I’ve been dealing with some gloomy weather lately, but then I thought, why not brighten things up with some blueberries? They’re like a burst of summer, and that’s just what I needed.

So I decided to bake a Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake. 🍰☕😋

This cake is SERIOUSLY addictive.

It’s great for breakfast, dessert, or just as a tasty blueberry snack. Pop a slice in the microwave to warm it up, and you’re good to go! Now let’s get baking!

TO MAKE BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE, YOU WILL NEED

Brown sugar: This is a must. You can use either light brown or dark brown sugar, but regular sugar just won’t do it.

Butter: You’ll be using unsalted butter here and you’ll need it cold for the crumb topping and room temp for the cake. Make sure to use real butter here as margarine just isn’t the same.

Sour cream: Sour cream pumps up the flavor and the moisture in this cake. Use real full fat sour cream if you can get it, but if you can’t then you can substitute it if necessary. You’ll want to check out the FAQ section of this blog post below to see substitution options.

Zest and juice of one lemon: The cake won’t taste lemony…but the lemon just brings out the flavor of the blueberries.

Frozen blueberries: I used frozen blueberries here, but you can use fresh as well although you might need to bake it for less time if using fresh blueberries.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

HOW DO YOU MAKE BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE?

So, for this Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake, we’re using a mixing method called the reverse creaming method.

Basically, instead of the usual way where you cream the sugar and butter together until it’s all fluffy, and then you add in the dry and liquid ingredients alternately, we’re doing things a bit differently here. We’ll mix the butter in chunks into the dry stuff first and then add the liquid in two parts.

Once that’s all mixed in, we’ll gently stir in those frozen blueberries, and then pour everything into the pan. After that, we’ll top it off with that delicious crumb topping and pop it in the oven to bake.

I’ve found that this reverse creaming method gives us a cake that’s super tender, and it’s also easier to work with. But no need to stress; the recipe instructions will guide you through it, and it’s a piece of cake (pun intended).

RECIPE NOTES AND HELPFUL TIPS TO BAKE THE BEST BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE:

When measuring the flour, make sure not to pack it down into your measuring cup.

Make sure the butter is cold for the crumb topping and room temperature for the cake batter.

Make sure not to over-mix cake batter.

ESTIMATE NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FQAs):

1. Does Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake need to be refrigerated?

No, it will be just fine covered at room temperature for a couple days. After that, you can refrigerate it to help it last up to a week.

2. Should I use fresh or frozen blueberries in this coffee cake?

It should be fine although you may have less baking time so keep that in mind. Using frozen blueberries might help keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake though and they may be less likely to burst during baking.

3. Do I need to thaw the frozen blueberries before adding to the Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake batter?

No, you’ll add them frozen.

4. Should I use dark brown or light brown sugar?

It doesn’t matter. Dark brown and light brown sugar are interchangeable. Just make sure to pack brown sugar when you measure it.

5. Do I have to use the lemon zest and juice?

No, it’s optional, but it really brings out the flavor of the blueberries. You can use a couple tablespoons of bottled lemon juice as a substitute.

6. Can I substitute the sour cream?

The sour cream really helps give this cake a wonderful taste and makes it moist, so it’s best to use sour cream. If you really cannot get it, you can use full fat yogurt instead.

7. Do I have to use a stand mixer?

No. You can absolutely use a hand mixer.

Easy Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

>>>For the crumb topping:
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter cut into small chunks
>>>For the cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
⅔ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
½ cup milk
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
3 ½ cups frozen blueberries not thawed (if using fresh blueberries, see notes below)

Instructions

For the crumb topping:

Step 1: Add the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk well. Pull out any brown sugar chunks. Add the chunks of butter and mix with a fork and your fingers smashing the butter as you go.
Step 2: Once all the chunks of butter are broken up and mostly incorporated, you can use the fork or an electric mixer to mix it just until the mixture is crumbly.
Step 3: If using a mixer, be careful not to mix too long, or it will form a paste. Stop mixing once the mixture looks crumbly.
Step 4: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill while you make the cake.

For the cake:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: Grease a 9×13 inch pan. (I used a glass pan). If you’re using a dark coated pan, the bottom may over-brown a bit, so just be aware.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar and packed brown sugar. Whisk well and set aside.
Step 4: In another bowl, mix together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla extract and juice and zest from one lemon. Whisk well and set aside.
Step 5: Make sure your butter is slightly cooler than room temperature. Add the butter (in chunks) slowly to your dry ingredients. (You can turn your stand mixer on low and leave it on while you add the butter chunks a bit at a time, or you can use a hand mixer.)
Step 6: Once all the butter has been added, turn the mixer up to medium and mix until all the flour is coated with the butter and the mixture is crumbly. It will have a sand-like texture.
Step 7: Pour in about half of the liquid mixture. Mix on medium until just combined. About 15-20 seconds.
Pour the last of the liquid mixture and mix again until combined. Don’t over mix the batter. Mixing it for several minutes is too long. Once all the ingredients are incorporated well, stop mixing.
Step 8: Use a rubber spatula and scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix again for only about 10 seconds. Add a couple teaspoons of flour to the frozen blueberries a stir to coat them. Add the flour coated frozen blueberries to the cake batter and stir in with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, not with the electric mixer.
Step 9: Pour the batter into prepared pan. If you use frozen blueberries, the batter will become quite thick and possibly a little stiff. It’s okay, just spread it evenly into the pan as best you can.
Step 10: Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter.
Step 11: Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50-55 minutes. The top will be golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center will come out either clean or with a few moist crumbs. (I used frozen blueberries. If you use fresh blueberries, you may not need to bake as long. Watch your cake closely after about 40 minutes.)
Step 12: Set on wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes, then serve straight from the pan. This cake is best served warm.