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Blueberry Breakfast Cake – perfect for breakfast, brunch or a light dessert. This luscious cake is a deliciously moist, lightly sweet “coffee” cake bursting with juicy ripe blueberries and a hint of lemon.
If I owned a Bed & Breakfast, I would probably … wish that I didn’t have to clean house everyday. No that’s not what I was going to write. I was going to tell you that I would probably make this Blueberry Breakfast Cake for every-single-one of my guests. While we don’t own a B&B, we do have out of town company from time to time – so given the recently renovated guest bathroom and this great recipe, maybe we’ll get some visitors soon? My husband does a great driving tour of DC! You know you want to come just to have cake for breakfast – and that’s okay with me!
An incredible recipe created by Alexandra, and adapted for our readers.
I have three brothers and three sister-in-laws (plus one sister). My sister-in-law Briana and I have a lot in common especially when it comes to baking and recipes. She sent me a recipe for Blueberry Breakfast Cake that she made on Mother’s Day, because she knew I would love it. The original recipe was posted by Alexandra on her blog at Alexandra Cooks. Since June 2011 she has had thousands of comments on her post. That is a serious endorsement of this recipe’s popularity and after seeing her post, how could I NOT make this wonderful creation?
Minor adjustments were all that was needed for this recipe.
I made only tiny adjustments to the original recipe; a little less sugar, baked at a lower temperature in an 8″ springform pan, half the salt, with raw sugar on top, etc. The recipe calls for buttermilk which performs amazing magic on this “coffee” styled breakfast cake. It’s moist and absolutely stuffed with juicy, ripe blueberries. With a little hint of lemon and a sugary crunchy top, this is a must make for your culinary bucket list.
My husband wouldn’t even share this cake with our favorite taste-testers – now that’s an endorsement!
Since originally posting this recipe, I’ve made this Blueberry Breakfast Cake many, many times. Every single person loves this moist and delicious cake loaded with blueberries. This recipe is a keeper.
If I owned a B&B
I want to host a brunch or shower just so I can make it again. Or, I could open a bed & breakfast and serve it every day. Can’t you see this wonderful breakfast cake on a brunch buffet? Grab a cup of coffee and pull up a chair. You’ll want to visit a while!
Can this Blueberry Breakfast Cake be made with frozen berries?
Yes you can use frozen berries in this recipe. I would add them frozen instead of thawed. Also, I would not fold them into the batter as the color tends to bleed. Layer 1/3 of the batter in the cake pan, then top with 1/3 of the frozen blueberries. Repeat until all batter and blueberries have been added.
Can Blueberry Breakfast Cake be frozen?
Absolutely yes! But, please try a slightly warm slice before you cool and freeze. It’s just so good!
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Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (113g or 4oz)
- zest from 1 lemon (no white pith!)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (170g)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons (252g plus 15g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups fresh ripe blueberries picked over, rinsed and dried (12oz)
- ½ cup buttermilk (4oz)
- 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Lightly grease and flour an 8-inch springform pan. Set aside.
- Set aside ⅓ cup of blueberries to put on top of batter before baking, if desired. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the remaining blueberries with 2 tablespoons flour and set aside. Make sure your berries are dry.
- In a small bowl combine 2 cups of flour, salt, and baking powder.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the butter, lemon zest and ¾ cup of sugar. Beat for several minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla just until incorporated.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat on low until incorporated. Add ⅓ of the buttermilk and blend until smooth. Repeat adding ½ of the remaining flour, then ½ of the remaining buttermilk until both are incorporated, repeat one more time. Remove the bowl from the mixer. The batter will be very thick.
- Gently fold in the floured blueberries and any extra flour into the batter using a rubber spatula. Take care not to rupture the blueberries.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Scatter the remaining ⅓ cup of blueberries on top. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Bake in a 325°F preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
- Allow the cake to rest for 30-minutes before removing the sides of the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers for longer storage. The warm cake will crumble a little more than a cooled cake but it's absolutely delicious.
Recipe Notes
- Recipe can also be baked in a 8x8 or 9x9 square pan. Watch the baking time in the 9x9.
- I use a dark colored springform pan. If using a light colored pan, you can adjust the temperature up to 350F.
- Recipe lightly adapted from Alexandra Cooks
Nutrition
Blueberries are a favorite in our house. They have the most amazing flavor and can be added in to almost anything baked. These Easy Blueberry Crumb Bars are absolutely fantastic, and who doesn’t love these amazing Lemon Blueberry Muffins with Crumble Topping too?! Blueberries really shine in homemade pies like this Blueberry Buttermilk Pie and this super popular Blueberry Crumble Pie. And don’t miss this wonderful Blueberry-Lemon Icebox Cake which is the perfect make-ahead dessert for company this summer.
Check out these Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes from Oh Sweet Basil – I really love the beautiful color! I can’t stop thinking about these beautiful glazed Blueberry Lemon Hand Pies from Shugary Sweets – I’m practically drooling! And don’t forget to add blueberries to your savory dishes too like this lovely Blueberry Apple Walnut Salad from Barefeet in the Kitchen.
Are you grilling this weekend? I want to – especially if it involves sitting on the deck and doing nothing. I’m thinking it’s about time for a vacation too. I can see “leisure time” in my future. Hope you have a wonderful long holiday weekend! Happy Memorial Day.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Tricia
Natalia C.
This has excellent flavour and texture. It tasted like a blueberry pound cake. I used lime zest instead of lemon as I only had a lime. I also used frozen blueberries and layered the batter and blueberries as you suggested (just two layers of each, as the dough is quite sticky). It looked and tasted so good that it is worth serving as a celebration dessert.
Tricia Buice
So glad you enjoyed this cake Natalia. Thanks for the feedback and for trying the recipe! I love that you added lime in place of the lemon, and bet it was tasty.
Barbaralynn M
Hi ! This looks so good. Do you think veg oil can be used instead of butter?
Tricia Buice
Hi Barbara Lynn. I have not tested this recipe with vegetable oil but it should work, in theory. Let us know if you try it and how it turns out!
Jeannie H Brinkmeier
I made this yesterday and I like it better than blueberry muffins or scones. I am glad you mentioned that the dough was going to be thick, because it was very thick and I thought maybe I had left an ingredient out. Thank you for a new favorite!
Tricia Buice
Thank you for the feedback Jeannie and for trying this wonderful cake! Bravo!
Helen White
Can you use Almond flour instead?
Tricia Buice
Hi Helen. I haven’t tried making this breakfast cake with almond flour so I’m not sure. I think it would work but may be too moist? Let us know if you give it a try. Our readers would be interested to know how it turned out for you. Thanks for the great question.
Magnolia House
I found this recipe and its perfect for our guests that stay at our Bed & Breakfast…thank you
Tricia Buice
How awesome Linda! So glad your guests enjoyed this breakfast cake. Best wishes for success with your beautiful B&B!
Lyndal Christoffersen
I love recipes that call for buttermilk as it gives a beautiful soft crumb! This recipe is very easy to make and is a nice light cake without being over sweet. I enjoy the combination of blueberries and lemon. A cake is a nice break from muffins for my husband’s breakfast and lunch. I would definitely make this recipe again as it would be impressive to have for breakfast with guests.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Lyndal. We love this cake and so glad you did too!
Rosalind
It looks beautiful, just pulled it out of the oven. I baked in a 9 inch glass round dish. Baked at 350F for 40 minutes.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Rosalind. Hope you enjoyed the cake and thanks for the feedback.
Judith
How can I replace or make my own buttermilk?
Thank you for this blueberry recipe. Blueberries are my favorite fruit!
Tricia Buice
Yes you can Judith. Sounds terrific!
Annalene Holtzhausen
I could eat this cake all day long! Thanks so much for this recipe – it’s absolutely delicious. The texture is perfect and I love the lemon zest taste combined with the blueberries. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much Annalene! We appreciate the feedback and look forward to hearing more from you 🙂
Sharlene
I made this cake today and couldn’t believe how thick the cake dough was. I had a hard time mixing the blueberries in because it was so thick. I only had to cook it about 35 minutes. I also added almond flavouring instead of vanilla. As I make a blueberry pie with almond flavouring and it is amazing. I haven’t tasted it yet as it is cooling but looking forward to it! I may also do a almond flavoured icing glaze on it. I just use icing sugar, milk and almond flavour. Then drizzle it on top.
Thank you
Tricia Buice
Hi Sharlene – I hope it turned out good for you. Sounds like something may be missing to bake in only 35 minutes. As stated in the recipe, the batter is very thick.
Mya
Hello! I haven’t yet made this recipe, but i was looking over the ingredients and i unfortunately don’t have any buttermilk.. would there be a way to make this recipe without it?
Thank you for your time:)
Tricia Buice
Hi Mya. Yes – you can make it with milk or sour cream cut with a little milk. You can add a tablespoon of while vinegar to a 1 cup measuring cup, then add enough milk to fill. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes – instant buttermilk!
Cathy
Can I use frozen blue berries ion this breakfast cake?
Tricia Buice
Hi Cathy – yes you can. I prefer to scoop some of the batter into the pan, then sprinkle with frozen blueberries. Repeat by adding more batter, then blueberries, etc. If you stir the frozen berries into the batter, the color may bleed and give the cake a blue tint. It won’t affect the taste. Enjoy!
kat
I huge hit with everyone at our family brunch this morning. This recipe is a keeper with no adjustments! I used a 8 1/2 springform pan and it turned out perfect!
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Kat. This is such a great treat – glad you tried it and enjoyed it!
Bettina Gibson
I made this and it was not a hit, not much taste?just ok.
Tricia Buice
Sorry you didn’t enjoy this cake, but thanks for giving it a try.
Julie G
I finally bought an 8 inch springform pan and couldn’t wait to try this recipe! Blueberry and/or lemon desserts are my favorites so this had my name all over it and it didn’t disappoint. Super easy to put together. I didn’t have buttermilk so I just put a little lemon juice in whole milk and voila! I loved all the zest in the cake itself.
The flavor combination of blueberry and lemon was superb. The texture of this cake is moist but not like a layer cake. More like coffee cake, if that makes sense.
It cut beautifully and the slight crunch on top from the sugar was all that it needed.
I know this is something I will make over and over. The blueberry lemon icebox cake is next on my list!
Tricia Buice
Outstanding! Thanks a bunch Julie. I think I’ll put you on the payroll as the BEST recipe tester ever!! We love this delicious little cake, and the slight crunch on top is my favorite. If I owned a B&B I would make this year round. Thank you once again for trying our recipes and for letting us know how it turned out for you. XOXOX
Maggie
Thanks for shared the recipe,it’s very nice!just tried 8 inch and baked 50mins,perfect!?
Tricia Buice
Thanks so much for the feedback Maggie! Glad you enjoyed this wonderful treat 😉
Quentin Reeves
Very good, I’ve made it twice now , and just as good, and won’t be the last! One of my favourites. My wife’s favourite as well she’s always asking me to make it,it also freezes well also.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Quentin! So happy you tried this delicious cake. Thanks again and happy holidays.
Tim
This sounds great, but I only have 9” springform pans. How can I adjust the ingredients so I can use 9” ?
Tricia Buice
Hi Tim. This cake is fine to bake in a 9-inch pan. If the pan is dark in color, I would bake at 325 degrees F. If it is light you can bump the temperature up to 350 degrees F. Reduce the baking time by 20 minutes for the first check. The toothpick should come out with no wet batter, but moist crumbs is fine. Good luck and enjoy!
Andrea
Very yummy! I would describe it as being a mix between a cake and a scone. I love that the top has a bit of a crunch to it, but the inside is soft. My husband loved it! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Andrea! So happy you made this delicious cake. Enjoy 🙂
Becca
I am not a big lemon fan. Can I just leave it out? Would you suggest more vanilla? Buttermilk?
Tricia Buice
Hi Becca. Yes you can leave it out. No other changes are needed!
shari schein
Can I substitute half the flour with whole wheat flour?
Tricia Buice
Hi Shari – I think half whole wheat flour would be great. If you have whole wheat pastry flour, even better! Enjoy 🙂 and thanks for the great question.
Victoria Sanderson
I love this blueberry breakfast cake and so do my guests! I had to cook it a bit longer than you specified, but it turned out great – a wonderful menu addition at our Bed and Breakfast ! Thank you !!
Tricia Buice
You made my day Victoria! I love serving this breakfast cake to guests and so happy you gave it a try. What a gorgeous B&B you have! If I’m ever up your way I’m going to come for a visit. Thanks again for trying the recipe and for taking the time to come back and let us know how it turned out for you.
judy
I made this and the batter was so stiff, I put half in the pan and then the blueberries and topped it with remaining batter. It is in the oven now and I am doubtful how it will turn out. seems 50 to 60 minutes is a long time to cook. I will be checking it. Could something be left out of the recipe…like enough liquid?
Tricia Buice
Hi Judy. Sorry you’re having trouble with the recipe. As you can see in the video this has a very thick batter. The recipe is correct as published and the baking time is okay too. Make sure you are gently scooping your flour into the measuring cup and leveling it off with the blunt edge of a knife. Also it helps if the butter is very soft, but not melted. Hope this turned out better than you expected. Would love to hear back from you to see if it was okay. Thanks for trying our recipe.
Susan
Where’s the video? I don’t see a link.
Tricia Buice
Hi Susan – it’s just above the title of the post. No link needed 🙂