Description
This Bursting Blueberry Crumb Cake is a delightful blend of moist, tangy cake filled with fresh blueberries and topped with a sweet, cinnamon-spiced crumb topping. Perfect for breakfast or dessert, this recipe combines a tender crumb with juicy berries for a comforting treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Crumb Topping
- 2/3 cup plain/all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 60g (4 tbsp) melted butter
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Cake Batter
- 1 1/3 cups plain/all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 90g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted then cooled slightly
- 1/3 cup sour cream, at room temperature (can substitute plain yogurt)
- 1/3 cup milk, at room temperature (full fat preferred, low fat acceptable)
Blueberries
- 500g (1 lb) fresh blueberries (note: frozen blueberries can be used, see note)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
- 3 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare the pan. Set the oven to 200°C (400°F) or 180°C fan-forced. Line a 20cm springform pan with baking paper, ensuring the base and sides are well covered to prevent sticking.
- Make the crumb topping. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add melted butter and vanilla extract, mixing gently with a fork until the mixture is lumpy and crumbly, ensuring all flour is moistened but not overmixed.
- Prepare lemon zest and juice. Zest the lemon and set aside for use in the batter. Then measure the lemon juice separately to toss with the blueberries.
- Coat the blueberries. Toss the blueberries with lemon juice to coat their surface. Sprinkle them with sugar and flour, then gently toss again to evenly coat. Set aside to prevent them from sinking during baking.
- Mix the cake batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In another bowl, combine the melted butter, eggs, sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, and reserved lemon zest. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing gently until just combined to keep the batter light and tender.
- Assemble the cake. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Scatter the coated blueberries over the batter. Pour the remaining batter on top, spreading carefully to cover the berries. Finally, sprinkle the prepared crumb topping evenly over the surface.
- Bake the cake. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the topping browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil to prevent burning.
- Cool and serve. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before removing the springform ring. Serve warm or at room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- You can use frozen blueberries if fresh are unavailable; do not thaw them before tossing with lemon juice, sugar, and flour to prevent too much leakage during baking.
- Using full-fat milk and sour cream helps yield a moist and tender crumb, but low-fat versions can be substituted if preferred.
- Make sure the melted butter used in both the crumb topping and batter is cooled slightly to avoid cooking the eggs or curdling the batter.
- Line the springform pan thoroughly with baking paper to ease removal and keep the cake intact.
- If the crumb topping browns faster than the cake bakes, loosely cover with foil to protect it from burning.
