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This blueberry coffee cake has been a staple in my kitchen for years — and once you make it, you’ll understand why. It’s soft, tender, not too sweet, and loaded with fresh blueberries in every bite. Best part? You make it the night before and just bake it in the morning.
Why You’ll Love It
- Make-ahead friendly — mix the batter the night before, refrigerate, and bake fresh in the morning
- Soft and tender crumb — melts in your mouth without being overly rich or heavy
- Blueberries in every bite — they distribute perfectly through the batter, no clumping
- Simple pantry ingredients — nothing fancy, you probably have everything already
- That crispy sugar top — a quick sprinkle before baking gives it the most satisfying finish
Ingredient Notes
Fresh blueberries are really the only way to go here. I’ve used frozen in a pinch and it works — it absolutely works — but the fresh ones just hold their shape better and don’t bleed quite as much into the batter. If you’re using frozen, don’t thaw them first or you’ll have purple cake. I learned that the hard way.
The butter — you’re melting it, so it doesn’t have to be anything special. Just regular salted butter. I’ve used unsalted and reduced the salt a little and it was fine, but to be honest I don’t usually bother. I’ve been using salted butter in everything for decades and I’m not about to change now.
The sugar that you sprinkle on top before refrigerating is just regular granulated sugar. I’ve seen people use coarse sugar and I imagine that would be lovely but I’ve never done it. Seems like a whole extra trip to the store for something I’m not convinced makes a difference. Maybe I’ll try it someday.
Ingredients
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk (I use whole milk, always)
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup fresh blueberries — just a regular measuring cup, don’t pack them in
For the topping:
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons sugar (for sprinkling before baking)
How to Make It
Start by beating your egg and sugar together until the mixture is thick. You don’t need a stand mixer for this — a hand mixer on medium for a couple of minutes does the job fine, and honestly I’ve done it by hand with a whisk when I was too tired to dig out the mixer. Takes a little longer but it works.
In a separate bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, and salt. Here’s where you slow down a little — you’re going to add the flour and milk to the egg mixture alternately. Flour, then milk, then flour, then milk. Beat after each addition just until it comes together. Don’t overwork it. Overworked batter makes tough cake. I learned that from my mother, who learned it from hers, though I think the specific warning she gave me was about biscuits and I’ve just applied it to everything since.
Stir in the melted butter. Then fold in the blueberries — actually fold, don’t stir vigorously. A spatula, gentle turns, just until the berries are distributed.
Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan — I usually do a light spray of cooking spray and then a dusting of flour, knock out the excess — and sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the top. Then cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
In the morning, pull it out while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Don’t skip letting it lose the refrigerator chill while the oven heats up — I think it helps the baking go more evenly, though I’m not sure I could prove that scientifically. It just seems right.
Bake for 35 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the top springs back when you touch it lightly. Don’t rely only on the toothpick method with this one — the blueberries can make it tricky to read.
While it’s still hot, brush the tablespoon of melted butter over the entire top. Then let it cool before you cut into it. I know this is hard. I have absolutely cut into it before it was cool and it was still delicious, just a little messier to serve.
Muffin Variation
If you want to make muffins instead — and I really do recommend trying it — just divide the batter into a standard muffin tin lined with paper cups. Fill each one about two-thirds full. Bake at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes, and keep an eye on them because ovens vary. Same test — the top should spring back. Don’t pull them too early just because they look done on the outside.
I don’t usually put the sugar sprinkle on the muffins before refrigerating, though now that I think about it I’m not sure why I stopped doing that. Maybe I will next time.
Storage
Keep leftovers covered at room temperature for a day or two — it stays nice. After that, into the fridge, where it’ll last another few days though the top loses a little of that crispness. I’ve reheated individual squares in the microwave for about 20 seconds and it comes back to life well enough.
I’ve never tried freezing it, but I imagine it would freeze fine. Maybe not. I always eat it before it gets that far, which is either a testament to how good it is or a reflection of certain personal habits I don’t need to examine too closely.
Blue Ribbon Blueberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk whole milk preferred
- 3 tbsp butter melted
- 1 cup blueberries fresh
- 1 tbsp butter melted, for topping
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar for topping
Instructions
- Beat egg and sugar together until thick and well combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients and milk alternately to the egg mixture, mixing gently after each addition.
- Stir in melted butter, then fold in blueberries gently.
- Pour batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and sprinkle sugar evenly over the top.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and let batter sit at room temperature while oven heats.
- Bake for 35 minutes until top springs back lightly when touched.
- Brush melted butter over the hot cake, then cool before slicing.