This heavenly Blueberry Coffee Cake combines the sweet burst of berries with a tender, moist crumb that melts in your mouth. Ready in just 50 minutes, it’s the perfect treat for weekend brunches or afternoon coffee breaks.
Each slice delivers a delightful balance of flavors and textures, making it impossible to resist going back for seconds. Whether you’re hosting guests or treating your family, this classic recipe promises to become your new go-to favorite.
Essential Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar (1 ½ cups): Provides sweetness and helps create a tender crumb
- Shortening (½ cup): Creates a moist, tender texture in the cake
- Eggs (2): Adds structure and richness
- Milk (1 cup): Brings moisture and creates a soft texture
- Vanilla Extract (1 tsp): Enhances overall flavor profile
- All-purpose Flour (4 cups): Main structure builder for the cake
- Baking Powder (4 tsp): Helps the cake rise beautifully
- Blueberries (3 cups): Fresh or frozen work perfectly
Streusel Topping
- Brown Sugar (1 cup): Creates a sweet, caramelized topping
- Flour (2/3 cup): Helps form the crumbly texture
- Butter (½ cup): Binds the topping ingredients together
Baking Instructions
- Prep Work: Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan
- Base Mixture: Cream together sugar and shortening until well combined
- Wet Ingredients: Mix in eggs, milk, and vanilla until smooth
- Dry Ingredients: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt separately, then blend into wet mixture
- Berry Addition: Gently fold in blueberries into the thick batter
- Topping: Mix streusel ingredients and sprinkle evenly over cake batter
- Baking: Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown
- Finishing: Let cool completely before serving
Substitutions & Variations
This coffee cake is super flexible! You can swap the shortening for unsalted butter in equal amounts for an even richer taste. Don’t have fresh blueberries? Frozen work just as well – no need to thaw them first! For a fun twist, try raspberries or blackberries, or mix different berries together.
Want to make it extra special? Add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter – it brings out the blueberry flavor beautifully!
Storage Tips
Your blueberry coffee cake will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days when kept in an airtight container. Pop it in the fridge to extend its life to 5-7 days.
You can even freeze individual slices! Just wrap them well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil – they’ll keep for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, let the cake thaw overnight in the fridge or for an hour on the counter.
Serving Suggestions
While this cake is wonderful on its own, you can dress it up in so many ways! Try it slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or add a dollop of whipped cream. For breakfast, serve it with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
Want to make it extra special? Warm up your slice for 15 seconds in the microwave – it makes the streusel topping even more amazing! If you’re serving for brunch, pair it with fresh fruit and hot beverages for a lovely spread.
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking pan
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
Streusel Topping
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Add sugar and shortening to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer and mix until well creamed together.
- Add eggs, milk and vanilla and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt, then add to the creamed mixture.
- Stir in blueberries. Batter will be thick.
- Pour batter into a greased 9×13 inch pan.
- Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over the top of the batter in the pan.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Don’t over bake or the cake will be dry.
- Cool before serving.
- Serve with coffee or tea, or even with a scoop of ice cream.
