Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

This bakery-worthy Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake features a tender crumb, a rich cheesecake ribbon, bursts of juicy berries, and a crisp streusel topping. Perfect for brunch or a weekend morning treat.

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1

Cooling time 2

Total Time 3 25

Equipment

9X13 baking pan
Stand mixer
Instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

Cream cheese topping:

▢ 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
▢ 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 g
▢ 1 large egg room temperature
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
▢ 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
▢ 1/2 cup blueberries 75 g

Instructions

Prepare the Pan and Build the Crumb Base

Heat your oven to 350°F and lightly coat a 9x13x2-inch baking pan with cooking spray. You can line it with parchment if you like, but I usually skip it because this cake releases well once cooled.
Place the 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Add the fresh lemon zest and rub it into the sugar with your fingers until the mixture feels slightly damp and smells intensely citrusy, then add the flour.
Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes, add it to the bowl, and mix slowly at first, then on medium, until the butter disappears into the flour and the mixture looks like damp sand. Scoop out about 1 1/3 cups, about 175 g, and set it aside, then stir that reserved portion with the flaky sea salt and toasted sliced almonds for the crumb topping.
Add the baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt to the main bowl and mix on low for 15 seconds, just long enough to distribute everything evenly through the dry mixture.

Mix the Batter and Cream Cheese Layer

Whisk the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a measuring cup or medium bowl until smooth and fully blended. With the mixer on low, pour that liquid into the flour mixture gradually, then raise the speed to medium.
Let the mixer run for a full minute until the cake batter comes together and looks mostly smooth. A few small lumps are perfectly fine, and because the flour is already coated with butter, you do not need to worry about overmixing here.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan in an even layer. Instead of folding in the 1 1/2 cups of blueberries, gently press them into the top of the batter so they stay suspended better as the cake rises.
Using the same mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom on low speed until mostly smooth. It does not need to be perfectly silky, since this layer will bake under the crumb topping.

Layer and Bake

Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the cake batter and spread it gently, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the edges so the cream cheese layer stays tucked inside the cake as it bakes. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries over the cream cheese.
Sprinkle the reserved almond crumb topping evenly over the top. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the center reaches an internal temperature of 205°F to 210°F on an instant read thermometer.

Cool Before Serving

Let the cake cool completely before slicing. It is tempting to dig in early, but that cooling time helps the cream cheese layer set and gives you clean, beautiful squares instead of a soft collapse.

Notes

Room Temperature Ingredients: If your cream cheese and eggs are still cold, place the foil-wrapped cream cheese and the eggs in a bowl of hot tap water for 10 minutes. It is a simple baker's shortcut that makes mixing much smoother.

Blueberry Prep: Frozen blueberries work well here, but they should go in straight from the freezer. Once they thaw, they release a lot of liquid and can streak the batter purple.

Doneness Test: Trust the instant read thermometer over the toothpick test for this recipe. With a wet cream cheese layer and juicy fruit, a toothpick can be misleading even when the cake is properly baked. Aim for an internal temperature of 205°F to 210°F.

Storage: Because this cake contains a cream cheese layer, it needs to be refrigerated rather than left on the counter. Wrap the pan tightly or transfer slices to an airtight container. It keeps well for up to 5 days.

Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.

Keyword Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake, coffee cake, cream cheese layer, streusel topping

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