Some cakes are hard to resist. This blueberry coffee cake, with its buttery crumb topping, is one of them.
A soft lemon and blueberry base, a rich and creamy cream cheese layer, and a buttery crumb topping. Sweet and fresh in every bite.
It looks impressive on any table, but it’s simple to make with ingredients you can find anywhere.
I serve it as a festive dessert, with afternoon coffee, or keep it in the fridge for a sweet bite all week. It’s a natural for Shavuot, too.
My tip: toss the blueberries in a little flour before folding them in. It stops them from sinking to the bottom.
Try it once and it’ll become a regular in your kitchen.
This blueberry coffee cake (a cream cheese crumb cake) has three layers: a lemon blueberry batter made with butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, milk, and flour; a cream cheese filling with sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla; and a butter crumb topping. Layer half the batter, the cream cheese, the rest of the batter, and the crumbs in an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40–45 minutes.
Blueberry Lemon Cream Cheese Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) pan with parchment paper, or grease it well.
- Toss the blueberries with the ⅔ tablespoon flour so they don’t sink in the batter.
- In a large bowl, rub the sugar together with the lemon zest to release the aroma.
- Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and whisk well. Add the sour cream and milk and mix until smooth.
- Add the baking powder and salt and mix again. Finally, add the flour gradually and mix gently until the batter is uniform.
- Fold in the flour-coated blueberries.
- In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla until smooth and uniform.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbs form.
- Pour half of the batter into the pan and spread it gently. Pour the cream cheese filling over it and smooth the top.
- Add the rest of the batter, smooth again, and sprinkle the crumb topping over the top.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs.
- Take it out of the oven and let the cake cool for at least 15–20 minutes before cutting.
Notes
- At room temperature: up to 3 days in a sealed container.
- In the fridge: up to a week.
- Rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers. It makes the whole cake smell like lemon.
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature so the filling mixes smooth, with no lumps.
- Let the cake cool before cutting, so the cream cheese layer sets.
- Fresh blueberries → frozen blueberries (don’t thaw them; toss them in the flour while still frozen).
- Vanilla bean paste → vanilla extract (same amount).
- Sour cream → plain full-fat Greek yogurt.
Frequently asked questions
Toss them in a little flour before folding them into the batter. In this recipe that’s ⅔ tablespoon of flour.
Usually yes. Add them still frozen, coated in flour, so they don’t bleed into the batter. The cake may need a few extra minutes in the oven.
A toothpick inserted in the center should come out dry or with a few moist crumbs, after 40–45 minutes.
Up to 3 days at room temperature in a sealed container, or up to a week in the fridge, according to Orpaz’s notes.
It’s written for an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) pan. A different size changes the thickness and the baking time, so watch it closely.
