! And would you adjust the amount of baking powder or add some baking soda if using sour cream?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Brandi – I think you’ll need more liquid than just sour cream would provide. Maybe thin it out with a few tablespoons water.
Lori Wildeck
The crumb topping seems different. Should the butter be melted or should the butter be blended with other ingredients with a pastry blender?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Lori – yes, the butter should be melted. It says melted butter in the ingredient list. Although cutting it in with a pastry blender works as well.
Ariel
Great recipe! Made four cakes from it. Only adjustment made was I substituted the fresh eggs with pastuerized eggs.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Ariel! Glad it was a hit.