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.
3,553 Comments on “Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake”
Hi, I was wondering if you used a mixer for mixing everything or did you just use a whisk, fork, or spoon? I don’t bake much and I was unsure on what to use to cream the butter with the lemon zest and sugar.
I use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar and lemon zest. And then continue to use it with everything else, being careful to barely mix it once the flour is added — you don’t want to mix too much once the flour has added or the cake might be tough in the end — and then I fold in the blueberries by hand. Let me know if there is anything else!
Please do not forget the lemon zest! It makes the recipe. Not overpowering at all but a very important ingredient:) Will be making this more in the future! Thanks for sharing:)
I made this tonight and it’s wonderful! The only thing I did differently was use Turbinado sugar (Sugar In The Raw) on top of the cake in place of the regular granulated….in fact, I used almost 2 Tbsps!! Wonderful crunch on top and I love the sweet. Thanks for the recipe, I think I’llalso use it for muffins as so many have mentioned.
So happy to hear this Leanne! I love turbinado sugar. Will have to try this.
Ok I did not real all the comments but I have a question. I really want to make this but only have truvia and light brown sugar. Can I use either of these and if so is it the same measurement?
Hi Angela, I have never used truvia, so I can’t speak to that, but I think you could use brown sugar in the same quantity. the taste of the finished cake might be slightly more caramelly, but that’s not a bad thing. good luck!
I think I may have figured out why some of your readers have had trouble with a thick batter. My daughter turns 13 today and she asked for blueberry coffee cake for breakfast. I found your recipe and decided to make it. When I was mixing the batter in the final mix, before folding in the blueberries, I, too, noticed it was very thick — as thick as cookie dough. I attempted to fold in the blueberries, but with the additional flour added to the blueberries, it was impossible. I ended up having to add more buttermilk and I am just sitting here praying it turns out. I think it’s the difference between using real buttermilk (I did) and curdled milk as you suggested in place of buttermilk. The buttermilk I buy comes from a regional dairy and it is very thick. I think I would have needed at least 3/4 cup.
Made this for the first time not at a high elevation and I didn’t think it could get any better, but it really did! Both high elevation and normal sea level, you can’t beat this! If I could marry this bread I would. It’s like angels have come and descended into my house with a wonderful aroma and have dance upon my tastebuds.
Just put that baby in the oven 🙂 I had some roasted almond slices which I also put on top. very excited of the outcome! The dough was already pretty yummy.
Oh wonderful! Love the idea of almonds on top.
It was very good! Love it and my family too. Will definitely repeat! Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Next try will be with peaches though or cherries…
has anyone prepared this the night before and then baked it the next morning? Did it turn out okay if you did that?
see below – not really. it didn’t cook through.
How many servings does this recipe make?
I would say this would feed 9 to 12 comfortably.
I made this the day before and it didn’t cook through. It tasted delicious but the middle and bottom was not cooked. I tried cooking it an extra 10 minutes and still not cooked. I will probably try this recipe but make it the day of and see if it works better.
I made this for this past Mother’s Day. I think it took some extra time to cook ( I don’t time things, I just go by appearance/toothpick test) and it was AMAZING! There are no words. NO WORDS, it’s that DELICIOUS! Our families raved about it. Next time I will have to make double the batch. Thank you for this awesome recipe.
Yay! So happy to hear this!
I have made this several times. Always perfect and I see no need to mess with perfection Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Yay!
Hi :] I was wondering if I would be able to use this recipe to make a 9 inch 2 layer cake and use cream cheese frosting?
Great recipe! It is basically a muffin recipe used for a cake for all those wondering about the thickness of the batter. I made this once before and liked it, but thought something was slightly off. Today I tried it again but added 1/2 tsp baking soda due to it normally being used with buttermilk. Maybe it is the high elevation or something, but it was a better texture for me. Then I substituted 2/3 cup chopped rhubarb for an equal amount of blueberries. I was short blueberries and happened to have rhubarb chopped and ready to go in my fridge. I also used turbinado sugar to top the cake. Wow. Thank you for sharing a wonderful recipe! It is fun to see how many twists people come up with :).
Wondering if anyone has tried this recipe with C4C – & what were the results?
Kathleen, I haven’t tried this recipe with C4C, but I say go for it — I love C4C for other recipes.
Ali – Will try it this weekend & promise to let you know the results!
Awesome, thanks so much!
As promised, I made this breakfast cake using C4C for my family while staying in Old Saybrook Point, CT this past weekend. Although the texture was probably a bit heavier/not light & fluffy as with apf, it was still quite wonderful. I followed your recipe except for omitting vanilla & substituting fresh lemon juice & added 3 tsp. Next time I would only add ~ 1-2 TB of C4C to the 2C of blueberries – I used fresh blueberries & will try frozen Maine wild blueberries next time for added moisture. Also, it required a longer mixing time & I was fearful it would impact the texture but it did not & surprisingly the blueberries folded in gently without staining the entire batter. The batter was thick & heavy but I remained hopeful when putting it in the oven. I baked it for 45 minutes but should have taken it out after 40 minutes (slightly soft in the center). The tradeoff to using C4C was perhaps a bit more dense texture but the earthiness taste of rice flour et al. produced a most delicious breakfast cake immensely enjoyed by all. Mostly, thank you Ali for your encouragement to experiment at a time when you want a recipe to turn out perfect – and it did. Your every recipe Ali is by the way, pure perfection.
Kathleen, you are too kind! Thank you for your nice words and thank you for writing in and sharing your results. This batter happens to be thick with apf flour, too, and folding in the blueberries without breaking them/staining the batter can be tricky. So glad to hear the cake was enjoyed by everyone. Hope you had a nice visit to CT!
Hi, would I be able to make this as a double layer cake? If so, would I need to double the recipe if I am using a 9-inch spring foam pan? Thanks!
I think you could! I worry a little about doubling the recipe and baking it in one springform pan — I think that will be too much batter. Maybe just do 1.5 times the recipe? Or double the recipe but bake it in two separate 9-inch pans. Wish I could offer more guidance!
Thank you!
This blueberry cake was exceptional! I had two large containers of blueberries and didn’t want any to go to waste. I found this recipe online and saw it had great reviews. I made a few minor changes–I substituted a 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour instead of using all white flour in the cake, and cut back a little on the sugar to approximately 3/4 of a cup and used turbinado sugar. I only had goat and soy milk so I used mostly goat milk and a little soy and added the vinegar to sour it. Even with these modifications the recipe was excellent and oh! so light. We could hardly wait for it to cool, it looked so yummy; we served it warm with vanilla ice cream. Heavenly!
Wow, fantastic! Thanks for sharing all of your adaptations.
Vinegar + Milk = SOUR MILK, NOT BUTTERMILK. Why make a whole cup if you’re only going to use 1/2 cup? isn’t that a bit wasteful?
I love this cake and so does my family. Making one for breakfast right now. Should I store it in the fridge or is on the counter ok until morning?
Hi Melissa! So sorry to just be seeing this. I would just store it on the counter for future reference. What did you end up doing?
This recipe is terrific! You had my interest peaked when you said your mom wrote that it was “Baby Boy’s Favorite.” I made this cake for my boys tonight; it was the perfect treat after a long day of camp and soccer practice. It truly is “Baby Boy’s Favorite.” Thank you.
Ohh, yay! Makes me so happy. Baby Boy (my younger brother) is now 30 years old. We still call him Baby Boy 🙂
Yuuuummmmy! Have made this twice now and it is fast becoming one of my favorite recipes. My husband and I love this breakfast cake….so light and delicious!
Fantastic! wonderful to hear this.
Help! Where’s the actual recipe? I’ve made this before from this website, and I need to make it tomorrow morning, but I don’t see the recipe listed anymore???
I’m not sure where it went but here is a link to another place that has the recipe.
https://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/05/buttermilk-blueberry-breakfast-cake/
Thank you for posting the slightly adapted version! It greatly helped when I went to make it this morning. Is there anywhere that the original recipe is posted? I’ve made this before and LOVED it. Beating myself up now for having not written it down!
Made this following exact recipe and it was delicious! The Kosher salt is a must, loved that little bit of saltiness to counter balance the sweetness of the sugar and tartness of the berries. I’ll definitely be baking again.
Wonderful to hear this! Totally agree re salt.
Thank you for this recipe. I live in Asia & teach baking classes to the people here. This recipe was great, I did cut the sugar a little (Chinese people don’t like sweet very much) it was a huge hit. They loved it! Thank you again
Wonderful to hear this! Just curious — how much did you cut the sugar by? People always want to know these things.
We used about 1/2C + 1/8 or so of a cup. They used 1 – 1/2c & alittle more than half of a 1/4 C. But the 1 Tbls on top was taken from this amount. We didn’t add more.
They really loved it. I wouldn’t suggest cutting it more than that although a few of them said cut it alittle more next time 🙂
I wanted to make something blueberry for breakfast, but didn’t feel like making muffins or anything too dessert-y. Decided to change up this wonderful-looking recipe of yours, and I think it came out great! We don’t have allergies, but I’m trying to reduce my wheat/gluten, dairy, and sugar consumption, so my changes reflect that. Thought some of your readers might be interested in my variation.
Here goes:
½c coconut oil
orange zest (didn’t have lemon)
1/3c coconut sugar
2 eggs
1t vanilla
2c flour (mix of rice flour, gf flour, flaxseed meal)
2t baking powder
1t salt
1/2t cinnamon
pint blueberries
½c coconut milk
Mixed it all by hand instead of using a blender, since I didn’t have to cream the butter. Sprinkled some decorating sugar on top. Love it!
Wonderful! Thanks so much for sending. This sounds delicious.
I have had this recipe pinned for a very long time and finally made it for a work meeting; it was fantastic!! I made a double batch the night before (in a 9×13″ pan) and baked it at 375 for just about 45 minutes and it was perfect!! One thing I noticed after reading through some of the comments, is after *I didn’t follow the written instructions* to alternate the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, it was very much a cookie dough consistency. However, once I added the buttermilk it thinned out perfectly. Delicious recipe, everyone loved it! I’m going to try it next with rhubarb. 🙂
I should clarify, I prepared it the night before, put it in the fridge overnight and then baked it the following morning.
So happy to hear this! Very curious about the rhubarb, too. Let me know how it turns out!
Lovely cake. Yes the buttermilk makes it all fluffy & gorgeous. Always. I also added 1 big tbsp. of quark in the batter and a quick syrup made of 1 small lemon + 1 tbsp. honey on top after I took it out of the oven. Mmmm… Next time I think I could add a bit more quark and maybe another egg but maintain the sugar amount. Love the fluffiness, the lemon & vanilla flavour…
With the plums now in season I’m wondering if it could work as well or are the plums too heavy for this batter?
I don’t know, plums might be good! Let me know if you try them. Love the sound of the syrup. Yum!
I can’t get the actual recipe part to load. I really want to make this for my family! Can you please email the recipe to me?
I’ve made this many times and it comes out perfectly every time so I decided to play with it a little.
I swapped out blueberries for chocolate chunks and lemon zest for orange zest ( I added a whole orange worth) and made chocolate orange breakfast cake. It was delicious!
Love this recipe so much.
Yum!! Love this idea.
Has anyone made this with frozen blueberries?
I made it with frozen raspberries and frozen blueberries for Thanksgiving breakfast the last couple years, I let them thaw just a little before I fold into the batter and I definitely use a little flour to coat.