This blueberry coffee cake recipe is ideal for summer when you have a flat of fresh blueberries idling on your counter. But if you’re reading this in the dead of winter, don’t worry: It works with frozen blueberries too. And yes, you can also swap out the fruit for an equal amount of raspberries, blackberries, currants, or whatever else looks good at the farmers market.
Ingredients
8–12 servings
Crumb Topping
½
¼
½
¼
3
Cake and assembly
1½
1
½
½
¼
¾
6
½
2
1
1
2
1
Preparation
-
Crumb Topping
Step 1
Whisk ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. (packed; 80 g) dark brown sugar, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. plus ⅛ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl. Stir in ¼ cup pecans, toasted, chopped. Add 3 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into ¼” cubes; using your fingertips, work butter into dry ingredients until large, moist crumbs form. Set topping aside.
Do Ahead: Crumb topping an be made 5 days ahead. Cover and chill.
-
Cake and assembly
Step 2
Place rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 350°. Coat 8x8x2″ metal baking dish with nonstick spray. Line bottom with parchment paper and spray paper; set aside. Whisk 1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp. cornmeal, ½ tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. baking soda, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Step 3
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar and 6 Tbsp. (¾ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, in a large bowl until light and fluffy, 3–4 minutes. Beat in ½ tsp. vanilla extract. Add 2 large eggs, room temperature, one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until mixture is pale and fluffy, 3–4 minutes longer.
Step 4
With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to bowl in 3 additions, alternating with 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature, in 2 additions, beginning and ending with reserved dry ingredients. Pour half of cake batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Whisk remaining 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon in a small bowl; sprinkle evenly over batter in pan. Spoon remaining batter over; smooth top.
Step 5
Toss 2 cups blueberries with 1 Tbsp. panko in a small bowl; scatter evenly over batter. Sprinkle crumb topping over blueberries.
Step 6
Bake cake until top is golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 55–65 minutes. Let cool completely in pan.
Do Ahead: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
