Best Sourdough Blueberry Coffee Cake

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This moist sourdough blueberry coffee cake is packed with flavor! Pops of juicy blueberries are scattered throughout the cake, while a ribbon of cinnamon sugar runs through the middle. It’s topped with a brown sugar crumble just before baking, and then drizzled with a quick vanilla icing for a beautiful finish. It is the perfect recipe for an extra special breakfast, or for when you simply want to use up fresh blueberries.

sourdough blueberry coffee cake laying on a wooden countertop, drizzled with vanilla icing. A blue cloth lays in the background, and blueberries are scattered around the edges of the cake

Blueberries Never Tasted So Good.

This recipe was born from me wanting to do something extra special to celebrate my husband’s birthday. He loves coffee cake (who doesn’t?!), and I had a plethora of fresh blueberries in the fridge, along with some sourdough starter.

Thus, sourdough blueberry coffee cake was born! I’d be lying if I said this recipe wasn’t a bit of a labor of love, but all of the components make up for one delicious cake. We all loved it, and even got to share some with some sweet neighbors of ours, who loved it too!

If you’ve got some extra time on your hands (or just want to do something extra special) this coffee cake is definitely a recipe to try.

Jump to:

Quick Recipe Snapshot

TOTAL TIME: About an hour and a half, start to finish.
SERVES: 8-12, depending on serving size 🙂
STORAGE:
Leftovers store well covered tightly in plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
BEST SERVED:
Warm from the oven with a hot cup of coffee, of course!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe


  • EXTRA SPECIAL BREAKFAST: This coffee cake works great for those “special occasion” breakfasts (I often make it for Christmas morning or my husband’s birthday!) as an extra special treat that everyone is guaranteed to love.
  • DELICIOUS: When I say this coffee cake is packed with flavor, I mean it! Juicy blueberries, a ribbon of cinnamon goodness running through the middle, crumble topping…. YUM.
  • SOURDOUGH DISCARD: This recipe gets added to my long list of favorite sourdough discard recipes, all perfect for using up that extra starter!

Ingredients You’ll Need

This is a quick overview of a few essential ingredients needed for this recipe. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list!

  • Sourdough Starter: This recipe calls for sourdough discard, but active starter will also work.
  • Sour Cream: The moist maker! An essential ingredient to keeping the cake nice and moist. Whole Greek yogurt can be substituted if you like.
  • Brown Sugar: Lots of it! It gets added into the cake batter, as well as the cinnamon swirl and the crumble topping. White sugar can be used if preferred.
  • Blueberries: Fresh, in season berries are recommended for the best flavor 🙂

Quick Tips for Preparing to Make This Recipe

  1. Blueberries: Be sure to toss the blueberries in flour before adding to the cake batter. This helps keep them from all sinking to the bottom of the cake. If using frozen blueberries, be sure to toss them in flour before adding to the batter. Frozen blueberries will also affect the bake time, with the cake requiring an additional 5-10 minutes to bake fully.
  2. Pan Size: I recommend an 8 x 8 baking dish for this recipe. If you are looking for another variation, try out my original sourdough coffee cake, which gets baked in a Bundt pan.
  3. Vanilla Glaze: Totally optional, but makes the cake extra pretty and delicious. For a different variation, try dusting the top of the cake with powdered sugar once cooled.

Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below!

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally coat an 8 x 8 baking pan with butter or non-stick spray and set aside.
  2. Make the crumble topping: In a small bowl, add the cold butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Gently mix with your hands until combined and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside while you prepare the coffee cake.
  3. Make the cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, sourdough discard, and vanilla, beating on medium-high speed until combined.
  4. Turn the mixer down to low and begin gradually adding in the dry ingredients. Once combined, turn the mixer off and gently fold in the sour cream until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
  5. Gently toss the blueberries with two teaspoons of flour and then add them to the bowl, being sure to gently fold them into the batter.

Assemble & Bake

  1. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir gently and set aside.
  2. Add half of the coffee cake batter into the prepared pan, using an offset spatula to spread the mixture evenly. Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the top of the batter, and then add the remaining batter, spreading evenly.
  3. Add the crumble topping to the top of the cake before placing in the oven. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  4. Make the vanilla icing: Once the cake has cooled completely, begin making the icing. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon milk or cream, and a small splash of vanilla extract. Using a whisk, whisk together until smooth. The icing should be thick but pourable.
  5. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
unbaked sourdough blueberry coffee cake in a square baking pan, topped with a brown sugar crumble topping
sourdough blueberry coffee cake laying on a wooden countertop. A blue cloth lays in the background, and blueberries are scattered around the edges of the cake

Recipe FAQs & Storage Tips

Does sourdough coffee cake taste sour?

No, it shouldn’t. Be sure to use sourdough discard that is no more than a week old (if longer than this, you may notice a slight tang in the cake).

Can I use frozen blueberries?

Yes! Do not thaw, just toss them in flour before adding to the cake, and gently mix them in.

How do I keep blueberries from sinking in coffee cake?

Toss the blueberries lightly in flour before folding them into the batter. This helps suspend them evenly throughout the cake.

Can I make sourdough blueberry coffee cake ahead of time?

Yes! This coffee cake stores well and can be made a day in advance. Keep it covered at room temperature, or refrigerate for longer storage.

More Sourdough Breakfast Recipes

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sourdough blueberry coffee cake laying on a wooden countertop, drizzled with vanilla icing. A blue cloth lays in the background, and blueberries are scattered around the edges of the cake

Sourdough Blueberry Coffee Cake


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  • Author: Rachael
  • Total Time: 1 hr 20 minutes

Description

This moist sourdough blueberry coffee cake is packed with flavor! Pops of juicy blueberries are scattered throughout the cake, while a ribbon of cinnamon sugar runs through the middle. It’s topped with a brown sugar crumble just before baking, and then drizzled with a quick vanilla icing for a beautiful finish. It is the perfect recipe for an extra special breakfast, or for when you simply want to use up fresh blueberries.


Ingredients

Units Scale

Coffee Cake

  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • cup sourdough starter (discard or active)
  • cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 heaping cup fresh blueberries (tossed with 2 teaspoon flour)

Cinnamon Swirl

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Brown Sugar Crumble

  • ½ stick butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally coat an 8 x 8 pan with butter or non-stick spray and set aside.
  2. Make the crumble topping: In a small bowl, add the cold butter, brown sugar, and flour. Gently mix with your hands until combined and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside while you prepare the coffee cake.
  3. Make the cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  4. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the egg, sourdough discard, and vanilla, beating on medium-high speed until combined.
  5. Turn the mixer down to low and begin gradually adding in the dry ingredients. Continuing beating at a low speed until everything is combined. Once combined, turn the mixer off and gently fold in the sour cream until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
  6. Gently toss the blueberries with two teaspoons of flour and then add them to the bowl, being sure to gently fold them into the batter.
  7. Make the cinnamon swirl mixture: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir gently and set aside.
  8. Add half of the coffee cake batter into the prepared pan, using an offset spatula to spread the mixture evenly. Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the top of the batter, and then add the remaining batter, spreading evenly.
  9. Add the crumble topping to the top of the cake before placing in the oven. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  10. Make the vanilla icing: Once the cake has cooled completely, begin making the icing. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon milk or cream, and a small splash of vanilla extract. Using a whisk, whisk together until smooth. The icing should be thick but pourable.
  11. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

  • Blueberries: Be sure to toss the blueberries in flour before adding to the cake batter. This helps keep them from all sinking to the bottom of the cake. If using frozen blueberries, be sure to toss them in flour before adding to the batter. Frozen blueberries will also affect the bake time, with the cake requiring an additional 5-10 minutes to bake fully.
  • Pan Size: I recommend an 8 x 8 baking dish for this recipe. If you are looking for another variation, try out my original sourdough coffee cake, which gets baked in a Bundt pan.
  • Vanilla Glaze: Totally optional, but makes the cake extra pretty and delicious. For a different variation, try dusting the top of the cake with powdered sugar once cooled.
  • Storage: This cake will store well at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week (if it lasts that long!) I typically store any leftover cake on the counter wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
  • Freezing Instructions: A baked and cooled cake (with or without icing) can be sliced and stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before slicing and serving.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hr
  • Category: Sourdough
  • Method: Baking

If you enjoyed this recipe for sourdough blueberry coffee cake, be sure to come back and leave a comment and 5 star rating! Tag me on Instagram with your creations @ourhandcraftedhomeblog.

rachael

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