Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake (Printable Version)

Classic coffee cake with blueberries and a buttery streusel topping. Perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1/2 cup whole milk
06 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - 2 cups fresh blueberries (or frozen, not thawed)

→ Streusel Topping

10 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
11 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
14 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well.
04 - Alternately add dry flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir until just combined.
05 - Gently fold fresh or frozen (unthawed) blueberries into the batter.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly.
07 - In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold cubed butter with a pastry blender or fork until coarse crumbs form.
08 - Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the cake batter.
09 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the topping is golden brown.
10 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 25 minutes of actual work, which means you can go from craving to baking without overthinking it.
  • The streusel topping stays buttery and crisp instead of sinking into the cake, which honestly feels like a small miracle.
  • You get something that tastes homemade and impressive but doesn't demand a degree in pastry to pull off.
02 -
  • If you use frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before stirring into the batter, or they'll bleed purple throughout and you'll lose both the visual appeal and the burst of whole-berry texture in each slice.
  • The streusel topping is where people mess up by either not using cold butter (it turns to paste) or by overworking it (it becomes dense instead of crumbly), so give yourself permission to make it quickly and imperfectly.
  • Don't overbake this cake chasing a perfect golden top; once a toothpick comes out clean, it's done, and the residual heat in the pan continues cooking it as it cools.
03 -
  • Don't thaw frozen blueberries before adding them to the batter; the flour coating from tossing them in a pinch of the dry mixture also helps prevent sinking and bleeding.
  • Make your streusel topping with your fingertips if you don't have a pastry blender—it's faster and gives you the same coarse-crumb texture, plus you get a little sensory feedback about when to stop.
Go Back