Blackberry Coffee Cake
Imagine biting into a slice of the softest, most tender coffee cake, dotted with juicy blackberries and crowned with a buttery spiced streusel. This easy blackberry coffee cake is the perfect treat for breakfast, brunch, or your next coffee break!
What sets this blackberry coffee cake apart is its irresistible layered texture. First a tender base of batter, then a crumbly cinnamon streusel, followed by juicy blackberries, and finally another layer of batter and streusel for the perfect finish. Each bite of this layered coffee cake delivers a delightful contrast of soft cake, sweet-tart berries, and buttery crunch.
Plus, it’s endlessly adaptable! Swap in your favorite warm spices, sprinkle toasted nuts over the streusel for extra richness, or dust the top with powdered sugar for an elegant finish. Whether served warm with coffee or as a post-dinner dessert, this cake is guaranteed to become a new favorite.
Looking for more scrumptious cakes to add to your morning and afternoon coffee rotation? Try this Easy Granny Cake, Sour Cream Blueberry Cake, or Cherry Ricotta Cake.
Why is it called “coffee cake”?
You might be wondering why this cake is called “coffee” cake when it has no coffee in it at all!
“Coffee cake” gets its name not from what’s in it but what it’s served with! This lightly sweet, streusel-topped treat was originally developed as a social snack, enjoyed alongside a cup of coffee. It’s said to have originated in Europe with the tradition being carried over to America where the name stuck even though the cake itself is completely caffeine-free.
Today, you’ll find an endless variety of coffee cake recipes online from chocolate-infused coffee cakes to those loaded with fresh fruit and even chopped candy, like my Heath Bar Coffee Cake! Enjoy this versatile treat as a scrumptious pick-me-up morning or afternoon snack or pair it with ice cream and whipped cream as an easy and satisfying dessert.
Ingredients needed to make blackberry coffee cake
For the Cake:
- Butter: Softened at room temperature. I prefer to bake with unsalted butter. If you opt for salted butter, then leave out the salt in this ingredient list.
- Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar is the common choice for cake batter. For a deeper flavor, swap 1/2 cup with light brown sugar.
- Eggs: Allow your eggs to reach room temperature for easy mixing. For an egg-free cake, use 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce per egg.
- Extracts: I’ve used a combination of vanilla and almond extracts for delicious depth of flavor. Feel free to use only one, if you prefer.
- Sour cream: Adds a tangy flavor to offset the sweetness in this cake and provides a good amount of moisture to the cake batter.
- All-purpose flour: For a lighter texture, substitute with a small portion of cake flour.
- Cornstarch: The added cornstarch creates a softer, more delicate texture in the cake.
- Baking powder: Reacts with the acidity in the sour cream for the perfect rise.
- Kosher salt: Balances sweetness. Leave this out if using salted butter in the batter.
- Blackberries: Use fresh blackberries and pat then dry before assembling the cake. If you can only source frozen blackberries, thaw them first and then gently pat them dry.
For the Streusel Topping:
- Packed brown sugar: Adds a rich, caramel-like flavor and enough moisture to prevent the streusel crumbs from falling apart.
- Flour: All-purpose is my choice of sturdy flour for streusel.
- Spices: Ground cardamom and cinnamon add lovely warmth to the streusel.
- Unsalted butter: It’s important that the butter is cold and cubed in order to create perfect streusel crumbs.
How do you make this blackberry coffee cake?
Prep & preheat:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal.
- Lightly coat the parchment paper with cooking spray as an extra step to prevent sticking.
Make the streusel topping:
- In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cardamom, and cinnamon.
- Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Transfer the streusel to the freezer to chill while preparing the cake batter.
Prepare the cake batter:
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Blend in the vanilla and almond extracts, then mix in the sour cream until fully incorporated (about 30–60 seconds).
- Add half the flour to the wet ingredients, followed by the cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and then the remaining flour. Mix on low until just combined, then finish folding with a spatula to avoid overmixing. The batter should be thick at this stage.
Assemble the cake:
- Spread half the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle half the streusel over the batter, then distribute the blackberries evenly on top.
- Dollop the remaining batter over the blackberries and gently spread to cover (it’s fine for some berries to peek through).
- Finish with the remaining streusel, scattering it evenly over the top.
Bake & cool:
- Bake the cake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Serving
Serve this scrumptious blackberry coffee cake as a fruity dessert with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream.
Of course, what would this layered coffee cake be without a mug of hot coffee or cup of tea as a rewarding breakfast or afternoon snack?!
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store leftover berry coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. The flavors deepen over time!
- Freezing: Wrap the cooled coffee cake in plastic and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving again.
- Make ahead: You can bake the cake ahead of time and even freeze it for up to a month before planning to reheat it gently in the oven or serve it at room temperature.
- Fruity twist: If you don’t like blackberries, make this coffee cake with different types of berries, sliced or chopped apples, banana, and pear.
- Nuts: Sprinkle some toasted pecans or walnuts along with the streusel topping as you assemble the cake. It will provide a delicious nutty flavor and texture.
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to make the cake batter and streusel topping. Xanthan gum may be needed for the cake batter.
- Double the recipe: Bake in two pans when catering to a crowd (adjust baking time by 5-10 minutes).
- Don’t overmix: Be careful that you don’t overmix the cake batter or you will create an overly dense cake. I use a spatula to gently fold the batter once the ingredients have just been combined.
- Fresh blackberries: Always use in-season blackberries, bought from your local grocery store or farmer’s market for the best flavor. If blackberries are out of season where you are, use frozen and thawed (patted dry) blackberries.
- Coat the berries in flour: To help prevent the blackberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan, lightly toss them in flour before adding them to the cake batter.
- Optional: Add a pretty dusting of powdered sugar over the top of your cooled berry coffee cake. A drizzle of melted white chocolate is also delicious!
More coffee cakes you may want to try:
- Banana Coffee Cake
- Chocolate Coffee Cake
- Applesauce Coffee Cake
- Rhubarb Buttermilk Coffee Cake
- Pie Bars
Get the Recipe:
Blackberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Streusel Topping:
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Blackberry Coffee Cake:
- 6 Tbsp butter, softened (room temp)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ cup blackberries
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare an 8×8 baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. I like to spray with cooking spray after it’s lined.
- For the topping: In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, cardamom, and cinnamon. Add the 1/4 cup of butter into the dry mixture and using your fingers, mix until it’s crumbly. Place the streusel in the freezer while you mix the cake batter.
- For the blackberry coffee cake: Using a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer, cream together the 6 Tbsp butter and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Scrape up and down the bowl once, if needed to fully combine the first egg and add the vanilla extract and the almond extract and beat on medium until well blended. Next, add the sour cream and beat on medium until combined, about 30-60 seconds.
- Pour about half the flour into the wet ingredients, then add the cornstarch, baking powder, kosher salt, and remaining flour. Mix on low until combined. Use a spatula to finish mixing until just combined. The batter will be nice and thick.
- Spread about half the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with half of the cold streusel mixture and the blackberries. Add the remaining batter in spoonful’s on top of the blackberries and spread evenly if you can. Then top with remaining streusel.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan set on a wire cooling rack.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
