Description

This Bursting Blueberry Crumb Cake is a delightful combination of a lemon vanilla cake base topped with fresh blueberries coated in lemon juice and sugar, all crowned with a buttery, crumbly streusel. Perfectly moist and bursting with fresh blueberry flavor, this cake is great served warm with vanilla ice cream or enjoyed at room temperature.

Ingredients

Scale

Crumb Topping

2/3 cup plain/all-purpose flour
1/2 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/8 tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp (60g) melted butter
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Blueberry Toss

500 g (1 lb) fresh blueberries (see Note 1 for frozen substitution)
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
3 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour

Lemon Vanilla Cake Batter

1 1/3 cups plain/all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 large eggs
6 tbsp (90g) unsalted butter, melted then cooled slightly (do not use piping hot)
1/3 cup sour cream, at room temperature (can substitute plain yogurt)
1/3 cup milk, at room temperature (full fat preferred, low fat okay)

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) or 180°C fan-forced. Prepare a 20cm (8-inch) springform pan by lining it with baking paper as per your usual method.
Make Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add melted butter and vanilla extract, mixing gently with a fork until the mixture becomes lumpy and crumbly — be careful not to overmix.
Prepare Lemon Zest: Zest the lemon first and set aside for use in the batter. Reserve lemon juice separately to toss with blueberries.
Toss Blueberries: In a bowl, toss fresh blueberries with lemon juice to moisten them. Then sprinkle sugar and flour over the berries and toss gently until coated. Set aside to let flavors meld.
Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a larger bowl, whisk sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and eggs until the mixture becomes slightly foamy, about 15 seconds by hand. Add melted and cooled butter along with sour cream and whisk until smooth.
Combine Batter: Using a rubber spatula, fold in dry ingredients in three batches, mixing gently until mostly combined. Add milk and stir until just combined; some small lumps are fine and help keep the batter tender.
Assemble Cake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared springform pan. Scatter the coated blueberries evenly over the top, including any leftover flour from the blueberry bowl. Top with the crumb mixture, covering approximately 85% of the surface. Press any powdery bits together to form clumps for better texture.
Bake: Bake the cake for 65 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean; a slight blueberry smear on the skewer is acceptable.
Cool: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove the springform and allow the cake to cool another 10 minutes or more before cutting.
Serve: For the best experience, serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Alternatively, serve at room temperature with cream or ice cream as desired.

Notes

Note 1: If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw before tossing with lemon juice, sugar, and flour to prevent excess moisture.
Room temperature dairy ingredients help the batter blend smoothly for a tender crumb.
The crumb topping should remain lumpy to provide texture after baking.
Rotating the pan halfway through baking ensures even cooking and browning.
Using a springform pan makes removal easier without damaging the crumb topping.
Serving warm enhances the flavor and texture contrast, especially when paired with ice cream.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 65 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: blueberry crumb cake, lemon blueberry cake, crumb topping dessert, berry cake, easy blueberry cake