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.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
❤️ 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.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we will send it straight to your inbox. Plus you will get great new recipes from us every week!
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.)
lms
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!
Barbara Schieving
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!
Danielle
Can u freeze this cake after u make it?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Danielle – yes, it freezes and thaws very well. Just wrap it with plastic wrap and thaw overnight on the counter. Enjoy!
Ron
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.
Barbara Schieving
That’s so nice to hear – thanks Ron!
Sue
I’d like to bake this but I only have 2% milk. Can I use it instead of whole milk?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Sue – yes, I often sub 1% milk even. Enjoy!
Joanne
I only have a cup of fresh blueberries on hand. Should I just omit them altogether?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Joanne – no, it will still be enjoyable with just 1 cup of blueberries.
Cynthia Gardner
Made this today for my family. It was very simple and the cake came out prefect. I add some Cinnamon to the strudel topping.
Barbara Schieving
Sounds like a delicious addition. Glad it was a hit – thanks Cynthia!
Cassandra
Do I put flour all in the cooking pan before putting in batter?
Barbara Schieving
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!
Matt
If using frozen blueberries, should we keep them frozen or thaw them first? Thanks!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Matt – use them frozen and increase the cook time. Enjoy!
Sam
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 !
Barbara Schieving
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?
Lynn Ann
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.
Barbara Schieving
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?
Lynn Ann
Duluth, MN
. Maybe if you didn’t melt the butter.
Doris
Soften the butter slightly, not melt, for crumb topping and everything works together perfectly!
Great recipe!
Debbie
I had the same problem. It was NOT a crumble. The cake was still good though.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Debbie – glad you enjoyed it. I added a note to the recipe.
Connie
This looks beautiful, especially with spring in the air. Should I make adjustments for high altitude (7500 ft). You have some amazing recipes! I have enjoyed reading some of them this morning drinking coffee in bed. Hope you and your love ones are safe and well. Thanks for an amazing blog.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Connie – glad you’re enjoying my site. Yes, a 7500 ft. I would make some adjustments. Here’s a great chart https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking I’m at 5,000 ft. Enjoy!
Robin
Made it for breakfast this morning and it is so good! Definitely a keeper!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Robin – so nice to hear you enjoyed it!
Moe
***** 5 Stars
Excellent cake!!
Made 1 loaf cake and 12 muffins.
Your family and friends will thank you for baking this recipe!!
Delicious cake and freezes perfectly with icing.
Thank you Barbara for sharing this, will make again for sure.
Barbara Schieving
Now that’s a rave review – thanks Moe!
Lisa
Does this cake freeze ok if I make it a week in advance? It looks delicious! Thanks!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Lisa – yes, it freezes very well.
Elle
After reviewing at least 15 different blueberry coffee cake recipes I went with this one. Partly because I can never make the streusel that requires cold butter turn out right and partly because I didn’t want one with cinnamon. I am happy to report this recipe is a keeper!!! Even without the icing (ran out of time) it was absolutely delicious! I am also happy to report skipping the lemon zest (I never care for that in recipes texture wise), using skim milk, and putting it in a 9×13 pan (I used a metal one) produced this deliciousness! Next time I will try the icing and already had the hubs requested trying it with raspberry! Don’t delay, make it today!!!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Elle – so glad the coffee cake was a big hit!
Susan Sanderson
Absolutely delicious! I am on my 3rd for various occasions and it always gets rave reviews; also appreciate the details on done temperature to “fool-proof” the baking. The only addition I made was to mix 3/4 of the blueberries into the cake and sprinkled the remaining 1/4 whole berries on the top, before you sprinkle the topping…gives you the whole blueberry look. A keeper!!!
Barbara Schieving
That’s awesome thanks Susan! Great idea to sprinkle some blueberries on top.
Carol clarke
I substituted sour cream for the whole milk because I don’t have whole milk in my home. And it worked out perfectly. The recipe was picture perfect the way you made it and I’ve already tasted it and it’s amazing. Thank you so much
Barbara Schieving
That’s awesome – thanks Carol!
Maggie
I am gluten free since birth and my beloved gluten free bakery is thousands of miles away since we moved to a different state. I’ve been looking for a good recipe to replace my favorite cakes. I love this recipe! I replaced regular flour for red mill gluten free flour and the cake is amazing. I’ve done it a few times. I froze it once, too and it was just as fresh and what a mid week snack! Definitely recommend. Planning on replacing blueberries with raspberries or maybe half and half. Curious how it’s going to turn out.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Maggie! Nice to know it works well with gluten-free flour. Let me know how you like it with raspberries.
Kathy
Thanks for this tip. I made some lemon yogurt that is as thick as sour cream and was wondering if I could substitute it for the milk. I rarely buy whole milk and the yogurt has a subtle lemon flavor. I think it might be perfect with the zest and lemon glaze.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Kathy – Since it works with sour cream, I think it would work with yogurt as well. Let me know how it goes.
Mary Ann
I baked half recipe because I only had one cup of fresh blueberries. I just ate a slice and it was so moist. I love the crumb and lemon glaze topping. SO GOOD!!
Barbara Schieving
That’s great to hear – thanks Mary Ann!
Heidi C
Delicious! I actually made this w gluten free flour and it turned out very well. I used the tiny wild blueberries and yogurt instead of the milk (it’s what I had). I added some zest to the streusel topping too because I love lemon. The flavors are very good in this; I could see how some might consider it too sweet but I liked it as a nice treat. I just drizzled the glaze off of a spoon onto the cake, the presentation is “bake sale worthy.” My oven needed 1 hr and I checked the temp before pulling it (got it to 200F internal) and it’s perfect.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for sharing your changes Heidi. Glad it was a hit!
Jeannette Shields
I used a *water and melted butter combination* instead of milk ( too lazy to go to the store!!) and I used two 6″ cake pans. This was very moist and delicious. Thank you!
Looking forward to reading more recipes from you. 😊
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for sharing Jeannette – that’s great to know it work.
Jeannette
I had no milk and didn’t want to go to the grocery store, so I used water and melted butter instead in the cake recipe. This was very good and very moist. Thank you!!
Also, I used two 6” cake pans because I didn’t have the other kind.
Barbara Schieving
That’s great – thanks for sharing Jeannette!