Alexandra's Kitchen

A food blog with mostly simple, always seasonal recipes.

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

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Close-up overhead view of buttermilk blueberry cake

Buttermilk is magic. It turns everything into gold: super-moist, super-delicious gold.

This morning I awoke needing a simple, summery, cake-like-but-not-dessert-like breakfast treat. One of Ben’s friends had crashed here last night, and I thought it only appropriate to treat him to a proper breakfast.

In other words, I was craving sugar and carbs. The truth is I’ve been craving sugar and carbs and a cake like this for months. But seriously, who doesn’t need a good, seasonal, berry cake recipe in their morning-treat repertoire?

Nobody. And I think I’ve found the recipe that fits the bill. On an old photocopied sheet of paper in my mother’s hand writing, I spotted a note: “Baby Boy’s Favorite.”

Oh Baby Boy. Baby Boy is my younger brother, my parents’ favorite child, and one of the most satisfying people to cook for. If it was Baby Boy’s favorite cake, it would soon be mine, too. This cake is delectable! I think you’ll like it, too.

(And if you’re looking for more fruit options, this cake is so good with cranberries.)

Five Favorite Recipes Made with Buttermilk

Bonus: Favorite Buttermilk Dressing for Slaw

Overhead close-up of buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake in glass baking pan

Mise en place: ingredients and tools

Side view close-up of Lemon-Blueberry Breakfast Cake on wooden cutting board

Side close-up of Lemon-Blueberry Breakfast Cake in glass oven-safe baking pan

Overhead close-up of buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake in glass oven-safe baking dish

Print

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

★★★★★

4.8 from 164 reviews
  • Author: Alexandra's Kitchen
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12 to 16 pieces
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Description

This cake is a long-time family favorite. My mother made it for my siblings and me when we were young, and every time I pull it out of the oven, clichè as it sounds, I am reminded of summer mornings in my childhood kitchen. It’s simple, adaptable, and make aheadable 🙂

Over the years, many questions have been asked, which I’ve answered as best as I can in the comments. I’ve answered a few FAQs in the notes below the recipe as well.

Also, if you’re new here, welcome! You’ve landed on one of the two most popular recipes on Alexandra’s Kitchen, the other being My Mother’s Peasant Bread, which led to the creation of my cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs, which includes 40 simple bread recipes and 70+ recipes for eating them up. (If you love baking, you’ll love this no-knead bread.)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (8 tablespoons | 4 oz | 113 g ) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • zest from 1 large lemon
  • 1 cup (214 g)  sugar (set aside 1 tablespoon for sprinkling)
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour (set aside 1/4 cup of this to toss with the blueberries)
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt (I like 1.25 tsp)
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over
  • ½ cup buttermilk, see FAQs below

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, cream the butter with the lemon zest and the 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon of sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter, and stir with spatula to incorporate. Add all of the buttermilk. Stir. Add remaining flour, and stir until flour is absorbed. Fold in the blueberries. (Leave excess flour from the blueberry bowl behind.)
  4. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar—I prefer this 8-inch pan because I like the thicker pieces) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. If you have parchment paper on hand, line the pan with parchment on top of the butter. Spread the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the batter with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes — a 9-inch pan will be done in closer to 35 minutes; an 8-inch pan usually needs 40 to 45 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary, especially if you’re using a smaller pan such as an 8×8-inch.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

FAQs

Can this be made ahead of time? Yes. Prepare the batter, spread it into the prepared baking pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge. In the morning, if time permits, bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar, then bake as directed. It may need more time if the batter was refrigerated.

Can this be doubled? Yes. Bake it in a 9×13-inch pan … like this pan from Pyrex. Increase the baking time but begin checking at the 35 minute mark.

What if I don’t have buttermilk? Use 2% or whole milk or make your own buttermilk: place 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Fill cup with milk until it reaches the 1/2-cup line. Let stand for five minutes. Use as directed.

Can this be made gluten free? Yes. I like Cup4Cup and King Arthur Flour gluten-free flour mixes, but use whatever you like, keeping in mind that all gluten-free flours absorb liquid differently, so you may need to adjust to get the batter to the right consistency.

Should the batter be thick? Yes. As with all baking, I highly recommend using a scale to measure the flour. I have this one, which costs under $11.

Can I bake this into muffins? Yes. Follow the baking directions on this post.

Can I use frozen berries? Yes. No need to thaw.

What other fruit could I use? Really any fresh fruit or berries. Around the winter holidays, I make this cranberry-orange buttermilk breakfast cake.

  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: breakfast, cake, blueberries, lemon, brunch

Posted By: · In: Breakfast, Cakes, Easter, Fall, Father's Day, Favorites, Fourth of July, Holidays, Memorial Day, Mother's Day, Spring, Summer

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{ 2,846 Responses }

  1. Leslie Smith says

    I’ve baked this recipe twice and it comes out perfect each time!!! It’s so delicious and satisfying! Thank you so very much for sharing this. I’ve cooked it on Christmas morning two years in a row and the whole family loves it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  3. Amanda says

    This is absolutely delicious. I will make it again and again. May I ask, if it sinks slightly in the middle, is that a sign that it is a bit underbaked?

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • alexandra says

      So happy to hear this, Amanda! And yes, regarding the middle, though sinking in the middle isn’t necessarily bad … it it’s undercooked in the middle, that’s not ideal 🙂

      Reply

  4. Ana Klein says

    I made this cake today. It’s very yummy!
    I loved all the blueberries that it calls for. I think there is a mistake in two of the ingredients: baking powder and salt. I only put 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt.

    Reply

  5. Debbie says

    Fabulous! This is a keeper recipe I will definitely make again. I screwed up and used a cup of buttermilk instead of 1/2 (actually 1 C skim milk with 1 T vinegar). Recipe turned out fantastic, super moist and yummy. I had frozen fresh blueberries over the summer and I folded those into the batter frozen after I tossed them in the flour. Everyone loved this, tastes like high end bakery blueberry muffins in a coffee cake form.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  9. Sophia says

    The flavor of this recipe was phenomenal! Although the batter was super super thick and it came out crumbly. Any tips?

    Reply

    • alexandra says

      The batter is definitely on the thick side. Crumbly is accurate as well. If you’re looking for less crumbly in texture, you could decrease the amount of flour by 1/4 cup.

      Reply

  10. Doremitchr says

    It’s a snow/ice day here in the midwest. I just made this and it’s wonderful! The addition of the lemon zest is fantastic! Word of advice…. don’t base whether it’s done by the number of minutes it has baked. Use a toothpick to test and see. Mine took longer than the time mentioned but it is perfect. It wouldn’t have been done if I just judged it by how long it had been in the oven. This recipe is a KEEPER and I will definitely be making it again. YUM!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  11. Cheryl Amr says

    I have made this many times and it always turns out great. I have one question?? When you read the ingredients on the Pinterest post it says 1 cup of butter. Then when you go to your website the ingredient list says 1/2 cup of butter. I always follow the one on your website. Just wanted you to know. Great recipe. Family loves it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  12. Darlene Clay says

    Quick, Easy, and Oh So Tasty! Just took this out of the oven and it is delicious! A definite keeper!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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