Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake is spring’s favorite version of coffee cake. With a light and tender cake that is studded with fresh, sweet blueberries and finished with both a buttery streusel and sweet-tart lemon glaze, this Blueberry Coffee cake is a show-stopping brunch recipe. It also happens to be really easy to make!
Inspired by a Favorite
My sour cream coffee cake recipe has been a long-time favorite brunch recipe–with my family, friends, and readers here! It is light, fluffy, and brings all the cozy vibes to any brunch menu.
But when you want to trade the cozy vibes for something a bit more refreshing, this Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake is the coffee cake recipe to make! The addition of plump blueberries adds a burst of sweetness and texture, while the addition of bright and tangy lemon balances the richness of the cake. Think lemon bread + blueberry muffins + coffee cake in one amazing treat!
Whether served as a part of a weekend brunch alongside Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole, Quiche Lorraine, and Candied Maple Bacon, or as a spring dessert, no one can resist this light and fluffy lemon blueberry coffee cake! Just don’t forget the coffee–or in my case, a latte!😉
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Sour Cream: Adding sour cream to the coffee cake batter will keep the cake super light and fluffy. Be sure to use full-fat or reduced-fat sour cream, not fat-free as the consistency of the cake may be affected.
- Blueberries: You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries to make this blueberry coffee cake. If using frozen berries, do not defrost them before adding them to the cake batter.
- Lemon: For this recipe, you need fresh lemons, as you need both the zest and juice from the lemons. Be sure to zest the lemon BEFORE slicing it open to juice it! It is next to impossible to zest any fruit after it has been sliced open.
- Sugar: Note that this coffee cake recipe calls for three types of sugar; granulated sugar for the cake batter, brown sugar for streusel, and powdered sugar for the glaze.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Streusel. Combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small mixing bowl. Add in cold butter until crumbly and the butter is evenly dispersed.
- Toss Blueberries with Dry Ingredients. After whisking the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together, add the blueberries to the mixture and toss to coat in flour. This will keep the blueberries suspended in the cake, rather than sinking to the bottom.
- Cream Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating again to incorporate and then fold in the sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla.
- Combine Coffee Cake Batter. Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the creamed butter and sugar until the flour is fully moistened.
- Layer Coffee Cake. Spread the lemon blueberry coffee cake batter into a buttered 8×8 baking dish. Top evenly with the streusel.
- Bake Until Set. Bake until the cake is set or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. If you notice the cake browning too quickly, tent with foil, so the streusel does not burn.
- Cool Before Glazing. While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Once the cake has fully cooled, drizzle the glaze over the cake. If you try to glaze a warm cake, the cake will absorb the glaze.
Recipe Modifications
- Add Nuts. If desired add up to 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel topping before baking.
- Omit the Lemon. I find that the lemon zest and lemon glaze add a nice bright, tart flavor to the blueberry coffee cake. That said, if you don’t care for a subtle lemon flavor simply omit the lemon zest from the cake and use milk instead of lemon juice to prepare the glaze or skip the glaze altogether.
- Swap out the berries. Feel free to use blackberries, raspberries, or hulled and diced strawberries in place of the blueberries.
Storage Instructions
- Store: After baking, cooling, and glazing, place the cake into an airtight container and store for to 3 days at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Bake as directed, cool fully, but wait to add the lemon glaze, Wrap the cake well with plastic wrap, then a layer of foil, place in a storage bag, and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost the coffee cake overnight in the refrigerator, unwrap, glaze, and serve.
More Delicious Brunch Recipes
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Prevent your screen from going dark
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Preheat your oven to 350℉/175℃. Grease an 8-inch pan with butter.
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For the Streusel: In a medium bowl, whisk together the ½ cup light brown sugar, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon table salt until evenly combined. Add in ½ cup cold butter and use your fingers to mix the mixture until crumbs form and the butter is well distributed through the flour and sugar. Set aside.
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For the Cake: In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together ½ cup unsalted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. This should take 3-5 minutes. Once fluffy, add in 2 large eggs and mix again to incorporate. Add in 1 cup sour cream½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest and mix until well combined.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together 1½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon table salt. Stir in 1 cup fresh blueberries and toss to coat them with the flour.
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Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and use a spatula to combine then fold the mixture together until it is just combined.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Evenly sprinkle the streusel mixture over the top of the cake batter.
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Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few crumbs. Be sure to check on the cake after 25 minutes to see if the streusel is browning too much. If it is, lightly tent with foil and continue baking it until set.
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Remove the cake from the oven and cool for at least 10-15 minutes before drizzling it with glaze.
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For the Glaze: While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by sifting 1 cup sifted powdered sugar over a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the sifted powdered sugar, whisking to combine. Add additional lemon juice, as needed, to create a smooth glaze that drizzles easily from the whisk.
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Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled cake and serve.
Sour Cream: Be sure to use full-fat or reduced-fat sour cream NOT fat-free sour cream. You can also substitute regular-style plain yogurt for sour cream if desired.
Blueberries: Use fresh blueberries that have been washed and dried well or frozen blueberries. If using frozen berries, do not defrost the berries! Add them frozen directly to the flour mixture as directed.
Nuts: If desired add up to 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel topping before baking.
Calories: 404kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 4gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 187mgPotassium: 123mgFiber: 1gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 582IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2023 and updated in 2025.
