Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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.
3,550 Comments on “Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake”
This cake was deeeeeelicious! The only problem was the crumbliness! I thought it was because my butter was not completely at room temperature which affected the creaming at the beginning. I want to offer this recipe to my sister for a brunch but am concerned about the crumbing. Is there any was to make this less crumby? If it sits till it cools, does that help? I love the recipe though.
Sue — I am sorry to hear about the crumbliness. I don’t have a definite answer, but I imagine that letting the cake cool till room temperature will definitely help with that issue. The cake definitely is crumbly, but it’s also super moist, and I’ve never had a problem with it being too crumbly. Hmmm. And I wish I knew more about food science, but I don’t know how the creaming of the butter affects the final outcome. My gut is to say that having the butter at room temperature and thus getting a good even cream with the sugar might make a difference in the final outcome, but I can’t say for sure. If I learn anything along these lines, I will report back. Hope that helps!
Ho.Ly. Cow. I made this and it’s awesome!! Thanks!
Amanda — So happy to hear this!
I used this recipe, but made muffins instead of cake. 25-30 minutes is all they needed. They turned out AWESOME. I took them to work to share with the coworkers. These were the exact words of one of my managers … “The muffin was really good. Sweet with a little salty, lemony, and blueberry, not too cake like, definitely muffin … there’s just something je ne sais quoi about them.” And I completely agree. I’ve been looking for a good blueberry muffin recipe, and I have found it! And also, I used frozen blueberries, and they worked out great. And my husband loved how the muffin tops came out all fluffy and cracked on top, “like a muffin should be” as he said. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe! 🙂
Christy Ann — thanks so much for writing in and sharing this. It makes me so happy to hear these things. Sounds like you have nice coworkers… they’re lucky to have you too!
I made this for my Sunda School class, and everyone loved it! I posted it on my blog and linked back to yours. Thanks for sharing!
https://normalcooking.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/buttermilk-blueberry-cake/
Lindsay — Awesome to hear this! Thanks for posting about it. It looks wonderful!
I want to make this so badly!! My daughter and I have to be wheat and gluten free. I was going to try making it with Bob’s Red Mill all purpose baking flour which is gluten free. Would you know if this will work? Is there something I might have to add to replace the gluten? Thanks
Can these be made with frozen blueberries?
Doubling recipe & making this morning for my 5 kids who are bugging me about it. The whole place smells wonderful and can’t wait to taste it! Being southern, I know buttermilk is gold! My Grandma even pours a glass to dunk her cornbread in(I call UT the southern equivalent to doughnut & coffee)!We use it a lot around here.thank you for sharing – lots of love!
Nutmeg — So happy to hear this. It sounds as though you have a lively and lovely and beautiful home! Cornbread in buttermilk sounds amazing. Must try that the next time I make a batch. Thanks so much for sharing your morning!
Oh my….. I am an experienced baker, I have never had a batter be SO stiff. Is this normal? It will be a miracle if it bakes up good. I’ll let you know.
Susie — Yes, the batter is super thick, but it shouldn’t be so stiff that you can’t incorporate the blueberries without crushing them. Hope it turned out well for you!
Blue berry breakfast
Dear Sara my husband also can not have gluten I always use bobs gluten free all purpose flour any thing u make u have to add xanthum it tell u on the package the amount to use for what your making . Use bobs for any receipt and xanthum and it always works great for me.
Rachel — thanks so much for your tips! I’ve been meaning to try this gluten-free myself. I love Bob’s Red Mill products.
Sorry Sara it’s called xanthan gum. Always add to any thing u make. It holds it together.
I so need to try these. They look absolutely wonderful!
this looks amazing and i can’t wait to try it! my sister is having a baby in a few weeks and i’m wondering if anyone has tried freezing it? i’d like to make it for her to have after the baby comes (it’s baby #4 and i’d like her to have a few items that don’t need any preparation but baking). i’ve looked through a few pages of comments but unfortunately can’t look any longer (there are a ton of comments on this post!). anyone had any luck freezing this? thanks!!
Megbrothers — I am probably too late here. Has your sister already had her baby? Did you try freezing the cake? A few of the commenters have had success freezing the cake. Be sure to wrap it well in plastic wrap and to tuck it into an air-tight freezer bag (after it has cooled, obviously). My sister is having a baby in a few weeks too, but she’s too far away for me to bake anything. I hope that helps, and congrats on becoming an auntie!
I found this recipe in a Philadelphia Cream Cheese cookbook that was published in 1988. I bought it new … *sigh*, yes, I’m that old!! This cake was the very first thing I made from the cookbook, and I’ve been making it every since. It is absolutely, without a doubt, the best cake EVER.
This is probably a dumb question but when I baked this a few months ago, all of the blueberries went to the bottom of the pan & got burned…. is there a way to keep that from happening?
Megan — so sorry to hear this and so sorry for this delayed response. A few questions: Did you use fresh or frozen berries? And did you coat them in flour before mixing them into the batter? Was your batter extra thick?
This recipe is delicious! I used strawberries instead of blueberries and feel that other fruits would work wonderfully as well (peaches, raspberries, blackberries). I’ll definitely use this again and again, thank you!
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe! I used low fat vanilla plain yogurt as my buttermilk subsitute-worked out great! So yummy <3
Has anyone made this with frozen blueberries?
Joy — I have not yet tried with frozen, but many of the commenters have. Some have used thawed berries and some have used frozen berries. When the berries are thawed, as Jen just noted, they are harder to fold into the batter without breaking them and this can turn the batter blue, but the flavor is not affected. Hope that helps!
Made this tonight as something to take for a breakfast our firm is having for our bosses tomorrow. I already made a “test” batch to try, and I’m so glad I bought enough ingredients to make a second batch. It’s SO good, and the perfect combination of lemon/blueberry. I used frozen blueberries which made it a bit tricky to fold them into the batter without breaking them, but this may be due to the fact that I thawed them out before mixing the batter. I think I read on the muffin post that you can get cold spots where it won’t cook properly if the blueberries aren’t completely thawed. This recipe is easy, peasy, and I’m looking forward to taking an empty dish home tomorrow. 🙂
Jen, so happy to hear this! Your coworkers are in for a treat! And to thaw or not to thaw, that is the question?! It’s hard to know what is a better method, but it sounds as though you were able to use a delicate hand and were able to fold the blueberries in without any damage. I am sure your dish will be empty!
Just tried this today, it’s amazing didn’t change anything my kids loved it, also making a batch now to share with coworkers tomorrow!!! The lemon makes it spectacular, thanks for sharing this its was so simple to make also.
Robyn, so happy to hear this! And what a nice coworker you are!! I know, isn’t the lemon fabulous?
I made this for breakfast this morning and it was superb! I had wondered about making it into muffins, and saw in the comments that someone else did that with success. My next attempt is going to substitute rhubarb for the blueberries. I had a lemony rhubarb brunch cake once, and have been trying to duplicate it ever since. This cake base is very close to the one I had, so I’m pretty sure it’ll work. Thanks for a great breakfast, Alexandra!
Meg — So happy to hear this! Yes, definitely make it into muffins. I have a similar recipes that is made into muffins, which might be a good reference:https://alexandracooks.com/2009/03/20/lemon-blueberry-muffins/ Otherwise follow the instructions exactly the same and bake them at 375º for about 30 minutes (or less if you are using the standard 12-cup mold — I like the jumbo size for these blueberry muffins :))
7/8 ths of a cup?
Sara — there is a note below the ingredient list, too, but 7/8 cup equals 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons. Hope that helps!
Can’t wait to make this for my bridge group on Tuesday! They will love it, I’m sure. One quick question: I am learning to cook with my new convection oven. It has been hit and miss so far. I seem to be over-cooking everything even though I am cutting back the temperature and the time. Has anyone cooked this recipe in a convention? If so, what changes did you make? Thanks for the tips!
Mary Beth — I wish I could offer some guidance. Your oven doesn’t have a non-convection option, does it? It doesn’t sound as though it does. I don’t think you can do much more than turn back the temperature and cut back on the time and to just be vigilant at the end with checking for doneness. I hope it is a success! I used to play bridge with British granny. I miss those days.
The best way to prevent fruit from dropping to the bottom is to gently toss the fruit with some of the flour before mixing them into the batter
Hi Alexandra lovin the recipe can I make this with blueberry pie filling we dont get frozen and fresh too is quite rare
Mash — gosh, I don’t know how to advise. I have never used blueberry pie filling. Is it really syrupy? If so, I think it might really change the consistency of the batter and the texture of the ultimate cake. It worries me a little bit 🙁 I’m sorry. I just don’t want to misguide you. If you can get your hands on some frozen berries that is the best after fresh. Wish I could mail you some!
Made this this morning. None is left! Mine turned out a little gooey moist, not really gooey, but well . . . My guys, who love gooey cookies, didn’t mind a bit. I always have to adjust my recipes due to using King Arthur flour and then having a propane (HOT) convection oven. I’ll know how to work on that next time. And yep, gonna try it with other fruits and as muffins too! Delighted with all the suggestions.
Meansvillemom — so happy to hear this! I look gooey too, but I know that is not always ideal. Ovens/flours/air temp … there are so many variables. I am constantly adjusting my cooking times and temperatures depending on the season. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanx a lot darlin for replyin back lemme see where I can get the berries from 🙂
Mash — of course!
Thanks for the recipe! It did not last the morning in our house! I loved it and I don’t like blueberries!
Have you ever frozen this recipe? If so at what point and how would you reheat or bake?
Thanks!
Kim — I have never froze the cake, but several readers have with great success. I’m pretty sure, however, that they just let it come to room temperature and served it at room temperature. If you want to warm it a little bit, I would heat it (after bringing it to room temperature) in a 350ºF oven covered with foil for about 15 minutes and then uncovered for another five or so. I don’t know of anyone who has frozen the cake unbaked.
So happy to hear that it was a success at your house! Let me know if you make any discoveries with the freezer… I’m not the best in that department.
Can I make this with cranberries instead? Cranberries are more prevalent this time of year than blueberries in our area. Thoughts? Is more sugar needed?
Terri — yes! I did just that last Xmas, and I blogged about it with the changes/recipe: https://alexandracooks.com/2011/12/16/cranberry-buttermilk-breakfast-cake/
I did increase the sugar a teensy bit, and I added orange zest. Good luck with it!
Fabulous!!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have made it twice with fabulous results. Added extra buttermilk to make it a touch less stiff, and hand no problem with frozen (didn’t thaw) blueberries.
Served it warm and steaming from the oven! Huge hit!
Gwen — So great to hear this! It’s so nice that frozen blueberries work well in this cake. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!