Streusel topped blueberry cream cheese coffee cake is the most delicious cream cheese blueberry cake for any time of day! This easy lemon blueberry cream cheese coffee cake is sure to be a crowd pleaser!
And if you love this blueberry sour cream cream cheese coffee cake, definitely try my Cherry Coffee Cake, my Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Zest, and my Earl Grey Scones with Vanilla Bean Glaze!
*This post contains affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclosure for details*.
Streusel Topped Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
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. And you can use frozen blueberries to make it, so it's an excellent recipe to make no matter the season!
Layered Cream Cheese Blueberry Cake
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 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! And 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!
Why is it called coffee cake?
But why is a coffee cake called coffee cake when there is no coffee in the recipe? It's simple -- because you enjoy it with your morning coffee! Or at least you can. You can also have it with tea, or milk or orange juice instead of a cup of coffee. Basically it's a crumb cake that you eat for breakfast. Which is always fine by me!
If you like coffee cake recipes, check out my Cherry Coffee Cake or my Coffee Cookies for more fun breakfast treats!
Ingredients
For the lemon sour cream cake layer in this easy coffee cake recipe, 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 create a moist cake with a fluffy texture and a hint of flavor!
- all-purpose flour - for best results, 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 layer of cheesecake and blueberries:
- 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 - juicy blueberries are the star of the show! I used fresh blueberries, but you can also use frozen blueberries that have been thawed and drained. If you have fresh berries, check out these tips on how to keep summer berries fresh for longer!
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 or a cake pan with a removable bottom 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.
Step by Step
This cream cheese blueberry 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 cream cheese mixture 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. In a small bowl, 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. You can also use a food processor to pulse the cold butter and dry ingredients 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.
- To remove the cooled cake from the pan, run a butter knife inside the sides of the pan between the cake and the pan. Release the springform pan and transfer the cake to a cooling rack. Let it cool completely before you add your icing.
- Add your icing. 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 cream cheese blueberry 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!
Often, a coffee cake will dry out if it is overbaked, or if there isn't enough oil added to the batter. Also, using butter in your batter can contribute to a dry cake since butter is partly oil. So how do you keep a coffee cake moist? In this blueberry coffee cake recipe, we're using vegetable oil and sour cream to maintain that moist texture!
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 9x9 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.
Yes, because of the cream cheese layer you'll need to keep this cake in the fridge in an airtight container to store it. Let it sit out a bit to come to room temperature before serving.
You'll know this cream cheese blueberry cake is ready when the top is golden brown and the cream cheese layer is set.
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!
More Berry Recipes You'll Love
- Strawberry Crumble
- Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Zest
- Lemon and Blackberry Cake
- Skillet Blueberry Cobbler with Smoked Sugar
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
- sifter
Ingredients
Lemon Sour Cream Cake Layer
- baking spray
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (6 g) lemon zest - packed
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (73 g) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (115 g) sour cream - room temperature
- 1 ½ cup (188 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
Blueberry Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz. (227 g) cream cheese - room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (148 g) blueberries - fresh, or thawed from frozen and drained
Crumb Topping
- ¼ cup (57 g) salted butter - cold, cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour - (96g)
Lemon Icing
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar, sifted - (282g)
- 3-4 tablespoon (44 ml) fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9-inch springform pan or 9x9 square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. If using a square pan, leave an overhang to allow for easy removal of the cake.baking spray
- Add lemon zest and sugar to a large bowl. Press together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to release the lemon oils.¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Add in eggs and vanilla, and whisk together for one minute to thicken.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add vegetable oil, followed by sour cream, and whisk to combine well.⅓ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup sour cream
- Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and fold in until just combined.1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- 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. Mix in egg and vanilla until well blended. Pour over cake batter in pan.8 oz. cream cheese, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Mix in egg and vanilla until well combined. Pour mixture over the cake batter in the pan and smooth the top.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Sprinkle blueberries evenly over cream cheese layer.1 cup blueberries
- 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.¼ cup salted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- Bake in preheated oven 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.2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted, 3-4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Video
Nutrition
Pin this cream cheese blueberry cake recipe for later!
Last Updated on September 5, 2023 by Chenée Lewis
Colleen
This coffee cake got raves when I made it for my book club night. Everyone wanted the recipe so I sent them here. Thank you!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you so much!