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Last Updated on April 8, 2021 by Chenée Lewis
I love baking with berries in the spring and summer! And this blueberry cream cheese coffee cake brings together the perfect flavor pairing of blueberries and lemon, which just screams springtime! It’s perfect for brunch celebrations and sharing with loved ones.
Layers of Goodness
If you’re familiar with this blog, you know I’m a huge fan of layered treats like this blueberry cream cheese coffee cake. One of my first recipes on the blog was these layered pineapple cheesecake bars, with a shortbread crumble crust and topping and a brown butter coconut icing. Or there’s my new Samoas Cookie Pie, which layers a shortbread crust, chocolate ganache, caramel and toasted coconut, and a chocolate drizzle! Layers make desserts fun to make and eat, and they’re SO delicious!
This blueberry cream cheese coffee cake is another great layered dessert. It’s got a moist, lemony sour cream cake base that is so good! Then we’re adding in a sweet cream cheese filling, a layer of fresh blueberries, and a buttery crumb topping. Finally, we’ll top it all off with a drizzle of a super easy lemon icing to bring it all together. This blueberry cream cheese cake is really a celebration of flavors, textures, and lovely springtime berries that will shine on your table!
Ingredients
For the lemon sour cream cake layer, here’s what you’ll need:
- granulated sugar – just enough to sweeten this lemon cake and balance out the tartness of the lemon.
- lemon zest – I love to press the zest into the sugar to bring out the lemony oils.
- eggs – make sure your eggs are room temperature so that this blueberry cream cheese coffee cake comes out light and fluffy!
- vanilla extract – for the best flavor, 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!
- vegetable oil – this is the key to keep this blueberry cream cheese coffee cake nice and moist!
- sour cream – helps to add a moist, fluffy texture and a hint of flavor!
- all-purpose flour – be sure to measure your flour correctly, using either a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurement, or the spoon-and-level method.
- baking powder and baking soda – they give this blueberry cream cheese coffee cake a nice lift!
- salt – to bring out all the flavors.
For the blueberry cream cheese layer:
- softened cream cheese – you can let your cream cheese sit out at room temperature for at least an hour, or see below for a tip for how to soften your cream cheese quickly!
- granulated sugar – to give your cream cheese filling a bit of sweetness!
- egg – make sure your egg is room temperature. See below for a tip!
- vanilla extract – as I mentioned above, pick a great-quality pure vanilla extract for the best flavor throughout this blueberry cream cheese coffee cake!
- blueberries – I used fresh blueberries, but you can also use frozen blueberries that have been thawed and drained.
For the crumb topping:
- cold salted butter – the cold butter in the crumb topping allows the mixture to crumble on top of the cake! I usually cut my butter into cubes and then place it in the freezer until I’m ready to add it to the recipe.
- granulated sugar – provides the sweetness for this crumb topping
- all-purpose flour – helps to form the crumbs!
And finally, for our easy lemon icing, just grab some powdered sugar and lemon juice! It’s that easy!
Equipment
Now that you’ve got your ingredients together for this blueberry cream cheese coffee cake, let’s talk about tools! First of all, I’d recommend using a 9-inch springform pan for this recipe. It makes the cake nice and easy to remove without disturbing the crumb topping. Also, most springform pans are tall enough to accommodate the height of the cake. Other than that, you’ll need a bowl and whisk to whip up the cake layer, an electric mixer for the cream cheese layer, and a pastry cutter (or just a fork) for the crumb topping. Here are all the tools you might need:
Step by Step
Time needed: 55 minutes.
This blueberry cream cheese coffee cake comes together easily, but because of the layers of flavor and texture there are several steps. Here’s a breakdown of how to make it, and you’ll find the full instructions below in the recipe card.
- Prep!
Preheat your oven and line your springform pan with parchment paper and baking spray. If you’re using a 9-inch square baking pan, leave an overhand with the parchment paper so that your blueberry cream cheese coffee cake comes out easily!
- Whip up your cake batter.
In a large bowl, press your sugar and lemon zest together to release the oils, then beat in your eggs. Add in your eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Then sift in your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients in until the batter just barely comes together. Scrape your batter into your pan and move on to the cream cheese filling!
- Make your cream cheese filling.
In another bowl, use an electric mixer to beat your softened cream cheese and then mix in your sugar, vanilla extract and egg. Pour this over the cake batter in your pan and then sprinkle your blueberries on top!
- Make your crumb topping.
The best part of this blueberry cream cheese coffee cake! You’ll use cold butter so that the crumb topping is cold when it hits the oven. Use a pastry blender or a fork to cut the cold butter with flour and sugar until the mixture is like coarse crumbs and starts to clump together. Then just sprinkle it over your blueberries, and your cake is ready to bake!
- Bake and let cool.
Bake your blueberry cream cheese coffee cake for about 45 minutes — you’ll know it’s ready when the crumb topping is nice and golden brown. Let it cool completely before you add your icing.
- Make your icing and drizzle it on!
Almost done! Once your cake is cooled, just whisk together your powdered sugar and lemon juice until it’s nice and smooth. This is your icing! Now just drizzle it over the top of the cooled cake, let it set, and you’re in for some yummy blueberry lemon goodness!
Tips and F.A.Q.
To soften your block of cream cheese for this blueberry cream cheese coffee cake, just remove it from the foil and place on a microwave-safe plate. Heat in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or until softened. It should be ready to add to your blueberry cream cheese coffee cake!
It’s important to use room temperature eggs in most baking so that the cold egg doesn’t affect the rise or even baking of your result. If you didn’t have a chance to leave your eggs out to get to room temperature, try this tip. Just submerge the eggs in a bowl of lukewarm water for about 15 minutes. That will allow them to get to room temperature more quickly and ensure a great result for this blueberry cream cheese coffee cake!
I recommend using a 9-inch springform pan for this cake. That way you’ll have no problem removing the cake from the pan and don’t disturb the crumb topping. But if you don’t have a springform pan, you can use a 9×9 square baking pan! Just leave an overhang of parchment paper to make it easier to lift the cake out of the pan. You can also try this with a 9-inch round cake pan, but I find that it works better with a square pan.
You sure can! I would just suggest thawing them first, and letting them drain well so that they don’t add too much extra liquid to your cake.
Related Recipes
If you love this layered dessert, you have GOT to try my Samoas Cookie Pie! It’s full of so many delicious layers of coconut, caramel, shortbread, and chocolate. Such a decadent treat!
Another recipe you might love if you were a fan of this blueberry cream cheese coffee cake is my French Strawberry Cake. Like this cake, it’s bursting with the flavors of springtime, with fresh berries, buttermilk, and lemon zest. It’s also super easy to make! Perfect for your next springtime baking!
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
Lemon Sour Cream Cake Layer
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sour cream - room temperature
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour - (192g)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Blueberry Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz. cream cheese - softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg - room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup blueberries - fresh, or thawed from frozen and drained
Crumb Topping
- ¼ cup salted butter - cold, cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour - (96g)
Lemon Icing
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted - (282g)
- 3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9-inch springform pan or 9×9 square baking pan with parchment paper. If using a square pan, leave an overhang to allow for easy removal of the cake.
- Add lemon zest and sugar to a large bowl. Press together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to release the lemon oils.
- Add in eggs and vanilla, and whisk together for one minute to thicken.
- Add vegetable oil, followed by sour cream, and whisk to combine well.
- Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and fold in until just combined.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and set aside.
- In another bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. In mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well blended. Pour over cake batter in pan.
- Mix in egg and vanilla until well combined. Pour mixture over the cake batter in the pan and smooth the top.
- Sprinkle blueberries evenly over cream cheese layer.
- To make the crumb topping, combine cold butter, sugar, and flour in a bowl. Blend with a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands until the mixture resembles large crumbs. Sprinkle over blueberries.
- Bake cake for 45 minutes or until cream cheese filling is set and crumbs on top are golden brown. Allow to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For icing, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. If necessary, add a little extra lemon juice to thin out the icing or a little extra powdered sugar to thicken. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Video
Nutrition
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All those flavours in one cake makes it so memorable, especially at parties! Love how there’s a crumb topping for extra texture!
Thank you! It’s definitely a hit with crowds!
Such a great mix of textures and flavors! My family loves this cake!
Awesome! I’m glad they like it!
This coffee cake looks amazing, and so perfect for summer! Perfect for brunch or dessert, yum!
Absolutely! Works anytime of day! 🙂
My friend’s favourite cake is coffee cake, and it’s his birthday coming up soon! This came at the most perfect time. Bookmarked to make for his birthday 🙂
Perfect timing! I hope he enjoys it! 🙂
Omg this coffee cake looks absolutely amazing!! I can’t wait to make this and serve it up with my morning coffee tomorrow!
I’m sure you’ll love it! 🙂 Thanks!