This fresh Blackberry Coffee Cake with sour cream is the best blackberry crumb cake ever! It's so moist and delicious, and really very simple to make. If you're looking for a fantastic brunch treat, you'll have to try this! It's the best blackberry coffee cake with streusel topping!
*This post contains affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclosure for details*.
And if you like this cake, you've got to try my Pineapple Upside Down Cake, my Coconut Oatmeal Cookies, and my Key Lime Pound Cake!
Easy Blackberry Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping
I've shared a few great coffee cakes, but this might be my new favorite! It's so moist and tender, with fresh, juicy blackberries bursting into the batter and a buttery streusel topping that steals the show! It's a great option for a breakfast cake or a brunch treat.
This blackberry crumb cake recipe is based on my Cherry Coffee Cake recipe! The crumb topping is so good, and it goes perfectly with the soft sour cream crumb of the cake. Give it a try -- it just might be the best coffee cake recipe ever!
Jump to:
- Easy Blackberry Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping
- Blackberry Crumb Cake Recipe
- Do coffee and blackberry go together?
- Ingredients
- Equipment
- Instructions
- Blackberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Variation
- Blackberry Coffee Cake Muffins Variation
- Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Top Tip
- Related
- Pairing
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Blackberry Crumb Cake Recipe
My favorite thing about this fresh blackberry coffee cake with streusel topping is the topping itself! It's got a buttery crumbly texture, and a touch of brown sugar for that iconic coffee cake flavor.
And no blackberry streusel cake would be complete without a sweet vanilla icing drizzle on top! Together, they create an incredible blend of flavors and textures that is so good. Perfect for blackberry season or a Mother's Day celebration!
Do coffee and blackberry go together?
Sure, why not? But it should be noted that this blackberry filled coffee cake doesn't have any actual coffee flavor. Classic coffee cake gets its name because it goes so well with a hot cup of coffee, because of its vanilla and brown sugar flavors. And this blackberry streusel cake is no exception! I love to enjoy this cake with a big mug of hot coffee!
Ingredients
This blackberry coffee cake recipe has three layers, and they're all worth it! The recipe card below has the full recipe measurements, but here's a quick look at what you'll need:
First, we'll start with the streusel topping layer -- for that you'll need:
- brown sugar - I like to use light brown sugar for this streusel topping. I find it gives the cake so much rich sweetness!
- flour - be sure to use a kitchen scale to measure your all-purpose flour by weight, or use the spoon-and-level method to measure your flour mixture by volume.
- salt - adding a little salt balances out the sweetness and helps to bring out the buttery flavors.
- butter - we'll use unsalted butter for our crumble topping. Cut your butter into cubes and then put it back into the fridge to chill before adding it in.
And then once our crumb topping is chilling, we'll make our sour cream coffee cake layer:
- flour - just like above, measure your all-purpose flour with a kitchen scale to ensure the most accurate result.
- baking powder & baking soda - these leavening agents help to give the cake its lift and texture.
- salt - to bring out the flavors in this cake!
- white and brown sugar - combining light brown sugar and granulated sugar is ideal to achieve a fluffy cake with the perfect amount of sweetness.
- butter - your unsalted butter should be softened to room temperature before you start, to make sure it incorporates well into the batter.
- oil - we're also using vegetable oil to add to the moist texture of this blackberry coffee cake, like in my Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse!
- eggs - make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start.
- vanilla - be sure to use a high-quality pure vanilla extract. Or better yet, check out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home with just 2 ingredients!
- sour cream - I love how sour cream makes this cake so tender and moist! Make sure your sour cream is also room temperature.
- fresh blackberries - wash your blackberries, cut them gently in half, and gently them dry before adding them in.
And finally, we're going to top the cooled cake with an amazingly simple vanilla icing. All you need for that is powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
I recommend making this fresh blackberry coffee cake in a 9-inch springform pan to protect the crumb topping. I use this springform pan from Nordic Ware, but you can also use a parchment paper lined 9-inch round cake pan if you don't have a springform pan. To mix this easy blackberry coffee cake recipe, I typically use my KitchenAid stand mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer.
I also recommend a rubber spatula for folding in the dry ingredients and scraping the sides of the bowl. You may also want to have a wire rack to help the cake cool more quickly and allow for your glaze to drip off the sides cleanly.
Instructions
The recipe card below will give you detailed step-by-step instructions for making the best blackberry coffee cake, as well as full ingredient measurements and a recipe video! But here's a quick look at how you'll make this recipe!
In a medium bowl, press together streusel ingredients: flour, butter, brown sugar, and salt, with a pastry blender until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Chill mixture in the fridge.
Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or whisk.
Add oil and butter and mix on medium speed until dry ingredients are coated in the fats.
Add wet ingredients: eggs and vanilla, and mix until well combined.
Mix in sour cream until smooth, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
Once cake batter is just combined, spread evenly into prepared springform pan.
Spoon blackberries in an even layer over batter, then sprinkle on crumb topping and bake until a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
Once cake is cooled, prepare glaze and drizzle on top of the cake. Serve and enjoy!
Hint: You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time to bake this berry coffee cake through -- just check with a toothpick in several places to make sure it's done.
Blackberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Variation
If you love this old fashioned blackberry coffee cake recipe, but you really want to try it with a cream cheese layer, I got you! Just check out my Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake recipe, and swap out the blueberries for blackberries!
Blackberry Coffee Cake Muffins Variation
If you love this blackberry streusel cake, you can turn them into easy blackberry coffee cake muffins! Just follow the recipe instructions, and make these adjustments:
- Toss blackberries in 1 tablespoon of flour and fold them gently into the batter once it's baked. Fill muffin liners up to ¾ full.
- Top muffins with streusel topping, preheat oven to 425°F, and follow the baking instructions in my Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins recipe.
Storage
Store this easy blackberry coffee cake in an airtight container or a cake dome for about 2 days at room temperature, or 4 days in the fridge.
You can also freeze this cake, well wrapped, for up to two months.
Frequently Asked Questions
That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? But actually, coffee cake is called that mainly because it's often served at breakfast or brunch, or as a treat alongside your morning coffee, like a scone or donut might be. It's a wonderful way of distinguishing it from dessert cakes like my Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake! When you have a sweet tooth first thing in the morning, this cake is perfect for you!
Often, coffee cake is distinguished from regular dessert cakes because of its crumbly streusel topping. This crumble is usually made with brown sugar and cinnamon, and adds a crumbly texture to the top of the coffee cake. Coffee cakes may also have a ribbon of cinnamon filling or an icing drizzle.
Blackberry, like a lot of berry flavors, pairs very well with lemon, like with my Lemon Blackberry Cake. I also think the flavors of cheesecake are amazing with blackberry, as well as the vanilla and blackberry flavors in this cake!
Top Tip
Don't forget to measure your flour by weight with a kitchen scale! It'll help ensure accurate measurements and prevent a dry cake!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this one? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe:
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
For Streusel Topping
- ⅔ cup (147 g) light brown sugar - packed
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour - be sure to use a kitchen scale to measure by weight, or use the spoon-and-level method to measure by volume.
- ¼ teaspoon (2 g) salt
- ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter - cold; cut into cubes
For Sour Cream Cake Layer
- baking spray
- 2 cup (250 g) all-purpose flour - be sure to use a kitchen scale to measure by weight, or use the spoon-and-level method to measure by volume.
- 1 ½ teaspoon (6 g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (2 ml) salt
- ⅔ cup (147 g) light brown sugar - packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- ¼ cup (59 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (173 g) sour cream - room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (216 g) blackberries - cut in half and patted dry
For Vanilla Icing
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray the bottom and sides of a springform pan with baking spray.
Prepare Crumb Topping
- In a medium bowl, add flour, brown sugar, salt, and cubed butter. Use a pastry blender or a fork to press them together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Set aside in the fridge to chill.
Prepare Cake Layer
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together flour, white and brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅔ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add in butter and oil, and mix well until dry ingredients are well coated.½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Mix in eggs and vanilla, followed by sour cream until batter is combined.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared springform pan. Top evenly with blackberries, followed by crumble topping.1 ½ cups blackberries
- Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick entered into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in the pan 15 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make vanilla icing, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Add a little extra milk if needed for desired consistency. Drizzle icing over cooled cake.
Video
Notes
-
- Toss blackberries in 1 tablespoon of flour and fold them gently into the batter once it's baked. Fill muffin liners up to ¾ full.
-
- Top muffins with streusel topping, preheat oven to 425°F, and follow the baking instructions in my Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins recipe.
Nutrition
Last Updated on October 17, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Chenée Lewis says
I can't wait to see what you guys think of this berry coffee cake! I love it so much!