Blackberry Coffee Cake {with lemon shortbread crumble}
Soft. Buttery. Delicious. My Blackberry Coffee Cake is super simple to prepare, tender, and filled with juicy blackberries that burst into every bite. On top of that…add an irresistible lemon shortbread crumble and you have a coffee cake that is equal parts zesty and sweet. It’s the kind of cake you whip up on a slow Sunday morning or bring to a casual picnic with your friends. It is a sure crowd pleaser and always tastes like you spent way more effort than you actually did!
This coffee cake consists of a soft vanilla bean sponge, a layer of fresh blackberries, a lemon shortbread crumble, and a dusting of powdered sugar! This recipe is complete with step-by-step baking instructions (with photos!), stress-free baking tips throughout, and “Sofia’s Tips” at the end of the recipe. Grab your apron, a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and let’s make Blackberry Coffee Cake!
Why You’ll Love This Blackberry Coffee Cake
- Summer in every bite: juicy blackberries pair nicely with a zesty lemon crumble.
- Simple ingredients: everything you need is likely already in your pantry!
- One-bowl batter: no complicated steps, just mix and bake.
- Perfect for any occasion: perfect for breakfasts, brunch, picnics or desserts.
- Freezer-friendly: bake now, enjoy later!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there coffee inside coffee cake?
Contrary to what the name may imply, there is NO coffee in a traditional American coffee cake! Rather, the name comes from its common pairing with coffee. Blackberries take this cake to a whole new level, bringing a juicy surprise to every bite!
Why is there yogurt in this recipe?
Similar to adding sour cream to a traditional coffee cake, yogurt adds moisture and tanginess to a coffee cake batter that results in an ultra moist, tender, and delicious coffee cake. I recommend using a yogurt that is plain and unsweetened for best results.
Can I freeze coffee cake?
Yes! Simply place your baked (and cooled) coffee cake, in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. To thaw, place it at room temperature for 1-2h.
I am allergic to eggs. Can I make this coffee cake without eggs?
Absolutely! While I have not tried this recipe without eggs, commonly used egg substitutes for cakes include mashed bananas, applesauce, or flax eggs. If using mashed bananas, expect there to be a hint of banana flavour to your final coffee cake.
Sofia’s Baking Tips: Egg Substitutes
1 egg (large) = 1/4 cup mashed bananas
1 egg (large) = 1/4 cup applesauce
Is coffee cake gluten-free?
This coffee cake contains gluten, as written. To make this recipe gluten-free, simply substitute all-purpose flour (1:1) with your favourite gluten-free flour mix.
To make this recipe you will need:
- Flour – All-purpose flour
- Sugar – Your typical “white” sugar aka Granulated Sugar
- Eggs – large eggs, warmed to room temperature *see tip below!
- Butter – Unsalted butter is best (note: if using salted butter, omit the extra pinch of salt)
- Oil – Your typical vegetable oil or other flavourless oil
- Yogurt – plain, unsweetened yogurt (m.f. 2% or higher)
- Blackberries – Fresh, and juicy
- Lemon – lemon zest of 1 whole lemon
- Powdered Sugar – for dusting over the top of the baked coffee cake!
- Baking essentials: Baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, salt
Sofia’s Baking Tips: Quick “Room Temperature” Tricks
Eggs – Warm in a bowl of hot water for 1-2 minutes
Butter – cube and microwave in 10s increments until just softening
Cream Cheese – remove from box and put on counter for 1-2h
Step by step instructions to make blackberry coffee cake
Preheat oven to 350F (325F convection bake).
Butter all sides of a 9″ springform pan (or square 9″x 9″ baking pan – cook time will vary). Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round/square. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for your lemon shortbread crumble (flour, butter, sugar, salt, lemon zest) with your clean hands until a mixture resembling wet sand forms. Set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar, and oil until light and fluffy (approx. 1-3 min).
Add eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla bean paste/vanilla extract, and yogurt. Mix until well combined. This is your wet mixture.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry mixture to the large bowl containing wet mixture. Stir gently until all flour is well incorporated into coffee cake batter. Stop mixing. This is your coffee cake batter.
To your 9″ springform pan, add 1/2 of your coffee cake batter. Top with all of your washed, fresh blackberries. Add the remaining half of your coffee cake batter.
Top the coffee cake with all of your lemon shortbread crumble.
Bake in oven set to 350F (325F convection bake) for ~70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in springform pan, then remove pan and place onto wire rack.
Dust your coffee cake with powdered sugar.
Cut, serve, and enjoy!
Also check out:
Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Drizzle
Zesty Lemon Ricotta Cake
Lemon Blueberry Scones
Blackberry Coffee Cake {with lemon shortbread crumble}
Ingredients
Vanilla Bean Cake
- 3/4 cup (170g) Unsalted Butter Room temperature, softened
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Vegetable Oil such as canola or other flavourless oil
- 1 3/4 cup (350g) Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (225g) Plain Yogurt (2% m.f. or higher)
- 2 cups (240g) All-purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 2 tsp Vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- pinch of salt flaked salt or sea salt
- 1 pint Fresh Blackberries
Lemon Shortbread Crumble
- 1/3 cup (40g) All-purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup (55g) Unsalted Butter softened, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) Granulated Sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- pinch of flaked salt flaked salt or sea salt
Finishing/Garnish
- 1 tbsp Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (325F convection bake). Butter all sides of a 9" springform pan (or square 9"x 9" baking pan – cook time will vary). Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round/square. Set aside.
- In a small/medium bowl, combine the ingredients for your lemon shortbread crumble (flour, butter, sugar, salt, lemon zest) with your clean hands until a mixture resembling wet sand forms. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy (approx. 1-3 min). Add eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla paste/vanilla extract, and yogurt. Mix until well combined. This is your wet mixture.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry mixture to the large bowl containing wet mixture. Stir gently until all flour is well incorporated into coffee cake batter. Stop mixing. This is your coffee cake batter.
- To your 9" springform pan, add 1/2 of your coffee cake batter. Top with all of your washed, fresh blackberries. Add the remaining half of your coffee cake batter. Top the coffee cake with all of your lemon shortbread crumble.
- Bake in oven set to 350F (325F convection bake) for ~70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in springform pan, then remove pan and place onto wire rack.
- Dust your coffee cake with powdered sugar.
- Cut, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Can I use Greek yogurt for this recipe? Yes! Mix just under 1 cup of greek yogurt with 2-4 tbsp milk/water to achieve a slightly thinner consistency before use
- To make this recipe gluten-free, simply substitute all-purpose flour (1:1) with your favourite gluten-free flour mix.
- To freeze, place your baked (and cooled) coffee cake, in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply place it at room temperature for 1-2h.