Blueberry Crumb Cake
Blueberry crumb cake with a soft vanilla base, jammy blueberries, and a thick, buttery crumble topping. This bakery-style cake is easy to make with fresh or frozen berries and bakes up incredibly moist with a crisp, golden crumb.
Equipment
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Blueberry Layer
- 2 1/2 cups frozen wild blueberries *see notes for fresh blueberries*
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 lemon juiced
Vanilla Cake
- 1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour *see notes for measuring*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted full-fat European butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large whole eggs room temperature, whisked together
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
Instructions
- Lightly grease a square 8x8 baking pan and line it with parchment paper on all sides. Preheat the oven to 350°F(180°C).
Make the Crumb Topping
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter until crumbs form. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
Prep the Blueberries
- In a medium bowl, combine the blueberries, sugar, flour, and lemon juice until evenly coated. Set aside.
Make the Cake
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Scrape down the bowl. Slowly stream in the whisked eggs and vanilla, mixing very well after each addition. Do not do this too quickly, or the mixture will curdle.
- Add in half of the dry ingredients and mix on low until almost combined. Then mix in the buttermilk, followed by the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Then evenly spread the blueberries over the batter. Finally, sprinkle the crumb topping over the berries.
- Bake for 65-75 minutes, or until the middle is puffy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for 20 minutes on a wire cooling rack, then remove it from the pan and let it cool completely.
Notes
*To substitute fresh blueberries, use 2 cups (280 g) and bake for 55-60 minutes.
*Measure your dry ingredients properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Never scoop a measuring cup into your flour, as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Baking times may vary: Frozen vs. fresh blueberries will bake differently! Because frozen berries are juicier and hold more water, the cake will take at least 10-15 minutes longer than with fresh berries.
