Blueberry Buckle Streusel Topping (Printable Version)

Tender coffee cake bursting with blueberries and a crisp buttery streusel topping.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1/2 cup whole milk
06 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - 2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen, unthawed acceptable)

→ Streusel Topping

10 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
11 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
14 - Pinch of salt

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
04 - Beat in egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
05 - Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Gently fold fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter without overmixing.
07 - In a separate bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
08 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the batter.
09 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and streusel is golden brown.
10 - Allow to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 20 minutes of prep, so you can have warm cake on the table before anyone finishes their first cup of coffee.
  • The streusel stays crispy and buttery even as the cake beneath stays impossibly tender and moist.
  • It's forgiving enough for a weekday breakfast but elegant enough to bring to a gathering.
02 -
  • If you skip the parchment paper or don't grease well enough, you'll spend 20 minutes chiseling cake out of the pan—learn from my mistakes and use both.
  • Thawing frozen blueberries before you add them releases their juice all over the batter, creating purple streaks that look pretty but taste watered down; frozen and unthawed is the move.
  • The streusel needs cold butter, not soft—if your butter is warm, it melts into the flour and you end up with a batter-like paste instead of those precious little crumbs.
03 -
  • Let your softened butter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before creaming—it should be soft enough to press your finger into, but still hold its shape.
  • If your pan is dark or nonstick, reduce the baking time by 5 minutes to prevent the bottom from overbaking and the streusel from burning.
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