Blueberry Lemon Crumb Cake is a soft, moist cake loaded with fresh blueberries and lemon flavor with a thick streusel topping. This is a specific type of coffee cake, also called a Streuselkuchen, known for its extra thick buttery crumb topping. Once I made a Crumb Cake, I knew I had to try it with other flavors like this one and my Banana Crumb Cake.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Butter: Like many of my recipes, I used unsalted butter. This gives you, the baker, control over the salt in the recipe. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the amount of salt added.
Sugar: For the crumb topping, you will need both granulated sugar and light brown sugar. The cake calls for just granulated sugar.
Cake Flour: We tested the cake with both all-purpose and cake flour. Cake flour was the clear winner when it came to a soft, perfectly tender crumb. Cake flour is also used in the crumb topping. If you don’t have any on hand, it’s easy to make homemade cake flour to use in a pinch.
Lemon Flavor: Get a large lemon to zest and juice. You will need 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of juice. Zest the lemon before juicing.
Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are best in this cake. If using frozen berries, do not let them thaw; add them to the batter frozen. Frozen blueberries may add more moisture to the cake, so adjust the baking time accordingly.
Can I Line The Pan With Parchment Paper? (Why Use Aluminum Foil?)
We tested the cake by baking it in a pan with parchment paper and then with aluminum foil. Using aluminum foil gave us the results we were looking for in the cake.
✅ Aluminum Foil: Aluminum foil reflected more heat. This results in a perfectly browned and crispy crumb topping.
🆗 Parchment Paper: You could use parchment paper to line the pan. But, the texture of the cake was different and the crumb topping did not brown and crisp as well.
How To Store Blueberry Lemon Crumb Cake
Blueberry Lemon Crumb Cake is best enjoyed within a couple of days of baking the cake. Store it covered at room temperature. You could keep it in the refrigerator for slightly longer storage, but that may dry out the cake faster.
Can I Freeze Crumb Cake?
Yes, you can freeze crumb cake. However, it may change the texture of the crumb topping a bit. To freeze the cake, first, let it cool completely after it has baked. Next, wrap the cake securely in plastic wrap. I like to add another layer of aluminum foil for added protection. Store it in a freezer-safe sealable bag or container. Label and date the packaging; the cake can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. When ready to enjoy, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Blueberry Lemon Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (67 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¾ cups (199.5 g) cake flour
Cake
- 1 ¼ cups cake flour
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (82 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, about 1 large lemon
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (296 g) fresh blueberries
- confectioners' sugar, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with aluminum foil, including up the sides, leaving extra foil hanging over the edges. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Crumb Topping
- To a medium bowl, add butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add the cake flour. Stir until the mixture is completely combined. Be careful not to overmix or it can become like a paste.
Cake
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Mix on low speed to combine.
- Add butter pieces, one at a time, mixing until there are no visible butter pieces and it has a very fine crumb, about 1 minute.
- Add buttermilk, whole egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
- Pour batter evenly into the prepared pan, spreading with a spatula if needed.
- Sprinkle the blueberries evenly on top of the batter.
- Using your hands or a fork, break up the topping into pieces. Spread the topping in an even layer on top of the blueberries.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until crumbs are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then, using the excess aluminum foil, lift the cake out of the pan to continue cooling.
- Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
The texture of this cake is what really sold me. I love the soft blueberry lemon cake, in contrast with the crunchy and sweet crumb topping.
Elizabeth
I am not even a fan of blueberry lemon desserts, but I absolutely loved this crumb cake! The lemon was subtle, but still there. And, there are plenty of blueberries, which I appreciate! I recommend enjoying a piece with a cup of coffee.
Rachael
Lemon and blueberry go so well together, always. And, this perfect crumb cake is no exception with that flavor combination. The crumb topping really brings this over the top.
Annabelle
I really enjoy the combination of blueberry and lemon, and this cake really does well at showcasing it!
I thouroughly enjoy your recipes.
Thank you for sharing them.
Just wondering if you could use pie filling instead of fresh fruit?