Blueberry Breakfast Cake
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This blueberry breakfast cake is an tender yellow cake made with a bit of lemon zest, and bursting with fresh blueberries! A little sugar sprinkled on top before baking gives the cake a crunchy top. It’s an easy cake recipe perfect for brunch, afternoon tea or a simple dessert to serve guests.
I’ve always had a soft spot for those old-fashioned breakfast cakes—the kind my grandmother would casually slice and leave on the counter, somehow expecting it to last the whole day. (It never did.)
This blueberry breakfast cake is exactly that kind of bake. It reminds me of the crumbly, tender cakes I grew up with, but over the years I’ve tweaked and tested it until it’s become one of my favorite “I want something cozy and homemade without a lot of fuss” recipes.
I love that it uses a mix of butter and oil—it keeps the cake wonderfully tender without sacrificing that classic buttery flavor. And the buttermilk gives it such a beautiful, soft crumb. I used my vanilla layer cake recipe for this recipe. I have used it for my caramel cake and this cinnamon roll cake.
If you’re new to breakfast cakes, this is such a perfect place to start because the method is simple and forgiving, and you end up with something that looks (and tastes!) like you spent the whole morning on it.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour – Use a kitchen scale, or spoon and level if using a measuring cup.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter – I used unsalted butter, but salted butter also works. Reduce the salt.
- Neutral oil – Use canola, vegetable, or grapeseed all work.
- Sugar
- Lemon zest
- Eggs – Use room temperature eggs blend more easily into the batter.
- Vanilla
- Buttermilk – If you have run out you can make your own homemade buttermilk.
- Blueberries – fresh is best here; toss them in a little flour so they don’t sink. If you are using frozen blueberries, do not thaw first.
How to Make the Cake
Start by preparing your cake pan. I like using an 8- or 9-inch round pan. Give it a light coating of butter and flour, then line the bottom with parchment. This seems like an extra step, but it guarantees your cake slips right out later—one less thing to stress about.
Whisk your dry ingredients together in a small bowl. This helps everything distribute evenly so you don’t end up with clumps of baking powder or uneven salt. It also keeps you from overmixing once everything comes together.
In a larger bowl, cream the butter, oil, sugar, and lemon zest. I go for about two to three minutes with a mixer until everything looks pale and smooth. I like to use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed. The mixture will be light in color and fluffy in texture.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each and scraping down the bowl. This helps the batter remain smooth and emulsified. Stir in the vanilla.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk. Start with the flour mixture, then half the buttermilk, more flour, the remaining buttermilk, and finish with the last bit of flour. As soon as that final streak of flour disappears, stop mixing. Overmixing creates a tough cake, and we’re aiming for tender and delicate.
Then you want to add in almost (but not all!) of the blueberries. You want to add 1 1/2 cups into the batter, but reserve the last 1/2 cup of the blueberries to sprinkle on top. Fold in your blueberries gently. Leave any extra flour behind so it doesn’t dry out the batter.
Spread the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top. Scatter the remaining blueberries over the surface and sprinkle with sugar. By saving some of the blueberries for the top means you will get even distribution of the blueberries and they won’t sink all to the bottom. And that little bit of sugar creates the prettiest, lightly crisp top.
Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Every oven runs differently, so start checking a bit early. If the top is browning too quickly, lightly tent the cake with foil.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about five minutes before turning it out onto a rack. Peel off the parchment and let it finish cooling completely. It slices beautifully once cool—but if you sneak a warm piece, I certainly won’t judge.
How to Store It
This cake keeps wonderfully thanks to the oil and buttermilk.
- Room temperature: Store tightly covered for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Keeps well for 4–5 days. I like to warm slices for 10–15 seconds before serving.
- Freezer: Wrap slices individually and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave.
If anything, the flavors deepen after the first day, making this one of those “even better tomorrow” cakes—if it lasts that long.
More Recipes To Try
If you are craving more simple no fussy cakes then my sock it to me cake is the answer. It’s an easy bundt cake with a ribbon of pecans and cinnamon in the middle!
I also love my gluten free clementine cake made with whole clementines and almond flour, and topped with chocolate ganache. And another great cake to serve guests if you want something a bit more elevated is my caramel cake recipe made with tender yellow cake and silky caramel frosting that’s made on the stovetop.
Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons (195 g) all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (½ stick, 57 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 mL) neutral-tasting oil (I used canola oil)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar plus extra for sprinkling on top
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cups (180 mL) buttermilk room temperature
- 2 cups fresh blueberries divided, tossed in 1 Tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 8 or 9-inch square pan. You can line the pan with parchment paper if you want to remove the cake after baking. For a thicker cake use an 8-inch pan. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons (195 g) all purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt
- Cream butter oil and sugar. In a second mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter, oil, sugar, and lemon zest together until smooth and combined for about 2 to 3 minutes. ¼ cup (½ stick, 57 g) unsalted butter ¼ cup (60 mL) neutral-tasting oil (I used canola oil) 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar Zest of 1 lemon
- Add eggs, vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. Add vanilla extract. Beat to combine. 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Alternate dry ingredients with buttermilk. Alternate adding the flour mixture with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not overmix. Stop mixing once the last of the flour has been mixed in. Fold in 1 ½ cups of the blueberries (leave any excess flour behind in the bowl). ¾ cups (180 mL) buttermilk
- Bake. Spoon cake batter into the prepared cake pan, smooth the top. Sprinkle on the remaining ½ cup of blueberries. Sprinkle on about a tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for about 40-45 minutes (it will take slightly longer in an 8-inch cake pan, and if you use frozen berries). Start checking at 35 minutes. The cake is done when it's golden brown on top and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Remove cake from the oven. Cool completely then slice and serve.
Notes
- Blueberries – Toss them in a little flour so they don’t sink. If you are using frozen blueberries, do not thaw first. Cut large blueberries in half.
- Room temperature: Store tightly covered for up to 2 days.
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- Freezer: Wrap slices individually and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave.
