Is anyone else confused by the name “coffee cake”, considering that most coffee cakes don’t actually contain any coffee? If you are, don’t be ashamed – I was in that same boat for a while! It turns out that, contrary to their name, coffee cakes don’t actually contain coffee, but are intended to be eaten while you are drinking coffee. Ahh, makes sense now, right? Even though all cakes could technically be coffee cakes (since all cakes taste good with coffee!), coffee cakes refer to specific cakes that usually contain a streusel topping, spices (like cinnamon), or fruit and nuts.
Going back centuries ago to Germany and other European countries, recipes for coffee cake tended to be a bit drier and crumbly, which is why the people started drinking coffee with those cakes. And as Europeans left for America, they brought their concept of coffee cake with them, where it ended up evolving into a very popular cake.
Today, there are all sorts of different flavors and varieties of coffee cakes. Traditional recipes have been modified to include sour cream, cream cheese, or fruits, and they can be made into different shapes, such as muffins, ring-shaped cakes, layered cakes, and so on.
Now that our little history lesson is over, let’s get back to this coffee cake. This recipe not only tastes great and makes a perfect dessert or breakfast, but it’s also filled with a lot of special memories for me. In fact, this cake is one of the first deserts I made when I started to really find my interest in baking and cooking – way back in May, 2012.
The very first time I made this, I remember my dad taking a bite and saying he really enjoyed it. The more slices he had, the more he mentioned how great it was. And coming from my dad, this meant a lot, because my dad never complains about any food. He’ll eat whatever is placed in front of him and will say that anything tastes good, but when he mentions over and over again that something is good, you know you’ve found a good recipe!
About one week after we polished off the cake, our close family friend (who happened to be my dad’s co-worker), had a birthday. We wanted to do something special for him, so I asked my dad if I could bake him a cake that my dad could bring to his office and share with everyone. My dad wasn’t completely sold on this idea, considering he’s not the type to bring in baked goods or sit around socializing with everyone in the break room. However, he finally agreed to the idea, but only if I made the blueberry lemon coffee cake again. It was a deal. I was in!
True to his word, my dad took the coffee cake into work and set it out for his co-workers to enjoy. When he came home that evening, he reported back that everyone absolutely loved it and that it was gone in a very short time. Most importantly, though, the birthday boy (the co-worker for whom I made this cake), really enjoyed it and was able to take some home for his family to enjoy.
Not long after that, I received a thank-you card from Todd (our family friend), saying that the cake was delicious and that his family loved it. He went on and raved about how great it tasted, and after him and my dad expressing their love for this cake, I knew I had a good recipe!
Since then, I have made this cake numerous times, including a few times for Todd and his family. And every time I saw him after that, he always brought up “the really good blueberry coffee cake you made for my birthday”. Because of this, I can’t help but smile and think of Todd, our beloved family friend, every time I make this recipe!
Every time I make this cake, I always use a 9×13″ baking dish, but I’m sure it could also be made into little loaves or even a ring cake. I can’t say for certain, though, since I’ve never given it a try.
Once you take a bite into this cake, you’ll realize why so many people love it: it’s dense and moist in the middle and topped with a flavorful topping that gives it the perfect amount of crunch. The lemon glaze does a wonderful job of tying all the flavors together, and it’s quite literally the icing on top of the cake that makes it complete!
Even though this is considered a cake, it actually makes a great breakfast, as well. That way, you can get the full “coffee cake” experience and have a slice of this along with your morning cup of coffee!
Blueberry season is quickly approaching us, so if you’re in an area where you’re lucky enough to be able to pick some fresh berries, take advantage of that and use them to make this delicious coffee cake! It’s the perfect summer dessert or breakfast!
Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed tightly
- 3 eggs
- 7 TBSP unsalted butter melted
- 3 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
- 1 heaping cup blueberries
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
- 1 TBSP unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional
Glaze (Optional)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×13″ glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the topping and mix well. Set aside for now.
- Cake: combine the buttermilk, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and melted butter. Mix well, and then add dry ingredients and lemon zest. Mix until everything is well-incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries and stir.
- Pour the cake batter into greased pan. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake batter.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top is starting to brown toward the end but the center is not cooked, loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil and continue baking until center is cooked through.
- Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, make the glaze: whisk together all the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Drizzle the glaze over top of the cooled cake.
