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”
This was delicious and simple to make. I used salted butter and my egg wasnt quite to room temperature yet. Yummy!
Yay! Confession: I almost always use salted butter these days in both sweet and savory dishes. I just love it. #saltfiend
Deliscious!
I’m making my second one today… the dog decided he would test it first! Apparently he loved it there was none left! So both human and dog approved!
Yay for both dog and human approval!!
I see that you can make this ahead which is great. What’s the max amount of time you’ve refrigerated the batter? I’d love to be able to make it on a Wednesday and bake it Thursday morning.
One day in advance would definitely work! I’ve never kept the batter for longer than a day so I can’t say if it would keep for longer or not.
Can this be made with self rising flour?
Probably … if you are familiar with making the appropriate substitution, go for it.
So I made this recipe last week using almond milk and not real butter- was better than the best good. My son has been begging for it again- but this AM we are out of almost everything. So bring in the subs- I used coconut oil, coconut extract, almond milk, self rising flour, fresh frozen blueberries and egg whites from a container. I also had to use a smaller pan. It needed an hour to bake but the cake turned out great! (Just for the record, I thought it tasted better the first time. I only use subs when I absolutely have too, like when I’m too lazy to go to the grocery store lol)
Wow, amazing to hear this, Julia!! Thanks for sharing.
You just changed the entire recipe. Please only comment on the actual recipe posted.
I totally agree! If you have to have to sub ingredient it is not making the original recipe. I am certainly not going to “make” the recipe with all substitute ingredients!
I appreciate comments describing substitutes. I don’t always have everything called for in a recipe and frequently read comments to see what has worked for others, or what the author has answered regarding substitution questions. So thank you for taking the time to comment on the recipe as written and your experience with substitutions!
Made this for a Birthday BreakfastCake! It was a GREAT Success! Thank you!
Wonderful!
So good!!
🙂 🙂 🙂
It took me a total of 55 min to finish baking in 9″ x 9″ pyrex baking dish. It might be because I baked it at the 2nd shelf from the top. Outcome was great. So fluffy and not overly sweet. We had a hard time to stop ourselves eating too much 🙂
Yay! So happy to hear this 🙂
I just made this yesterday, in an 8″ square pan, and it was wonderful! Thanks for this great recipe!
So happy to hear this 🙂
I just made this today for the first time and it was amazing! Everyone loved it but I do have left overs. I am curious, how has everyone been storing any left overs? Just cover and keep out or cover and refrigerate? Thanks!
Hi Katie, Wonderful to hear this. If you think you’ll eat it within 2 days, I would just leave it out. Otherwise, I would put it in an airtight container or bag and refrigerate.
Made this for the first time on Sunday. I stored it covered with foil on the counter.
We both love this breakfast cake. My husband is asking if I can make it and take it to the beach with us. Definitely a hit!
I made it today and it was a hit! Had several ladies over for brunch and they all loved it. Will definitely make it again and again!
Could this be made in advance and frozen to use later?
Yes! Thaw at room temperature.
This was the absolute perfect breakfast cake. I doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 pan. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Nothing but raves. It will now be my go to recipe for family and friends.
so happy to hear this!
I’m not a huge blueberry fan but blueberries are in season here so I made a double batch of this and took it to work. Everyone loves it. Thank you for the recipe.
Yay! So happy to hear this, Jane 🙂
I made this today for the first time and it is a keeper!! I used a glass 11×7 inch pan and baked for 45 minutes. Worked out perfectly! Thanks for the yummy recipe!
So happy to hear this!
I just made this recipe this morning. The cake is delicious. However, I doubled the recipe and cooked it in a 9×13 aluminum pan. I cooked it for over an hour and it was still gooey in the center (almost half the cake had not cooked yet). Any suggestions on cooking time?
Bummer! That’s unusual. What was the material of the pan you were using? It sounds as though it just needs more time. Is your oven accurate? Or does it generally run cooler?
SIMPLY THE BEST! This recipe is by far my new favorite to bring to potlucks, brunches, and holiday’s. I took it to work for a breakfast potluck and everybody raved about it-I was so proud that I had made it! It was so easy to follow the recipe and I loved that about it as I am not usually great at following recipes. It was the perfect consistency and not too rich-perfect for breakfast. I did add a little extra lemon zest because I love lemon and it was so good. Seriously amazing. Thank you thank you!
So great to hear this! Extra lemon zest is never a bad thing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Is there any difference if you use frozen blueberries after they have been thawed?
Nope!
Soooo delicious!!!!!!!!!!
Could plain yogurt be used in place of buttermilk?
I would imagine it could. Go for it!
Hello,
I am excited to make this! Has anyone tried cutting up and freezing? I want to have it on hand for school morning rotation and it would be easier if I could freeze it.
It freezes very well! You could freeze individual portions and let them thaw at room temperature overnight the day before you want them.
I haven’t though that sounds delicious. My only concern is that it might be too thick and so it might not cook evenly.
I made it this morning and it was delicious! My husband and I loved it and will definitely make it again! Do I need to refrigerate it after? Thank you for the awesome recipe!
I never refrigerate if I think it will be eaten within 2-3 day, which it always is. If you think you’ll need to store it longer, freeze it or refrigerate it.
I have made this 5 times now. It is incredible! I have one in the oven as i am writing this.
So happy to hear this Ashley!
It is a fabulous recipe. Don’t skimp on the lemon zest, and add a bit of almond extract. We could have eaten it all it once the first time; we will be more measured in our eating the second time so it will last more than 12 hours…
This is so good! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
I’ve made this 3 times now. Twice with fresh berries, once with frozen. I use the buttermilk/vinegar trick, because I never keep actual buttermilk in the house. Turns out great every time! Thanks for the great recipe!
Wonderful!
This was pretty good! I doubled the recipe for my church class this morning and everyone liked it! The only thing I’d maybe tweak for next time is to add a bit more lemon. But I personally like a stronger lemon flavor. It wasn’t overly sweet, and I liked the amount of blueberries. I’ll definitely be making it again!
Amazing! I doubled the recipe for a 10” circle silicon pan and used frozen blueberries. Still turned out beautiful, I couldn’t believe it. Baking time was quite long though, almost 1 hour. I will definitely make again!
Yum! That all sounds delicious. Happy to hear this 🙂