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.
3,560 Comments on “Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake”
Just made this… it’s baking now! Smells delicious and I can’t wait to eat it!! Thanks for sharing your recipe. 🙂
Will this freeze well or does it have to be eaten right away?
So sorry for the delayed response, and unfortunately, I have no advice! I’m terrible about freezing in general but especially with baked goods. It’s a really moist cake, so I imagine it would do well in the freezer? Report back if you make any discoveries!
Hi! I made this last night and reheated in the oven this morning. The cake was very crumbly. Just wondering if this is normal or if I dried it out when reheating? It was still delicious but a little different consistency than I expected. Thanks!
Hmmm, Amy, the cake should not be crumbly. It’s usually so moist! I’m sorry it didn’t turn out the way you expected it to. It may have dried out a bit while reheating, but I’ve never reheated it, so I can’t say for sure. Hope you have better luck with it in the future.
I doubled this recipe and made it in a 9×13 and had success – but it did take an additional 20 minutes in the oven. The top didn’t over-brown and the edges were fine, though! 🙂
I made this for breakfast this morning and the whole family loved it! I really liked the crisper top and the chewy inside. I sprinkled a mix of cinnamon and sugar on top since I already had some leftover from a previous cookie-making session, and it was delightful. Thanks for the recipe!
I want to double this recipe in a 9×13 using frozen blueberries…how much extra cooking time would you suggest?
Hi Robin,
Kelly over at kellybewell.com doubled this recipe with success. Here is her comment: I doubled this recipe and made it in a 9×13 and had success – but it did take an additional 20 minutes in the oven. The top didn’t over-brown and the edges were fine, though!
Hope that helps!
I am baking this recipe right now! I can’t wait to taste it! I looooove blueberries! I used frozen ones!
I can’t wait to try this!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
A perfect way to start the day in Maine!
Recipes like this are dangerous! We made blueberry muffins for breakfast and managed to control myself and make only 6… whole baking tin of blueberry goodness … oh my word 😀
This looks so yummy! I found it on Pinterest and my version is in the oven as we speak.
Only one problem, I guess: I used frozen berries, since the fresh ones are so expensive. Now they started to “bleed” and my batter turned out completely purple. So I’m affraid the cake will be purple as wel :o)
Oh well, I think the taste will still be good. But any suggestions on how to prevent that the batter turns purple?
Thanks!
Tine, I wish I had some advice for you! I don’t think there is much that can be done with the exception of mixing the batter as briefly as possible once you add the blueberries. I’m going to have to experiment with frozen now that blueberry season is over. I’ll report back if I make any discoveries!
I’m making this later today but only have frozen blueberries. Will they work? Do I need to do anything different…..like dust them with flour or anything? Thanks and I love your stuff! 🙂
I have not made this with frozen blueberries, but others have (you’ll have to scroll through the comments) and have found success. Just a warning, as Tine notes below, your batter might turn purple.
Also, the recipe calls for tossing the blueberries with 1/4 cup of the flour, so I think if you do that with the frozen berries as well, it should work out. Let us know if you make any discoveries!
This recipe looks amazing, Can’t wait to make it with my family!
@Amy, this type of recipe usually works best if you reheat in the microwave not the oven. Just cover with a napkin or towel. Heat only about 15-20 seconds depending on the size slice you choose. I would not warm the whole thing at one time, just by the slice. Hope this helps!
Thank you for your response Delia!
I am wondering if the batter can be made at night to save time in the morning. I’d like to make this for my moms’ group on a busier weekday morning. (I’ve been making it on the weekends). Maybe leave the blueberries out of the batter until ready to bake?
Yes, I think it definitely can be made ahead. I would not leave the blueberries out, however. The batter is pretty thick, and I would worry that you would have a hard time incorporating them into the batter the following morning. If you feel like scrolling down through the comments (totally understand if you don’t :)), I’m pretty sure somebody made the batter the night before, baked it off in the morning, and found success. Also, I have made so many batters in advance and never have had a problem with baking them off in subsequent days. Report back if you make any discoveries!
I made this over the weekend! It was so good. It WILL be one of my special go to recipies for brunches and special occasion get togethers! YUM! Wish I’d had it when I was pregnant….I was obsessed with blueberry anything!
Really love this cake. It has a crunchy top. This ones a keeper. Thank you.
I made this recipe this morning, i could have eaten the entire thing! It is amazing!
To comment on Alexandra’s reply about frozen blueberries turning your batter purple:
If you dust frozen blueberries in flour prior to mixing, the color will not bleed.
Also remember to fold the blueberries into any mix; do not overstir. This too can cause the blueberries to turn your batter purple.
This looks amazing!!
I was planning on making this, but you don’t mention if the flour is self-rising or all purpose. Looks yummy and I think my family will really enjoy it.
The recipe calls for all-purpose flour (though you probably could use self-rising if you know the conversion?… never tried it myself). Hope the cake turns out well!
I made this recipe very successfully with frozen blueberries. The only down fall is the dough gets really stiff and it is hard to mix the dough and the blueberries together. But turned out fantastic!!!
I saw this on Pinterest and made it for Sunday brunch for my husband and I. Let me tell you, this is definitely going in my favorites book. I made it with frozen blueberries and powdered buttermilk and it turned out wonderfully. The batter is a bit thick like Melissa said, and I’ll probably add some cinnamon and some more lemon to the mix, but this is an AWESOME recipe. Thanks for sharing!!!
I was wondering how this would work if I used muffin cups rather than making it in a pan. I have a cousin who is having her baby within the next week and was wanting to make sometime to take to her. Thought this sounded delish! But I think it would be more convenient for her if she could just grab a muffin and go, rather than having to cut a slice out of the pan.
Any thoughts?
Can’t wait to taste it…my mouth is watering! Haha
SOOOO good and soooo easy 🙂
Im new to this baking thing. Im gonna assume 1 T is tablespoon?
Yes!
“T” = 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
Hi, I just made these in cupcake form and they were great. It worked perfectly. but since they are cake they dont rise that much, might want to fill them a bit more than you usually would. I love this recipe!!
Can you use canned blueberrys? Hope so, please someone tell me?
Gosh, I don’t know. Are they in some sort of syrup? I would strain them and dry them off as much as possible if so. Then follow the same instructions (tossing them in flour, etc.). Hope that helps. Let us know if you make any discoveries!
Hey Ali, did this person https://apennyforaliciasthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/08/buttermilk-blueberry-breakfast-cake-by.html let you know about this? Wasn’t sure if you knew about it!
Anyway – I am posting a link back to this today, on my plum variation.
Hi Alicia! So sorry for this delayed response! Your comment was held up in my “pending” box b/c of the link and I didn’t see it till now. (I need to change that setting.) And no, I didn’t get any notice about the post. Thanks for letting me know! Can’t wait to see your plum variation!
This was de-lish! I made this for a Veteran’s Day breakfast that I threw at my house. I made it the night before with frozen blueberries. And it turned out perfect. I predusted the berries and they did seem to still bleed but I’m sure it still tasted the same and I think it was kindof pretty. The batter seemed to do well being made the night before and cooked in the morning. The only change I wished I would’ve made was adding the sugar to the top before I baked it. I added it at night and you couldn’t tell.