Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake
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If you’re looking for a delicious, seasonal, berry cake recipe to add to your morning-treat repertoire, this buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake is perfect! The batter can be made ahead of time and stashed in the fridge, allowing you to bake the cake off in the morning. What’s more? It freezes beautifully!
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: buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake. 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.)
PS: Divine Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
Five Favorite Recipes Made with Buttermilk
- One-Bowl Buttermilk Birthday Cake
- Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Simple Rhubarb Compote
- Tartine’s Buttermilk-Blueberry Scones
- Joanne Chang’s Buttermilk Biscuits with Maple and Sea Salt
- One-Bowl Buttermilk Pancakes
Bonus: Favorite Buttermilk Dressing for Slaw
How to Make Buttermilk from Scratch
Scale this recipe up as needed.
- Place 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
- Fill cup with milk (2% or whole is best) until it reaches the 1/2-cup line.
- Let stand for five minutes. Use as directed.
Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 to 16 pieces
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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. It’s not unusual for this cake to take 50 minutes, so just be patient.) 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.
- Can this be frozen? Made ahead of time? Yes! Let cool completely, then wrap well with plastic wrap or other airtight wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature the night before serving. Reheat at 350ºF for 15 minutes before serving. If you are not freezing it, store it at room temperature for a day. Refrigerate if storing for more than 1 day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
3,554 Comments on “Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake”
can you give us the nutrients counts in this?specially calories
Just made this and substituted plain greek style yogurt was very liquify– for the buttermilk, and added a handful of fresh raspberries to fill out the 2 cups of blueberries. I also substituted orange zest for the lemon, as thats what I had on hand. The batter tasted delicious and the cake is happily baking in the oven. Looks pretty!
Any suggestions on substitutes for the butter? Would applesauce work?
Can I make the batter the night before and refrigerate it for the morning? If I use frozen blueberries should I defrost them first? Thanks.
Do you have to use lemon ZEST, or could you substitute with just a little lemon juice? Is it more for flavor or texture? No lemons on hand, but I do have lemon juice…maybe I’ll just test it out. Also would you double for a 13X9 pan? Or would that change the consistency when baked? Thanks
Thanks for the recipe…yum! I didn’t have any lemon zest, so I used a little lemon juice and it still turned out delicious.
Looks delicious. I’m anxious to try it. Thanks!
Just made this. It tastes amazing 😉
Hi,
Do you have any suggestions on doubling the recipe to make it larger for a bigger crowd? Maybe using the 13×9 pan?
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it : )
Thanks,
Leslie O.
Any suggestions on doubling the recipe?
This sound awesome and plan on making it for a large group of people.
Thanks! Yum, yum!
Hi Leslie — sorry for the delay here. I have not doubled it, but many of the readers have and they suggest using a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Some of them had to increase the baking time by about 10 minutes, but otherwise, doubling was pretty easy. Happy Baking!
I made this today for breakfast and it was killer! Hubby compared it to his favorite blueberry muffin from Mimi’s Cafe being that good! Thank you!
Jackie — so happy to hear this!
Made this today and it was killer! Hubby even compared it to his favorite blueberry muffin at Mimi’s Cafe! Thank you!
Bekie, we eat vegan and I use 1 TB corn starch plus 1 TB water for each egg in a recipe. I’ve not tried this recipe yet, but this formula works in all my other baked goods. Hope that helps!
I just made this – so awesome! Thanks for sharing!
To Rachel above:
As a recent culinary graduate, and with a very vague idea on how baking science works, I would say applesauce would not work as good. In the picture, its brown and crispy and thats due to the fat in the butter. Applesauce is a good substitute in recipes that are like a regular cake where color isn’t a desire to have. But in this cake the top is crackly and crunchy while the rest is moist. Fat is lighter than water (two of the three components that make up butter) and when it melts in the oven, all that fat goes to the top of this cake and bubbles and browns. Its the best part : )
2BMrsWalsh — thanks so much for your insight. I am a terrible food science, so I really appreciate your knowledge!
Thanks for the recipe! DELICIOUS! Just made it for my husband and 2 little boys for a special Valentine’s Day breakfast! ALL were wanting more! 🙂
My substitutions were agave nectar for sugar, coconut oil for butter, and plain yogurt for the buttermilk. This recipe has officially landed in my tried-and-true-recipes cookbook! 🙂
FYI – I made it all last night, put it in the Pyrex, covered it with foil, and tossed it in the oven this morning. I didn’t seem to have any problems by doing it early and letting it sit in the fridge overnight.
Courtney — great to hear this. It’s so nice to be able to make/assemble ahead of time, especially at breakfast.
Hi, I love the pictures… I’m on no sugar, no chocolate and no gluten… pictures are getting me through and this looks AMAZING! I will use one of your recipie’s in the future… after I’ve reached my weight goal!
how in the world do you measure 7/8 cup of sugar?
Randi — 7/8 cup equals 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons. Hope that helps!
Your photos are great! What camera are you using? 🙂
Auntie M — I use a canon rebel xt. I never use the flash — the built in one with this model is not very good. Let me know if I can answer any other questions!
If you are increasing from a 9×9 to a 9×13, you will have to increase baking time. I usually try an extra 10-15 minutes and keep a close eye. It will make a thicker coffeecake so you can cut smaller pieces than if you were using a 9×9 pan. Making this for my grandkids for breakfast….looks amazing!
Jeri — thanks for these tips!
Hahaha! “Smaller” pieces. – not here they weren’t!! This is so good it’s hard enough not to make “bigger” pieces. Seriously, this was a great breakfast cake, which I just made for the first time this morning, following the recipe ingredients exactly and doubled all the amounts. I baked it in a Pyrex 9 x 13 inch baking dish, for 50 minutes. We each scarfed down a rather large piece and had to force ourselves not to go back for seconds. I was worried about how thick the batter was, even though your comments said it would be thick. I just evened it out in the pan as best I could, but once it started to cook everything leveled off and filled in perfectly. Will definitely make again! Thank you.
Great to hear, Judy! Thanks for writing and sharing your notes. So glad it was a hit!
You make me smile…but sound like my stepmother. She takes an old family 4 ingredient recipe and makes a substitution for all four of the ingredients and serves it as “an old family dish”.
I made this this morning for my nephews birthday. It’s gone. 🙂 Thanks for a great recipe!
These look amazing! I will definitely have to try these out. Check out my blog post for another breakfast recipe, Raspberry Coffee Cake
We just made this but didnt have a lemon so used a lime. The batter was very good! My three year old licked the bowl clean. 😉 Can’t wait for it to get out of the oven!
Alexandra,
Thank YOU for this delicious recipe. I’ve made it twice and am making it again tonight!
I think I over bake it though, it doesn’t turn out as dense and moist looking as yours. Im going to try and cut it to 25-30 minutes. Either way, its always very good!
I made it today! It went together quickly and the cake was moist. I did have to add 10 minutes to the baking time. I did not think it was sweet enough.
Do you think it will work with gluten free flour?
Hi Cindy — I’ve been meaning to try the same thing myself. I have a bag of C4C (have you heard of it?) flour on hand. Report back if you make any discoveries.
Don’t use gluten free flour, use gluten free bisquick. Works alot better:)
Love this recipe!
It was such a hit with my family & our friends I even blogged about it – https://www.fortuitoushousewife.com/
Thanks for sharing!