Blueberry Crumb Cake

This blueberry crumb cake is moist, tender, and bursting with blueberries. It’s topped with a generous layer of crunchy, sweet, and buttery streusel. This quintessential summer sweet treat is perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or a snack.

My husband and love blueberries so much! Our refrigerator is always stocked with cartonfuls during summertime. The hubs eats them like popcorn, and I  like to incorporate them into baked goods.

I love making Muffin Top Blueberry Muffins, so I make them year-round, and my Banana Blueberry Coconut Bread makes a lovely gift that anyone would appreciate.

This particular blueberry crumb cake is tender, thanks to the addition of sour cream. The abundance of blueberries not only enhances the flavor but also boosts the nutritional value—making it almost healthy (I wish!). Honestly, I prefer my blueberry cakes and muffins to be loaded with blueberries. Some might say I add “too many blueberries,” but for me, there’s no such thing! I usually add up to 3 cups of blueberries to this cake, but you can reduce the amount if you prefer.

What is there to love?

• The cake is light and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness.
• This streusel topping adds extra sweetness and contrasting crunch. It’s made with brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
• A combination of vanilla and almond extract imparts great flavor. The addition of almond extract adds a sweet, fruity, nutty essence.
• Jam is packed with copious amounts of fresh sweet, and juicy blueberries.

Ingredients needed:

• All-purpose flour—measure correctly to ensure tender and moist cake. To correctly measure flour: fluff with a fork or whisk, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, and then level off with a butter knife.
• Butter—room temperature for the cake and melted for the crumb topping.
• Sugar—granulated for the cake. The crumb topping contains both brown and granulated sugar.
• Eggs—use room temperature to ensure that the batter creams smoothly.
• Almond extract—for flavoring.
• Vanilla extract—for flavoring.
• Cinnamon—just a hint for a depth of flavor.
• Baking powder—for leavening.
• Baking soda—for added leavening. It reacts with the acidic sour cream to form carbon dioxide.
• Salt—for a depth of flavor and to balance the sweetness.
• Sour cream—makes the cake tender. The fat in sour cream shortens gluten strands, making the cake more tender. Use full-fat sour cream for best results, but light cream can also be used.
• Blueberries—fresh in season is best. They don’t bleed into the batter like frozen, but frozen is absolutely a good substitute.

Equipment needed:

• 9-inch springform pan—this springform pan is 9.3 x 9.3 x 2.8 inches, deeper than a regular 9-inch cake pan. Springform pans have removable sides to allow for ease in unmolding. I have this particular Cuisinart pan and love it. It’s a beautiful champagne color and is heavy-duty.
• Electric mixer—this 5-speed KitchenAid mixer comes in different colors and is highly rated.
• Silicone spatula—for mixing the batter and scraping the bowl. I have this silicone spatula set and use it all the time. It’s heat-safe up to 600° F.

Recipe highlights:

• Combine melted butter, sugars, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Work until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Set aside.

• Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk.
• In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and almond extract. Blend.
• Alternate adding flour and sour cream, starting with 1/3 of the flour followed by 1/2 of the sour cream.
• Fold in blueberries. Scoop into a buttered and floured 9-inch round springform pan.

• Cover the batter with crumb topping.
• Bake at 350° F for 55-65 minutes.
• Cool completely in a pan on a wire rack.
• Refer to the recipe card below for detailed instructions.

View the how-to video or save it for later with this Pinterest Pin.

How to have the best blueberries year-round:

Freezing fresh peak-of-the-season blueberries in the summertime is the best way to have sweet and juicy blueberry baked goods year-round. Every summer, I make a ritual of freezing batches of blueberries to hold me over throughout the year.

It’s very easy to do. Working in batches, wash and rinse blueberries. Line the baking sheet(s) with layers of paper towel. Add blueberries, leaving enough space in between for them to completely air dry properly. Once completely dried, transfer to a freezer bag(s). Zip closed, extracting as much air out as you can. Lay the bag flat, distributing the blueberries as evenly as you can. Avoid placing anything over blueberries before they are completely frozen to prevent them from bursting. Frozen blueberries keep well for 12 months when stored correctly.

Can you use frozen blueberries?

For the most part, it is safe to use frozen blueberries instead of fresh in baking. My one caution is they add a little extra moisture and will bleed into the batter…no matter what you do. Keep frozen until you are ready to add to the cake batter.

How to store:

Store the cake right in the cake pan, with sides on and tightly covered, for up to 3 days at room temperature. It can also be stored, unmolded, in an airtight container.

I prefer to store my cake refrigerated for a longer shelf life (up to 6-7 days), especially when it’s really humid. The cake firms up when chilled. To restore the fluffiness, allow it to come to room temperature before eating. Alternatively, microwave slices for 15-25 seconds, depending on the size of the cake and microwave strength. But it’s also delicious cold (my husband prefers it chilled)!

Can the cake be frozen?

Yes! This blueberry cake freezes nicely. Wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag, an airtight container, or aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Helpful tips:

• It’s been recommended to coat the blueberries in flour prior to adding to the batter to keep them suspended throughout the cake. To be honest, I don’t think that’s completely true. I don’t notice much difference using flour as opposed to without—a good portion still gravitate towards the bottom. My blueberries tend to gravitate towards the bottom. Regardless, that extra step doesn’t hurt. Use about 2 tablespoons of the flour measured out for the cake. Be sure to return the excess flour to the cake when adding blueberries to the batter.
• Use room temperature eggs, butter, and sour cream for the cake to make a smooth batter. Don’t leave the sour cream at room temp for more than one hour. If room temp is above 90°F, it’s safer to reduce the time.
• If using a regular round 9-inch style cake pan, make sure to use one with deep sides. One with at least 2.75 inches deep or greater is best.

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