Blueberry Coffee Cake

This family-favorite recipe for coffee cake is filled with blueberries and fresh nutmeg, then topped with a crumbly coating.

The food that resonates with us the most typically has some type of story. For me, this blueberry coffee cake is chock-full of nostalgia.

Over the years, I’ve realized that the food I make and the food I eat is 90% of the time related to my family. These recipes are filled with memories from a vacation, inspired by something my aunt made for a family party, or a favorite recipe my mom makes.

This coffee cake is part of that third category. My mom’s recipe for this blueberry coffee cake, handwritten on an index card full of notes and stained with vanilla, had been an all-time favorite. I was craving it so badly that I took a picture of the recipe card last time we were out to visit them in Utah. Less than a week after getting home I was making it.

This coffee cake is at its best straight from the oven with a cup of tea or coffee. But don’t worry, it’s also great as an afternoon snack when you need a little sweetness in your life.

Originally posted April 2018. Photography updated  August 2019.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

• Author: Sarah
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup buttermilk*
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons packed orange zest
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Topping

• 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teapoon nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9” x 9” pan and dust with flour.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and nutmeg. Using a fork, cut in butter until the size of small peas.
4. Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients and stir until blended. Gently fold in blueberries and pour into prepared pan.
5. In a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients. Pour topping evenly over coffee cake.
6. Bake 60-70 minutes until fully cooked but not browned.

Notes

*Make your own buttermilk by measuring one cup of milk and adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes and it’s ready to use!