Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake (Printer-friendly)

A tender cake packed with juicy blueberries and a buttery streusel topping, perfect for breakfast or brunch.

# 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, unthawed)

→ 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 Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch square baking pan, lining it with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.
04 - Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, mixing just until combined.
05 - Gently fold in the blueberries, taking care not to crush them.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly.
07 - Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt; cut in cold cubed butter with a pastry blender or fork until coarse crumbs form.
08 - Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over the batter in the pan.
09 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the topping is golden brown.
10 - Allow to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's impossibly tender inside with a buttery, crunchy topping that doesn't go soggy no matter how long it sits.
  • The blueberries burst with juice while baking, creating little pockets of flavor throughout every slice.
  • It comes together in under an hour and makes your kitchen smell like a bakery without any complicated techniques.
02 -
  • Frozen blueberries are your friend—never thaw them because the ice helps keep them from bleeding purple throughout the batter.
  • Don't skip the cooling time in the pan; I learned this the hard way by cutting too early and basically serving warm crumbles on a plate.
  • Brown sugar in the streusel is not negotiable; white sugar makes it sandy instead of crumbly.
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs and milk blend into the batter more smoothly, creating a finer crumb structure than cold ingredients would.
  • If your streusel starts to sink into the batter, chill it in the freezer for 5 minutes before sprinkling it on—the cold butter firms up and stays on top.
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