Theoretically, we are supposed to move this Saturday, but evidence is mounting — in the form of a kitchen without countertops or appliances, a toilet in the middle of the living room, and a peeling, black bathtub that looks like the kind place you’d find a horror movie victim — that it might not happen. Did I mention the great plume of drywall dust from the doorway they’re sawing out of a wall today? Nothing that 48 hours can’t sort out, right?
It’s a good thing, in Opposite Land, that we are not the kind of people who plan every element of a big event like a move up to a month out, with each detail, from sending the kid to his grandparents for a couple nights so he doesn’t have to watch all shh, most of his toys get boxed up, or ordering furniture to be delivered that morning, furniture we have exactly no space for in our current overfilled apartment. I realize that I sound like we’re at Stress Level: Hip Flask this week, but it’s not so bad, mostly because I’ve chosen instead to focus my energies this month on blueberry crumb cake studies.
My theory is that everyone needs a perfect recipe for blueberry crumb cake, or at least everyone who loves blueberries, cake, summer and making people happy with summery blueberry cakes. Some people are indecisive enough to need seven recipes — some people have fallen hard in the past for intensely lemony yogurt loaf cakes with blueberries, buttery blueberry cakes crossed with a hint of cornbread (in the book), straight-up boy bait and at least three others that are especially delicious with blueberries instead — but none of them have what Maida Heatter’s classic blueberry crumb does, which is a staggering amount of blueberries (even more so in my take on it), an incredible rich, plush cake from just a modicum of butter, a minimum of eggs (for the most tender crumb) and a streusel that evidences good priorities (it has as much butter as the cake it tops).
I made this for the kids and teachers on the last day of summer camp, because I’m a total kiss-up. I’ve brought this to two summer homes where we’ve been a guest, in a shameless ploy to be invited back. And I’ve made another this week, just for us, because it’s so much more enjoyable to deal with life’s — or at least real estate’s — uncertainties over cake.
Used cookbooks: Many of Maida Heatter’s cookbooks (such as this one) are out of print, and all of them should be in your possession if you love to bake, which means this is the perfect day for me to give you an extremely (8 years, even) overdue shoutout to one of New York City’s greatest food wonders, Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, a used cookbook store in the West Village. Bonnie herself is there everyday, an is not only one of the friendliest New Yorkers you’ll meet, but she knows almost everything about cookbooks. I’ve never come there on a hunt for a cookbook and not found it (and, oops, usually five more; see above: overfilled apartment, guilty as charged). Walking in there is like walking into quickly vanishing NYC you see depicted in movies and I hope if you’re visiting this summer, you don’t miss a chance to stop in.
One year ago: Burst Tomato Galette with Corn and Zucchini
Two years ago: My Favorite Brownies
Three years ago: Zucchini Fritters
Four years ago: Nectarine Brown Butter Buckle
Five years ago: Plum Kuchen
Six years ago: Huevos Rancheros
Seven years ago: Quick Zucchini Saute (still make this at least once a week — including tonight!)
Blueberry Crumb Cake
Adapted from Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts
There are several things about this cake that always stand out to me. First, while most cakes of this size use a quarter pound of butter, plus an additional quarter or eighth for the crumb, this uses half and you don’t notice any missing. There’s as much butter in the cake as there is in the streusel, which I see as a sign that Heatter had her priorities straight. Second, every time I make the streusel topping, I find it too buttery and soft; I’m eager to add more flour to make it more crumbly but I recommend resisting because Heatter knows what she’s doing. The streusel will seem moist but when it bakes, it will both become crumb-like and adhere well to the cake, so you lose very little when you flip the cake out of the pan. I should know not to doubt her, anyway.
Still, I tweak a bunch of things, for ease and personal preferences: I use even more blueberries because I love a blueberry-overloaded cake. Heatter recommends 2 cups, but the pints I buy at the market often have 2 2/3 cups in them, and I use them all. I don’t bother dusting the berries with flour, as she recommends, because it’s not necessary to keep them from sinking here. (The reason is that the cake batter is very thick. Thick batters keep fruit in place.) I also don’t bother sifting the dry ingredients, in part due to laziness and also because while in some cakes, sifting is an important part of yielding a delicate crumb, this cake, where the hallmark crumb is moist, plush and heavily decked with leaky berries, we’re not angling for delicacy. To accommodate the volume that’s lost by not sifting, I am suggesting below using a smidge less flour in both places that you measure it. Oh, and I like to beat the zest in with the sugar, whose grittiness will help release the most oils and flavor from it.
Serves 8 in big wedges or 16 in the 2×2-ish-inch grid I cut mine roughly into
Topping:
5 tablespoons (40 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup, 2 ounces or 55 grams) unsalted butter, cold is fine
Pinch of salt
Cake:
2 cups minus 1 tablespoon (i.e. 1 3/4 cups + 3 tablespoons or 240 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup, 2 ounces or 55 grams) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint (2 to 2 2/3 cups, 12 to 16 ounces, or 340 to 455 grams; see Note) fresh blueberries, clean and dry
1/2 cup milk, whole is ideal, any kind should work
1/2 cup (55 grams) walnuts, chopped medium fine (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
Heat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch round baking pan (with at least 2″ sides) and dust it lightly with flour; line it with a round of parchment paper.
Prepare the topping by mixing the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt, then cutting the butter in with a pastry blender, fork or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and zest together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Beat in 1/3 of the dry ingredient mixture until just combined, followed by 1/2 the milk; repeat with remaining dry ingredients and milk, finishing with the dry mixture. The batter will be very stiff, but don’t fret. Fold blueberries into cake batter until evenly distributed.
Scoop cake batter into prepared pan and smooth so that it is flat. If using walnuts, scatter them on top. Sprinkle with prepared streusel. Bake in heated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out batter-free. You can let the cake cool complete in the pan on a rack, or just cool it in the pan for 20 minutes before flipping it out onto a cooling rack, removing the parchment paper lining, and flipping it back onto a plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if using.
Do ahead: Cake keeps covered with plastic or foil at room temperature for three days. If longer, it might be best to keep it in the fridge. It gets more moist each day.
Whenever you post a new Everyday Cake, it turns into a night of binge-watching TV or playing tabletop games, and having cake for dinner. I suspect this will be no different.
I don’t have a round pan. Do you have a suggestion for what size square/rectangular one to use? Our blueberries are just on the edge and I was thinking crisp tonight, but I like the idea of this better! :)
Susanna — I’d use an 8×8 or a 9×9. Or you could double it in a 9×13.
A 9″ round pan is nearly identical to an 8″ square pan in area (pi x r squared = pi x 4.5 squared = 20.25 pi = 63.6 sq. inches.
I would love to know the calorie count per serving!
Should I make any changes if I use frozen blueberries?
Cool. You could use frozen blueberries, right?
Frozen berries — Yep, I bet they’d work. Probably no need to defrost them. It might take a few minutes longer to bake, but check at 40 minutes. (Maida’s original recipe says 45 to 50 minutes, but mine was done in 40 all three times I made it in the last week.)
Yes, I used frozen today and you need to add about 5-7 min
Can we use apples or peaches instead of berries?
This is exactly what I want to make today. (Since I just picked a ton of garden huckleberries, I’ll use those instead.)
Thanks Deb! How did you know I was looking for a simple lower fat recipe for a blueberry cake? I think I will make two cakes-one with blueberries bad the other with cherries!
Any suggestions as a substitution for milk?
Sara — I am pretty sure soy or almond milk would work well here.
Do you think this would work as muffins?
There you go again, Smitten! Posting recipes that I just MUST try, and there goes my resolve to lose 20 pound (again). We’re heading to Maine in a few days, where we have some wild blueberry land that is just dying to be harvested and turned into this cake (and a million other things–think pancakes, smoothies, pie, . . . . ) Thank you!
I just made a blueberry crumb cake last week adapted from Ina Garten’s. It was so delicious – the tartness of the blueberries mixes so well with the sweet crumbs. I still think your rhubarb big crumb cake is one of the best things I have ever made, nothing can compare to that crumb to cake ratio.
I just made a blueberry buckle last night. I used the recipe my mom always used, which is from a very old Betty Crocker cookbook. It’s suprisingly similar. The main difference is that Betty doesn’t include lemon or vanilla in hers. I’ll be using yours from now on, as those sound like excellent additions!
I’ve actually made my blueberry crumb cake recipe in a 9 inch spring form pan. It makes it easier to slice, especially at a brunch or potluck.
“Stress Level: Hip Flask” should be a band name. Hang in there! Also, stop tempting me to cheat on my paleo diet. On a side note, Nom Nom Paleo linked to your recent pickle recipe this week.
What size round pan did you use? I didn’t find that info in the notes. 8 or 9 inch I’d guess? This looks delish, it will be made this weekend!
Gayle — Whoops. 9-inch. Will fix.
Hi, I was wondering can this be made with a box cake mix? I was thinking lemon cake with the blue berries would be yummy.
Oooooh, this looks so yummy. I love thicker crumb cakes. And with the (extra) fresh blueberries, all the better. Bet it would be great with other fruit as well. May have to get some more berries to make this on Saturday.
Those buttery crumbs… insert heart eyes emoji here.
Hi Deb! Do you think I can use strawberries for this recipe?
Wow, Deb, wow. I see you have no shame in practically forcing so many unsuspecting readers to bake by posting these awesome pictures and stories! :) Do you think almond milk or coconut milk instead of milk, um, from a cow would mess up the cake’s texture?
Oh my goodness, this is exactly what I’m in the mood for. Wonderful!
And you’re right – that isn’t a lot of butter; what a bonus.
I can’t tell you how excited I get every time you post a new recipe. Please don’t ever delete or close this website down as I live off it, going on it every day looking back at your old posts (and telling myself I will make this some day) because it’s so beautiful. The food… and your blog…
I really hope I can meet you some day, not only are your recipes I’ve had the most success with, you also inspired me that having a passion for cooking/baking doesn’t mean you have to be a chef or have a restaurant. But you can cook and bake every day, just for those around you. Pursuing your passion everyday. I’m only 17 and my family doesn’t support me in the culinary world, but more to the ‘get a good job, earn a lot of money, then do what you want’, which makes me sad.
Anyways, congrats on your new house! I’m excited to try out this recipe soon :)
hi deb! i never comment , but i just want to say i love your recipes, they always come out great , your book is the one i go to when i have people over. ive done so many over the years and i recommend your book and blog to everyone
One of my favorite desserts; a true classic. Blessings, Catherine
You never fail to provide me with a cake recipe for the weekend. :) This looks like another winner.
Also — your glass storage jars are beautiful! Are they Weck?
Jen — I do have some stuff in Weck jars, but nothing that’s shown here. I’ve bought a lot of different sized canning jars with clamp-tops from Overstock.com over the years. They always have a lot in stock.
Elisa — It’s a scant 2 cups, but I know if I’d said that, specifics would be requested so instead you can just measure 2 cups flour and take out 1 tablespoon. Or just use the weight measurement. Buttermilk should work and I think the flavor would be lovely here. There’s often some concern in baking about swapping an acidic ingredient (buttermilk or yogurt) for non-acidic ingredient (regular milk, soy or almond milk) because a leavener like baking soda needs an acid to activate and other very long-winded explanations, but as we’re using baking powder and adding an acid rather than taking one away, it shouldn’t be an issue.
Manuela — I think so. I might stick to 2 cups halved or quartered since I find them even wetter than blueberries and wouldn’t want the cake to turn to mush. You might also like this strawberry summer cake if you have an excess of strawberries.
Michal — It might. Or, you could make my favorite blueberry muffins.
Tovah — And then you have to go to Three Lives and Co. across the street. :)
Leah — I’ve read that and it fascinates me. Of course, we’re just moving within our building so we wouldn’t have to deal with street-level chaos. But can you imagine?
This looks awesome! I’m a little confused about the amount of flour to use though! Thx
And do u think buttermilk would work?
Mmmm this looks so good! I’m so jealous of that bookstore! It sounds amazing.
Good luck with your move, that sounds totally annoying — but it looks like you’ve found the solution to not be TOO stressed :)
This looks so good!
I’m going to make this blueberry pie this weekend:
It is said to be the best blueberry pie ever!
Hope it lives up to the hype.
http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/dorothys-fresh-blueberry-pie-recipe/
Also, it’s so fitting that Maida is a pastry chef because in Hindi, Maida means all-purpose flour!
Deb, I have moving agita for you – I’m a terrible mover and dread transitions of almost any kind. (Fun tidbit: May 1 used to be Moving Day in New York, when hundreds to thousands would relocate on one date. So at least you won’t be competing with a vast horde, I guess?)
I’m new to Maida Heatter’s oeuvre, but I just looked over her Palm Beach Brownies recipe, which was so delightfully particular and involved for a brownie recipe I feel compelled to try it! And to visit Bonnie’s shop – thanks for the recommendation.
Blueberry crumb cake studies. I should’ve majored in that. My fiance will love this cake!
Good luck with your move!
This looks like it would certainly help with those stress levels. It also looks quite a bit like a streusel topped peach buckle I’ve got on the docket. How many everyday cakes is too many?
Have been making this recipe for years (but in a 9×9 square pan). Love it! The crumbs are the best!
OF COURSE the cookbook shop is on w10th. Probably my favorite street in the whole city!
How do you think this would work with other berries – say, some diced strawberries, or whole blackberries? I might give it a shot with strawberries, only because I just bought a 4lb container of them at Trader Joe’s this afternoon!
If you wish to further your studies – have you tried Ina’s blueberry crumb cake recipe? I believe sour cream is involved.
Wow, I’m really surprised at how little fat there is in this recipe, you would think it would be dry. Can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Perhaps the people completing the renovations on your new place would be inspired to work faster if you plied them with this lovely creation?
This looks delish! I love crumb cakes but always struggle with the crumb. No matter what I seem to do the crumb topping is always dry. Any tips?
Picked blueberries at a farm two weeks ago. Weekend and end of school is here, and I was planning to bake something this weekend to use them up. Perfect timing, Deb. :)
So buttermilk may work? I’d love to hear from anyone who tries it. I have some buttermilk to use, and I really hate wasting it. I always swear I will use it all up every time I buy it, but I don’t seem to actually get around to doing that.
Isn’t 4 Tbsp of butter 2 ounces?
John — Yup! Now fixed. Thanks.
I have loads of fresh blueberries and this seems like a great use for them! While on the topic…do frozen berries work well for baking? I guess they might be watery? so thaw and drain maybe? Or should I always stick with fresh? I have so many that I want to freeze a good amount. If baking with them doesn’t work, that’s ok since I have lots of other uses!
I have a bunch of raspberries looking pitiful in my fridge and was just wondering what to do with them before they walk away on their own (besides breakfast bars, we have already done that his month). I think this will work nicely.
I have been making this cake for years and it is truly the best blueberry coffee cake i have ever tried. So glad that you found it!
Love this! Looks so delicious!
http://youtube.com/addalittlefood
ARGH always one ingredient short making a store run necessary. Today, butter. If I make this tonight and cut it into squares then when I bring the rest in tomorrow my coworkers won’t know about my quality control tasting!
I love blueberry…anything…so this looks delicious! Yummy!
I can’t wait to make this this weekend! I have everything in my pantry/fridge already. What size round pan do you use?
My suggestion is to tell those renovators in your new apartment that if they hurry up and finish, you will have homemade blueberry crumb cake waiting for them…chances are you will be able to move in on time! Best wishes!
Just in the nick of time – picked our first two quarts of wild blueberries this week!
Even though it is 101 degrees outside, I fired up my oven and made this today! It sure is beautiful. I have been looking for a recipe like this for years, with the perfect topping and moistness, thanks for sharing this great recipe!
An insta photo that you posted earlier in the year of a visit to Bonnie Slotnick’s tipped me off to its existence and I visited when I was in New York (from Sydney) earlier this year. A great suggestion, thanks! I came away with a gorgeous first edition Jane Grigson and left wishing I could squeeze more into my suitcase!
Deb this looks Delic! Any idea on how this recipe would do with an all purpose gluten free flour?
Possibly stupid question… Wouldn’t flipping the cake out of the pan result in the streusel/ topping being on the, um, bottom? Should we be using a springform? Or removing the cake with parchment?
I’ve made the rhubarb snacking cake with other fruit! Usually half the pan with rhubarb, and half the pan with whatever other fruit I’ve got because I don’t have enough rhubard for a whole pan (from my neglected plants in the back yard.) Fresh peaches one time, and frozen mixed berries another time, off the top of my head.
I’ll be trying this one soon!
I make this cake all the time, and just brought one to dinner at a friend’s house…made with the wild blueberries we brought home from Maine. I have always made this in a 9″ springform pan ..don’t want to lose a single crumb of Streusal !
I think a couple of chunks of this cake, and one of those bourbon slushies should get you through the move just fine. Good Luck.
Good luck with the move! it’s always so stressful but will also be soooooo worth it. Love it that you’re still making cake, in spite of it all!
I’ve been searching for the right recipe for this type of cake. I like baking crumb cakes for my family and have been wanting to do something with blueberries. This is perfect. Thanks for sharing and the reminder about visiting Bonnie’s bookstore. Must go !
That cake looks amazing! We don’t get blueberries here in India. This is the season for stone fruit…you think diced plums could be subbed?
This looks delish, but as a UK reader who works in grams, isn’t 5 tbsp of flour for the topping equivalent to 75g not 15? So 4tbsp would be 60g not 55? Or our spoon measurements different as well? *brain explodes with confusion*
P.S. Good luck with the move when it happens
I love the way you write! I sure hope there is a larger kitchen in your new place! Thanks for the tip on the bookstore; I’ll put it on my list for our next “field trip” into NYC from NJ.
I’m making lunch for friends with a new baby on Sat., and this will definitely be on the menu. There is a peach streusel coffeecake in the William’s-Sonoma Muffin Cookbook, which people love, but now I’m not supposed to eat stone fruit (which is going to really kill me when the prune plums come out, AND mess with my Rosh Hashanah baking), so I’m putting lots of berries in everything.
You are so much calmer than I would be with a move situation. At least you have this cake. Cake always makes things better.
My husband doesn’t like blueberries… What other fruits could I substitute? ( I’m thinking strawberries would be too watery)… Raspberries? Peaches?
Crumb cakes warm my heart. Love this classic recipe!
Hey Deb. First, you’re amazing and every recipe I’ve ever made of your has become a family staple. Second, how do you think whole wheat pastry flour would go with this, in lieu of all-purpose? We moved last fall and have discovered DELIGHTFULLY that we have four blueberry bushes lining our driveway!!!!! So we are loaded with blueberries and man ALIVE, I’m loving this recipe!
This was AMAZING! I love how quick it is.
Adrienne—I make muffins using chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen) and they are delicious. I think this crumb cake recipe would be splendid with strawberries. Actually, this recipe would be delicious without any fruit at all!
Can’t wait to try this! Not a fan of lemon zest. Do you think it is necessary to put it in for the best results, or will be be delicious without it also?
Deborah HH – what other fruits do you think would work?
Hi Deb, I absolutely love your web site and ALL your recipies……..I’m making this blueberry crumb cake Yum….can you substitute olive oil for the butter? I work at an olive oil store and we like to suggest cake recipies to clients that use olive oils. I’ve made several olive oil cakes and customers love them! Thanks and best wishes for your move. Monica
Eeeep! I would be no where near your level of calm right now. Admirable! Do you think (I know you can’t vouch for it, just wondering your thoughts) refined coconut oil (no coconut taste) would work in place of the butter? Thanks!
Have you tried Dorie Greenspan’s Blueberry Crumb Cake (from Baking)? It uses buttermilk and the walnuts are in the crumb instead of the cake, but it seems very similar. I’ve been happy with it, but I might have to make sure by trying this one.
Good luck with your move! I’d by dying right now, definitely not making blueberry crumb cake. But it looks delicious!
Bonnie is a true New York eccentric. I stopped in there a few years ago {it’s almost always closed when I pass by there in the morning or early afternoon on the way to my office, so I was thrilled that I could finally see the inside} and chatted with her as I wandered around, admiring the gorgeous displays and oohing and aaahing over all of the beautiful rare treasures. After about 15 minutes, she said, I have to go do an errand, would you mind watching the shop for me? AND SHE LEFT ME ALONE IN HER STORE FOR OVER HALF AN HOUR. I actually waited on a few customers, not that I was of much service. When she got back, I bought a book {I felt obliged to buy something after spending almost an hour in there} and she didn’t give me a discount.
Is the weight in grams for the 5 Tbs of flour (for the topping) accurate? I bake by weight (all your fault Deb!) and if one cup of all-purpose flour weighs ~125g that means 5 Tbs should weigh around 40g… right? Or is it supposed to be 5 teaspoons of flour, which would weigh 15g?
Weight of flour in topping — Nope, that was a typo. It is indeed 40 grams, now fixed. Thanks.
Substituting oil or coconut oil for butter here — Should go off without a hitch.
Renee — I think you could use it here. Personally, if I’m making a baked good for the first time with a whole wheat or alternative flour, I start with just a 1/3 to 1/2 max swap. If I’ve worked with it before, I might go up to 2/3 swap. I rarely do a full swap. But, if you’ve been baking with 100% whole wheat pastry flour for some time and feel confident about the texture in cakes, go for it.
Instead of blueberries — Diced very ripe peaches, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, diced plums, apricots, etc.
Sara — Sorry for the confusion, I meant, flip it out, remove the parchment, return it right-side-up.
Maytal — I think it should be okay with an all-purpose gluten-free baking mix.
This sounds perfect for this weekend’s Shakespeare in the Park picnic with friends! Thanks Deb!
Making this now and need to know the correct flour measurement for the topping please! Thanks, Caren
Thanks!
This looks like the delightful blueberry “coffee cake” my grandma used to make and serve after church service on Sundays. Had lost her recipe. Can’t wait to try it for my family!
Hi Deb! How do you think it’ll take to freezing? I live alone and don’t share well… I also don’t want to eat all of this in one night.
Nicki — I’d expect it to freeze well. Confectioners sugar, if using, after it defrosts.
Deb, you MUST come to Maine right away–and get away from all that NYC stress. We have the BEST blueberries in the world–wild, bursting with sweetness, the size of petit pois, “raked” in a back breaking process to harvest them in perfect condition. Just imagine how amazing this cake would be. The blueberries are ripe RIGHT NOW! Get thee to the border and I’ll get me to the kitchen!
Deb, thanks for the cookbook references and all the best with your move : )
Julie
Are those ceiling beams in the LR? The archways are GREAT ( I had them in my last home) too- instant “personality”. Well worth however long it takes…and a deck also????? I wish you lots of joy in your new place and more time to cook things like Blueberry Cake. Did we totally miss rhubarb season without the recipe for the cake( or was it pie?) that fell on the kitchen floor? Say it will be delayed.. ( but not so long that we have to wait for cookbook #2) to pacify me…but pleeeease may we have it soon?
I hope you don’t mind if I use the phrase “Stress Level: Hip Flask” every day for the rest of my life.
This is definitely on the treat-me-myself-and-I list. I’m a longtime reader, new commenter, and avid coffee drinker. I can now go on to daydream my way through the last couple of hours of work. Coffee and blueberry crumb cake…mmmmmm :) Thanks!
This looks delicious but I’m noticing a lack of huckleberries(!) in your recipe repertoire. Do they have them on the east coast? They taste, to me, like blueberries much stronger & more flavorful cousin.
Hi Deb, I was wondering if the blueberries could be substituted with dried blueberries?
Laura — It might be a little dry. I think cakes like this are best with fresh fruit.
Kelly — I am overdue to try them. We don’t hear much about them on the East Coast, but I will ask around at the Greemarket — I bet someone grows some.
Lauren — I’m sorry, I still owe you that pie. The thing is, I hadn’t even loved it that much. It was okay. I’ll get it right next spring. And thanks — this building does have a lot of ceiling beams and arches (for a totally not fancy building). Unfortunately, they’re not exactly historical preservationists here, so when they make a new doorway, as they are for us, they look different. (Can you tell I was stressing over this at 5am? Ugh.)
Karen — Ah, it sounds so wonderful. Maine is absolutely the best place to be in August.
Just baked the cake and it is delicious even though it fell a bit in the middle. Do you have suggestions on how to prevent? My husband said he could eat in place of dinner tonight. Haha.
Maribeth — Usually falling is a leavening issue but this a cake I’ve made three times in one week (I know, I need an intervention) and it never happened. Were there any ingredient changes worth mentioning? (Buttermilk for milk, etc.)
Your timing is perfect. I’ve just recently been nostalgic for blueberry crumb cake!
I just made your blueberry crumb bars 2 days ago (for about the millionth time) – but I had a ton of blueberries so I doubled them. Incredible! Now you post this, and I’m going to have to get some more blueberries so I can make it asap. My colleagues love me (and by extension you!) but my hips are not so happy :-(
Good luck with the move and thanks again for all your wonderful recipes.
PS. Jacob and I share a birthday – have you started planning the cake yet?
Looks beautiful. Good luck with the move!
I need this now. In my belly, on my tongue, it needs to happen!
Hi Deb,
Made this last night to eat over the weekend. It looks delicious and I am sure will taste so as well, but when I followed the recipe as written it did not seem to produce the amount of crumb topping as yours has in the pictures. I looked at other recipes for similar sized crumb cakes I’ve made from you in the past and they seem to have a lot more flour. Is there a possible mistake, or did I just do something wrong?
Have a nice weekend!
Tamar — I would say that it makes about, maybe just shy of, 1 cup of streusel. Does that sound like what you got? The crumb layer isn’t thick here, but the topping should easily cover the top of the cake. I hope that helps.
Another Deb — It’s no fun to plan anymore; all he wants is chocolate. However, while eating a slice of this, he actually said that maybe he MIGHT go for a blueberry cake. But blueberries will be out of season by then. I would love to make him a plum cake with a brown sugar brown butter cream cheese buttercream but, I don’t know, maybe that doesn’t sound so fitting for a 5 year-old? As you can see, I’ve got a lot of thinking to do. (Plus, also, this dude I married has a big round birthday this month, and requires cake.)
Sold. Again. I made a blueberry crumb cake from Cooks Illustrated and it was uber-tasty, but this one cooked be singing it’s siren song to me. Good luck with your move tomorrow! As long as you know where to find a bottle of wine and a corkscrew, you’re good!
No changes in recipe but I did use convection setting on electric oven. Would that do it?
Excellent! Might even rival the Summer Strawberry Cake. However, my topping didn’t come out to nearly the amount yours did in the picture. Next time I might do 1.5 times the amount for extra crumby goodness.
this looks delicious, thanks for sharing! definitely going to make this one soon.
xo, cheyenne
No blueberries in the house so I’m going to switch it up with cherries (cut in half), almond extract, and some almond meal in the crumb topping in place of wheat flour.
Turned out great. Creaming the zest with the sugar is a genius idea.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Oh my goodness my favorite category of cake. Nice and fruity—-and very generous with the fruit I may add. What is it about crumbs that add that special ‘eat me’ touch? Pulls me in every time.
I sent the link to my niece with a comment that it looks good. It worked — she made it (who could resist).
It smelled amazingly good!!! We rushed through dinner to get to the main event. The cake was moist, the blueberries were bursting, the flavour was perfect. Double yum. Many many thanks Deb. (She used brown sugar for the crumble and it had a nice crunch.)
It was a perfect cake.
I could use a piece or two or five of this cake right now!
Good Morning Deb ! Not sure what happened here but my first note went elsewhere..trying again. I had to laugh about a post you wrote July 31st. You stated you made the blueberry cake three times that week. What?? ? You didn’t share with me ! Now I am truly going to try this yumolicious sounding recipe. Thanks ever so much for sharing it with all of us. Hope you have a wonderful weekend ~ Holly
Why did I make this cake on a rainy day? We are trapped inside and this cake has no where to hide.
Jennifer, I just did the same thing. It stared back at me from the counter for all of about 15 minutes (after it was cool enough to transfer to a cake pedestal) before I cut into it, lol. OMG, I need to get of of the house now!
Made this, this morning. Forgot to use the parchment paper. Still came out of the pan perfect. Must be my lucky day.
I made this cake this morning. I made one goof. I mixed the nuts in the batter with the blueberries but it didn’t matter. I used my spring form cake pan since my regulars are too short. This cake is wonderful!
btw Deb, buy the blueberries now in season and on sale, and put them in the freezer.
Ok I have twins napping upstairs and the right thing to do would be for me to nap, but I can’t till I make this cake. Cake is as important as sleep sometimes :)
i’m going to a cookout for a coworker tonight. guess what i’m bringing? this and a mexican street corn salad. thanks for never letting me down, deb! i hope moving is going … better than you expect?
I made this last night to serve to in-laws this morning. My father-in-law, who is not prone to gush, said, “This is probably the best coffeecake I’ve ever had.” I concur! Many thanks — this recipe goes in the permanent rotation!
I made this and it was truly delish. The only problem was the crumb topping. I did not have a pastry blender and I used my fingers. I think the warmth of my hands caused the butter to melt. It turned out to be more like a buttery solid topping than a streusel. What do you think about using a food processor to make the streusel?
Oh!!! Now I know the problem. In reading the comments, I see the weight on the flour in the streusel was wrong. No wonder mine was so buttery it actually flowed over a bit – I used 15 g instead of 40 grams. I will try it again.
Another golden recipe. Thanks, Deb! Blueberries in the CSA again this week guaranteed this recipe had to be tried today, and it was beautiful. Love!
All these summer time recipes, I’m dreaming of hot summer days and long light nights… can’t wait! Moving is always so stressful and in my case so un organised and rushed (every year for the past 3 years we’ve moved apartment) but you seem to be organised and still blogging which I think is a good sign :) Good luck with the final move when it happens and I hope that bath tub goes… sounds scary!
Bonnie slotnick! haven’t heard that name in awhile. absolutely agree that she is the best procurer of out-of-print cookbooks ever. she was able to get me 2 hard-to-find books in less than 5 days. she is a wonder! now that you’ve reminded me, I think it’s time to ask her about those Clementine Paddleford books I’ve been trying to find…
Wowza! This cake is so right on so many levels. I’m not a huge fan of cinnamon, but it’s really ‘just right’ here. The fruit is moist but not wet. The cake holds its shape well so would be good for traveling/bringing to a friends’ house. And the taste is divine; everyone had seconds! Just an FYI – I made this yesterday with 250 g blueberries and 200 g strawberries (quartered) – a great combination in case you ran out of blueberries like I did. Thanks for another winning recipe!
In the oven as we speak. I’m so excited. Picked the blueberries out East and brought them home just for this. Man I love summer on Long Island.
If I wasn’t making your thick, chewy oatmeal cookies today I’d be making this cake. It’s next in line.
Like Louise, I made the cake before reading the comments and the following correction of the flour weight for the topping. It did not seem right – more spreadable than suitable for sprinkling – but I remembered not to doubt, you as advised. Nevertheless, the cake came out wonderfully, with a delicious crust in place of the crumb. So the 15g-flour-streusel may well be an alternative (and and a bit lower-calorie) version of the topping :-)
Thanks from your reader from Warsaw, Poland
Wonderful cake! Moist and so chock-full of blueberries. Big hit at coffee hour! A definite keeeper.
EXcellent, as always, Deb. Made it early this a.m. and set it out to cool before church. Back now and had to do a taste test before taking it to a function this afternoon, and happy to report it is just as wonderful as I’d suspected. Thanks for another great recipe!
p.s. I used a 7×11 pan, not quite 2″ tall, and it was perfect.
I made this yesterday and it turned out perfect. Because of the higher altitude, I baked it at 400 F and let it bake for an extra 5 minutes. There just so happened to be a gathering next door, so I was able to bring this over and it was gone within an hour. Everyone loved it.
Hi Deb- Never commented before, but this recipe plus your peach-blueberry cobbler requires a major thank you! After making the cobbler and becoming much more popular with my friends, I doubled the fruit and tripled the topping for a gathering yesterday. Definitely earned kudos. Now to try this one, which reminds me of the Polish apple cake recipes my mother used to bake, with more panache!
I made this last night and took it to work today. It was a big hit! I will definitely make it again. This was so easy to make and great for a coffee cake or a dessert. Thanks for your wonderful and inspiring site.
Just bought a bunch of Maida Heatter’s books. I guess I’ll read them while eating the cake. Wait scratch that, I’ll have the cake now and make more for reading later!
Just made it today……..so easy to make, moist and layered w flavor from the lemon zest.
Kids scarfed it down! Thanks!
All those organic blueberries I bought on Saturday are now safely in cake! I used the max 455 grams of fruit and love how much more there is in this cake compared to others. I wonder about using agave for at least some of the sweetening—–to lower the glycemic index. I’m never quite sure how to work that substitution. Ideas?
Made it yesterday with buttermilk — and I’m happy to say it was a resounding success. I didn’t change anything else, just swapped buttermilk for the milk. Delicious!
Delicious. Perfect. Just like the photo.
I baked this cake friday and handed out slices to all who stopped by my home. We have never had a cake this yummy and moist. Everyone that had some asked for the recipe and an extra slice to take home.
I made this for a summer cookout and served it with local frozen vanilla custard. It was amazing!! The only thing I changed was baking it in a square 8×8 pan and it worked perfectly!!
Yup, I made this instead of unpacking in my new apartment and it was incredible. Everyone loved it. This is definitely one of my favorite SK recipes to date. It was unbelievably easy too. Thanks for sharing! Hope you’re all settled into your new place.
I made this yesterday and it was delicious. Turned out perfectly. Followed recipe exactly, but I didn’t have a lemon to zest so I used a lime. Even my husband who isn’t much of a blueberry fan liked it! We had it last night with vanilla ice cream – delicious. I made it in a 9 inch springform pan.
I just made this today. Why can’t all cakes be like this, never had a cake with streusel before. Unforgettable!
I used half mooned plums and I baked it in a pan with a hole in it (what do you call those?). I wouldn’t change anything – except for maybe trying it with peaches, raspberries, nectarines, pears etc., etc… You get the idea :) Thank you so much.
Oh my yum. I need to make this asap.
xoxo
Taylor
I made this yesterday using frozen huckleberries instead of blueberries. It is so very good. An added bonus is the crumb topping is virtually identical to the crumb topping my mother used to use on her Dutch crumb peach pie. I have tried a number of crumb recipes trying to replicate hers and none were the same. This crumb recipe is the closest I’ve found. I’m not sure if I will ever make this with blueberries as I find blueberries to be bland and tasteless after eating huckleberries for years. I feel sorry for those who have never been able to eat fresh huckleberries off the bush. As far as I know there is still no domestic or garden grown true huckleberry available even though research continues into developing a domesticated version of the wild huckleberry.
This was so amazing! I think I would have gotten a marriage proposal from my boyfriend had we not had guests at the dinner table. I’ve got about 4 more of these to make in the next few weeks because its just.that.good!
Question for you, Deb. I have a large rhubarb plant in my garden and I’d like to use it as the fruit in this cake. Do you have any suggestions for me? Should I add more sugar to the mix or do you think it will work as is with the substitution of tart rhubarb for the sweet blueberries? (I’m going to experiment with it tonight, I think. I’ll report back)
I’m also completely geeking out that Deb “liked” my photo of this cake on Instagram. (I’m such a dork!)
This sounds amazing. As a side note, for all the readers wanting to use buttermilk because they have some left over, I’ve discovered that you can make quark cheese with buttermilk. It’s a European soft spread cheese not found easily in the States. And it’s so easy! For anyone who’s interested, here’s the recipe: http://relache.hubpages.com/hub/Quark
I’m Ann the full time RVer who has posted before. I am now in Michigan where cherries and blueberries are in season and fruit stands are on all the roads. After purchasing some of the above, I made this blueberry crumb cake. Delicious. Also, the recipe from a year ago (as above, Burst Tomato Galette) I modified and made a quiche. Also Delicious. I also made the Egg Salad with pickled celery. Another Delicious dish. We are now set with meals while we spend time touring this beautiful country. Thanks again for all your hard work. Good luck with your move.
B — I think you could substitute diced rhubarb here easily. It’s a little more tart but this cake is (to me) on the sweet side. I might keep the amount to 2 cups, though. Hope that helps.
Hi Deb,
I am not really a baker, but this looks so good I have to try it. I was wondering if you think this would work with an herb like rosemary or thyme added into the batter.
Thanks!
Oh, this is good! I’m not a streusal fan (just too sweet for me), so I left it off, and I decreased the sugar to 1/4 c. granulated + 1/4 c. light brown. I found the cake plenty moist and sweet. Had it tonight with whipped cream and will have it for breakfast tomorrow with yogurt. Thank you!
@Martha #148 – Thank you for the quark tip! Love it, and it’s so hard to find in a store where I am.
Made this tonight and it was delicious. I thought I had a lemon but didn’t, so some orange zest was fine. Also, our guest has various food issues so rice milk worked well too. Plus, I didn’t have the right pan and used a buttered and floured 9″ Pyrex deep-dish pie plate. Served directly from the dish, the cake came out easily from the pan. Easy made even easier to no ill effect!
Visiting my cousins in Waldoboro, ME, and picked beautiful blueberries. What a treat to make this cake to thank our family for a beautiful stay. My husband and I enjoyed some with wildly strong coffee on our flight home to Sonoma county today. Coming from and going to beautiful parts of the US. Thanks!
This cake is delicious!!! Thank you for another great recipe, Deb!!!
Loved it!!!
Hi Deb,
This looks beautiful, and with the last of the summer berries coming in, I can’t wait to get to it! I was wondering if you had any suggestions for modifying this recipe for high altitude? I live in Denver (5,280 ft above sea level) and this can pose some baking issues.
Thanks!
This was delicious! Thanks for another great recipe!
Yum! I can’t eat the shoe thing by myself…. will it freeze? If so, please comment.
Andy — It should freeze just fine.
Wow, Deb! I made it tonight and it was delicious! Thanks a million!
Trying this tonight. Has anyone doubled it? How did it go?
Loved this! I substituted raw sugar fir the topping and it was beyond expectations. I was supposed to save dome for my husband coming back from a business trip but hey a girl needs breakfast :)
Blueberries and cake? How can I resist. I will have to put this on my to do list.
Going to Book Club tonight and visiting family tomorrow. Both groups complain about “watching carbs” and will not eat whole cake so thinking about making as muffins or in two loaf pans? Anything I should change if I did? Maida is a goddess in my book. Thanks!
Ellen — I think that the volume might actually be right for one loaf pan, not two. But flatter cakes don’t always translate well to loaves; often, but not always because they sometimes need extra leavener to adjust to extra height climb.
OMG I love crumb cakes like this one but I’ve never brought myself to make them at home! Guess what I am making this weekend! One of the best things about living in Wisconsin is wild berries everywhere! I can’t wait to try this recipe out.
It turned out perfectly. It was so moist and I could’ve had another slice but I’m going to share some with neighbors and friends. I’m going to pick more blueberries tomorrow!!!!! Thanks, Deb :)
mine came out perfect! Thanks!!
This was so easy, came out perfectly. If one is patient and pays attention, even people who think they cannot cook will be able to make this. Got blueberries from farmer’s mkt, expensive but much better flavor. I don’t know why my oven always takes longer (61 minutes) .. I had an oven thermometer in there at the right temp. I used my 9-inch springform pan.
Lovely cake! I always use half unbleached white flour & half whole wheat pastry flour in recipes like this one. Worked very well! Took quite a bit longer to bake than the recommended 40 minutes though.
This looks incredible. I am definitely trying this out next time I get chance to do some baking! It looks so yummy!
This is fabulous cake! I made a double batch and gave one to the neighbor that so kindly helped with our yard work out of the goodness of his heart (gotta love that kind of neighbor). I used buttermilk for the regular milk and frozen blueberries for the fresh, but otherwise followed the recipe. I had a longer cooking time, but assumed that was because I put the berries in directly from the freezer. This recipe is an absolutely a keeper.
Hi Deb I’m a massive fan of yours and your blueberry crumb bars are notorious in my house. I made this cake during the week and I think it’s the nicest cake I have ever produced. We had it hot with custard and cold with ice cream. It was amazing. I’m now thinking of all the other amazing combos I could produce. I’m even wondering whether slightly stewed apples or even plums could work now that we are heading in autumn. I will let you know if I attempt one of these alternatives. Thanks once again for the wonderful recipes.
P.S. right now I’m making the lazy pizza dough for dinner tomorrow. I can’t wait.
Hi Deb, and thanks for yet another lovely recipe! The cake is backing in the oven right now, but the streussel melted and covered the cake like a top crust layer. I am sure it still tastes wonderful, cant wait to try it, but I have no idea what went wrong. As you describe it felt very buttery and I resisted the extra flour urge. Any ideas what I might try next time?
I had to giggle when I inverted the cake onto a plate. I said, “Its a huge muffin!” Absolutely delicious. I will be making this many times. Thank you for the great recipe!
Deb – do you think it would work to do this in a bundt pan and put the streusel in first?
Mary-Marshall — I think it could, actually. Do let us know if it works. My only concern is that you might be better off doubling it if you want to fully fill the bundt.
i’m about to make it for the 3rd time – it’s absolutely delicious! used a spring form pan, pecans instead of walnuts, and buttermilk instead of milk – perfect!
Thank you, Deb, for yet another wonderful recipe!
I made this as cupcakes/muffins without the topping (since hubby and I are on a diet so the butter and portions have to be kept low) and they are gorgeous!
Oh, its just great. I love your website and your recipies! Thank you a lot!
Could Buttermilk be substituted for the whole milk? And how about baking it in a tube pan? I used a springform and that was fine, and am trying a 9×13 pyrex baking dish to make it easier to serve at a pot luck.
Holy cats, this cake was so good that it didn’t even matter that we only had half of a lime for zesting and that I forgot the vanilla. Thank you a million times for sharing your recipes, your photographs and your great good humor. I am a better cook, wife, mother and friend for it!
Just took this out of the oven (smells wonderful & looks fabulous)! My 9 inch round cake pan was only 1 1/2 inch on sides. I thought the batter might spill over the sides as it baked but it didn’t. In fact it rose to over 2 1/2 inches with every bit of crumbs adhering perfectly to the gorgeous round puffed cake! Deb do you think this is due to the thick batter & that I had just opened a brand new can of baking powder?
Yet another amazing recipe. I’ve just moved back to the northern hemisphere from the southern and it is really exciting to be able to get seasonal ingredients at the same time as you rather than having to wait 6 months to make some of you recipes.
In some of your other recipes you suggest melting the butter for the crumb topping to make it easier to combine with the flour and sugar. Is there any reason why that wouldn’t work here? Also, the oven in my new home is only in Celsius. I was wondering if it is possible for you to include temperatures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit in your recipes?
Natasha — Very astute! Mostly I kept it Heatter’s way not to change it for the sake of changing it as her recipes always work well. But I think you could melt it. That said, given that the crumbs are already on the buttery side, I hope that melted butter wouldn’t make them impossible to clump together. And yes, I will try to be more consider with the Celsius. I keep it over here, FWIW, so you can check on recipes I’ve missed.
I made this today with fresh sweet cherries, 1/2 tsp almond extract along with the vanilla extract and slivered almonds in place of walnuts. It took a little longer than the written time to bake, but it was awesome!!
This cake was delicious! It wound up being done in thirty minutes instead of forty for me, but probably because my oven is often a little on the hot side. Could you make the crumb topping in a stand mixer or food processor instead of by hand?
Just finished two pieces of this…wonderful. I did find that it needed 50 minutes to cook and so I sadly I had to wait But it was so worth it.
Wow. Mind-blowing. I was on the fence about this recipe vs. a much richer one. This one is absolutely perfect. Possibly my favorite cake, ever.
Ok, I just ordered Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts (1999 edition). Do you have any other favorites from this book?
Made this tonight, so good and moist!
Made this tonight for my dad – we loved it!
I make this yesterday and it was delicious! I substituted some very ripe white nectarines for the blueberries and added some nutmeg instead of the lemon zest. It was a hit! Will be making this again soon with blueberries. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!!!
This cake is to die for!! Thank you, this recipe is a keeper. And, by the way, I used a 9″ spring form pan (because my cake pans are not deep enough) and this worked perfectly.
I have made this cake twice so far. Yum. I am looking for a bit more flavor in the cake. Could I substitute or add lemon juice? Thoughts?
I made this yesterday. A perfect cake, great crumb, not too sweet and the instructions made it foolpro0f. Thanks!
Just made this. Sooo amazing. The lemon zest adds such a good flavor. I used buttermilk and it was delic.
You know you’re killing me, right? I’m single and I was planning to spend the weekend home alone snuggling with the dog and appreciating the quiet. Now my choices are invite someone over or eat an entire crumb cake on my own. *Sigh*
I figure it’s about time I comment after years of being a fan.
Your recipes never fail me, and many have made it into my regular rotation. This is another huge winner! Absolutely delicious.
Now I am off to make the refrigerator dills.
This is my new favorite summer cake! But I can’t stop thinking about the plum cake with brown butter brown sugar cream cheese buttercream that you mentioned in your comment above. Do you have a recipe in mind? I’d really love to try it!
This was amazing! Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I’ve made this cake twice in the past week (Because each time I make it, the family rushes it, and it’s gone before I can blink!). You’ve def. encouraged me to experiment a bit more, and try to learn more about baking! We went and picked a huge box of peaches from our local orchard this morning, and am hoping to try several of your peach recipes this week.
I have made this a number of times and recently used fresh peaches instead of blueberries. Both versions are great. Thanks for the recipe. I also will make any Maida Heatter recipe without question. I’m waking up early tomorrow to make this again for the eight 12 year olds who are sleeping over here tonight!
I really appreciate for those of us in Australia how you put the gram measurements on your recipes! Thanks! Will definitely be trying this one.
This cake is SO GOOD. I didn’t have a round pan with tall enough sides so I baked it in a rectangular ceramic pan that is about 12×5 and it was perfect. I just oiled it instead of using parchment, and served it right out of the pan. There was no problems with it sticking.
I will use this recipe again for sure! The rhubarb snaking cake, and peach-blueberry cobbler recipes are also my favourites.
Just tried this recipe and it turned out fantastic :) I’m very new to baking and this little bit of success (scrumptious, scrumptious success) is tremendously encouraging! Thank you so much for all your wonderful inspiration. <3
9″ springform pan ok? All my other round pans are 8″. Bumper crop of blueberries after berry picking this weekend = excellent excuse to make this blueberry cake recipe that I’ve had bookmarked for weeks! Thanks for providing great accessible recipes for home cooks!
It might be a tiny bit tight in an 8-inch, so put a tray underneath lined with foil the first time you make it, just be safe.
Long time lurker here…but I just wanted to say thank you for adding in weight measurements to your recipes! Being gluten free, I’ve been able to sub in a good quality gf flour blend in this recipe and several others using the weight measurement and they come out fantastically!
This is absolutely divine. The only change I made was subbing in brown sugar for the granulated in the topping, though it’s good both ways. I think I ate 3/4 of it myself!
This is wonderful! I’ve made it twice now and we loved it both times.
I made this in an 8″ round cake pan and it was great! I scooped out maybe 1/3 cup of the batter and baked it in a mini-loaf pan. This gave me an extra little cake to give to a friend, and no overflow on the “main” cake.
I baked this on a Tuesday night and brought it to work the next day. First day flavor was lovely, and it was still good on the second day though not quite as lemony.
Will definitely make this recipe again!
Hi would I found this recipe and instantly fell in LOVE! Considering I’m hosting !5 people for dinner tomorrow plus 2 little children who both LOVE sweets and all of which love blueberries and had no idea on what to serve for a desert considering a few of them really dislike chocolate an done of which is 4 and last time the desert included it she was really not amused! Anyways but I was getting to is that one of the guests is extremely allergic to nuts but really think the walnuts would give it a great crunch and was wondering if you had any ideas on a substitute for it because i don’t think it would be very fair to exclude somebody from one of your delicious deserts! Also do you think it would serve 17 people (including a 4 year old and a 6 year old)
Emily — The walnuts can be skipped — I usually do. I don’t mind but most people I know find nuts in cakes to be a dealbreaker. I would double the cake in a 9×13-inch pan.
Was wondering whether I can substitute this for strawberries? It’s winter down under with plenty of strawberries, so I was hoping I can sub them for blueberries!
leah — Definitely.
Thank you so much for the help Deb! Im sure your cake will be a huge hit, as always!!
I made this yesterday and it smells amazing… I didn’t change anything and flowed your directions to a t. the dough for the crumbs felt pretty wet and the crumbs ended up meeting over the cake… any suggestions for next time? a little more flour maybe?
I’ve made this twice in the past week–once exactly as written and once without the blueberries and lemon zest (for my daughter). I added a little nutmeg and cinnamon to the cake the second time, and it was amazing. BTW, I went to amazon to order Maida’s cookbook and it’s listed (in “acceptable condition”) at $65! I was able to find it on another site for only $4, but I have to wonder if your post and link pushed up the price? Thank you for the recipe and cookbook recommendation!
most of my baking is usually done at 350 i am kind of scared to bake it at 375 have you ever made this crumb cake at 350…..
I made this today, and it is actually the best thing I’ve ever eaten. I didn’t have lemon so I substituted lime. I want to die it’s so good.
This was delicious! I used coconut oil in place of the butter in the topping and cake, and used half whole wheat flour in the cake. I also used light coconut milk for the milk in the cake. So good!
I just made this and it was delicious!! It’s definitely a do-over for brunches etc. Thanks for another great recipe.
I just made this and took it camping with us, to the delight of everyone there. SO delicious! What a great way to make a tiny dent in the three gallons of blueberries we picked this summer!
Hi there! Can I use a spring form pan instead of the normal round baking pan? Thanks a lot!
Mojo — Definitely.
awesome possum!!I couldn’t find fresh blueberries soI used frozen..scandalous….. still really good! I coated the frozen blueberries in dry milk powder and added milk powder to the cake and crumb!! The rest is downstairs in the fridge but I can hear it calling to me from the fridge!! A cinch to make!
This is a winner! Little Maine blueberries are in season, and I’ve just made my second cake in two weeks. This time is I used 3/4 of a quart of berries and it still was delicious. My wife suggests a little lemon sauce to make it into an elegant desert? I want to try the cake recipe for a Boston Cream Pie.
I have yet to make anything from Smitten Kitchen that I did not LOVE! This is no exception and I’m one of those foodie types with a huge perfectionistic streak in the kitchen. Everything must be awesome and Deb never fails me. LOVE LOVE LOVE this crumb cake!
Deb, I’m making this now for the 3rd or 4th time – this time as mini crumb cakes, I’m sure they will be just as good! I’ve used a springform pan before, and it works perfectly. Your recipes are wonderful, and I really appreciate everything you do!
Is there any way one could use blueberry pie filling in this récipe?
Hi, Deb! I made a half batch in a six-inch springform, and it was fantastic (although measuring half a beaten egg is always annoying). Another reliable and delicious recipe– thank you!
Debbie,
I made the cake and posted it on my blog with credit and link back to you. I suggest you put the crumble back in the refrigerator until ready to use. It firms it up and makes it easier to sprinkle. It was great. Thanks!
This recipe was posted while I was in NH during the height of blueberry picking. I made this cake 3 times, in 9×13 pans, and it was demolished each time. Best blueberry crumb cake evah!
Just as a heads up for the people who asked if you can freeze this cake, I tried it and it went well. I froze the cake in individual slices. When I wanted some, I microwaved a slice of cake for 30 seconds to thaw it out a bit and then I finished heating it in the toaster (just because I think the microwave messes with texture.). It wasn’t quite as good as when it was fresh, but it froze well overall and I’m going to try to keep my freezer regularly stocked with it for yummy (ok, occasionally unhealthy) breakfasts. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’ve made this recipe twice so far (and doubled it each time). Just thought I’d say it behaved well out of the freezer. I thought about trying this as muffins today (baking ahead for impending baby), even after looking over the muffins recipe. I just want this; it is SO good!
LEAH Aug 24th comment WHAT site did u find the cookbook for $4.oo PLEASE SHARE THAT INFO…. I want to purchase one for a friend!!! thanks so much!
I have made this cake 4 times already and have shared it with 3 friends who are now making it regularly too. Fantastic recipe, thanks!
This is the very best crumb cake I ever (made and) ate! Absolutely fantastic – my teenage calorie counting daughter ate half the cake when it was still warm! Thanks soooooo much, Barbara
I have made this five times (half recipe but still one whole egg) and it is fabulous!!!!
My 13 had her eye on this one since you posted….I walked in after a long, wet commute home and found this filling the house with wonderful smells. Thanks Deb! My daughter declared it ‘ the best dessert I have ever made- even better than chocolate peanut butter cake’ (blasphemy perhaps?)
Delicious, Love to try my hands on it :)
Made this a few days ago – I struggled to get the mixture stiff as described, so I added a little extra flour and a TINY bit of extra sugar…it was incredible! So light and fluffy – the perfect breakfast cake. Really impressed & will definitely be making this again.
I am Vegetarian. what can I substitute for egg.
I wuv this recipe! Thank you Smitten Kitchen!
Any chance I could make this with cranberries?!
Amanda — I don’t see why not. (Sorry it’s taken so long to respond!)
I made this cake today and it was wonderful! The crumb was perfect and everyone exclaimed over the amazing streusel and loads of berries. I used 2 and 2/3 cups frozen blueberries, and the cake took an extra 20 minutes to cook through. Oh and I cooked it in a parchment-lined 9-inch springform pan and it couldn’t have released more easily. Thank you SO much!
This cake is unreal!! Probably one of the best cakes I have made actually. I made it gluten free, using a flour blend of sorghum, brown rice flour, tapioca, potato starch and xanthan gum. And I used hand picked blueberries from the Norwegian forest. Absolutely beautiful cake! I love that it’s all soft inside and all crunchy on the top! Thank you so much, cookbook ordered to Norway! :D
Wonderful cake! I had two packages frozen blueberries and decided to double the recipe, baking it in a 9×13 Pyrex pan. Wow! The dough was really stiff, what with the many frozen berries. I could not transfer with spatula, had to use a metal soup spoon. Baked an extra 15 minutes, due to frozen berries and the huge amount of dough, which filled the pan generously(I hoped it would not rise!). The result? A very fine, scrumptious cake, which I immediately shared with a friend w ho had dropped by to visit. She took home 1/2 the cake. This morning, it’s less crunchy, almost caramelly at topping a nd bottom crust. Blueberries are clumps of jam-like bursts of sweet blueberry. So delicious! By the way, I made the topping in my mixer with the paddle attachment. Very easy. Deb, I want to congratulate you, and Maida, for an amazing cake. The texture is so incredibly fine! Muffins should aspire to this.
Hi, I made this for the first time tonight as a desert for my family of 5. In fact, it was the first recipe I tried from Smitten Kitchen and I can tell you, it will certainly not be the last! My whole family LOVED it! Good step by step instructions. Thank you Deb, I am going to try more of your recipes in the near future! Many thanks from Amsterdam, Jeroen
Just FYI – I rarely if ever comment on recipes that I try, but I couldn’t help myself.. I was originally on your site looking for a brownie recipe, and realized I had 6 bazillion (literally, bazillion) blueberries in my fridge that were going to go bad, so I thought, eh, fine, I’ll save the chocolate for later (this weekend!), and try out this cake.. And might I say – HOLY COW. Talk about DELICIOUS! The ONLY change I made was that I had no walnuts, so I used some hazelnuts instead, and I added just a bit of brown sugar to the topping because I ran out of white.. Everything else was exactly as written. I shared it at work, and I think I may get a raise because of it. It was a HIT. My boss said “I will forego all of the diets in the world to keep eating this, how does it stay so moist!”. It’s now saved forever and ever as my favorite blueberry dessert. Thank you so much!!!
I just made this with peach chunks (using up a friend’s frozen summer harvest) and it was a definite success. With the change of fruit, I adjusted the spices to use nutmeg and orange zest. And I used sliced almonds in the topping, rather than walnuts between the batter and topping layers. I can’t wait to try the recipe with other fruits now. Delicious!
What a wonderful cake. I made it today because my family came over for tea. I had to use demerara sugar because I didn’t have white granulated and it worked really well. I also switched the walnuts for pecans because I like them better. Finally, I served it with a good vanilla custard because if my Dad was in a sitcom, his catchphrase would be, “It would be nice with custard on it.” I have to say, it was delicious and went down very well. Even my brother who can usually take-it-or-leave-it when it comes to desserts (madness, I know) enjoyed it. My Mum is now planning to make it for her mother some time, and I’m pondering possible variations. Rhubarb and orange, with maybe some stem ginger under the crumble is one possibility. Gooseberry and lemon with elderflower seems like it would work well too. Just need to work out how to incorporate the elderflower – maybe replacing some of the milk and sugar with an elderflower syrup? I’m definitely going to revisit this cake!
I made this for my birthday cake. :) We demolished it. So lovely. Thank you!
Hi Deb,
I have made this cake so many times I have lost count. Each time with a different variation, which often includes an assortment of berries. I was reading your roasted apple spice sheet cake recipe the other day and was wondering whether you thought roasted apples would be a good addition to this cake seeing as it could be thick enough to suspend chunks of apple, but the apples would already be cooked and soft so I wouldn’t have to worry about them being hard after the cake finished cooking. Thanks for any advice and thanks for the superb recipe, it has made me a legend.
Kind regards
Courtney xxx
I made this today using frozen blueberries in a deep dish pie plate with a little more cinnamon and a little less zest. It looked amazing coming out of the oven but as I placed it on the cooling rack, it slipped out of my hands and onto the floor! Good thing my floor was clean and it actually was only half the cake. Anyways, the cake was phenomenally delicious and I’ll definitely make this again.
Courtney — I think they could be tasty here. I’m not sure that it’s 100% necessary to pre-roast them here, but it WILL give them a better final texture. I don’t think they’d be too heavy at all in berry-ish sized chunks.
FYI, I made this with frozen berries which I defrosted and drained and then used the liquid in place of milk as I needed this to be dairy-free. Also used orange zest as a previous commenter, as I had no fresh lemons. For those who wondered about whole wheat flour, I have been using a mix of half white and half whole-wheat flour for all my baking lately and I don’t even notice a difference – this cake was no exception. Sooooo yummy.
First time entry from a fan in northern Canada. Yup, I’ve thinned out the recipe book collection and just go to your site. I’m tattooed if you ever leave. :-) Loved the cake by the way.
Just made this today for a family gathering (Easter) and it was quite a hit, the entire cake was eaten! I followed the recipe as written with farmer’s market blueberries and meyer lemon zest – perfect. Thanks!
Thanks for a great recipe which I tried for the first time this Sunday. As I didn’t have enough blueberries I went with 50/50 blueberries and strawberries and the result was absolutely delicious. And yes, you are right, it is even better after a day in the fridge.
I had a surplus of frozen blueberries and this was a great use for some of them! I’m glad I had made your plum poppyseed muffins so many times or I might have panicked at the fruit to batter ratio. I used a combo of oat and whole wheat flour for one of the cups of flour so I could justify eating this for breakfast. It tastes amazing!
Didn’t read through all the comments but wanted to say we love this cake for breakfast at my house and I use a 9 inch springform pan for baking so I don’t have to turn it out. Also, was great with buttermilk! I have about 15 blueberry bushes so I make it a lot!
My son’s girlfriend texted me today and asked me for “the lemon blueberry crumb cake recipe you made at Thanksgiving” because my son told her it was the best thing I’ve ever made. High praise indeed cause I do a lot of baking!
Hi Deb- this cake was perfect. I used buttermilk instead of reg milk and followed the rest of the recipe exactly. It’s a really nice and moist cake, def worth making over and over and actually it was pretty quick/easy :) Thanks as always!
I just made this at high altitude (~7000ft) and made the following adjustments with success:
Everything else was the same unless mentioned:
Cake:
2c + 2tbs flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4c – 3/4 tbs sugar (in hindsight I’d probably just put the full 3/4c in)
2 large eggs
Cooked at 400degrees. I started checking on it at 30 minutes.
Just made this recipe for a fresh, fun summer dessert! Was absolutely fantastic. Not a piece left over! I used frozen blueberries, and it turned out fantastic. Thanks Deb!
Amazing! Made this today with my two year old and she had a lot of fun. Served it with some fresh whip cream on the side. Love the crisp top and the moist cake with so many berries. This and your strawberry cake are the two summer favorites. Thanks Deb!
This cake was a religious experience. Thanks for my last-ever coffee cake recipe – the only one I’ll ever need!! P.S. I had some gorgeous white nectarines in the fridge so I sliced up a few and added them to the blueberries (I only had about 1.25C of blueberries on hand so the math worked out.) It was a delicious combo! Also, used a parchment-lined spring-form pan so I didn’t have to flip anything anywhere. Worked like a charm. Can’t wait to make it again!
Delicious, I made this with my 9 year old daughter today…she was on topping and lemon zest duty ;) the topping came out more crust like than crumb like but it did not detract from the overall yummyness!
oh my — this is such a delicious cake. i served it as dessert Sunday night and it was an all thumbs-up hit. thank you very, very much. i can see also being a perfect addition to brunch.
deb! deb.
i made this yesterday for brunch and oh gosh…it was/is SO GOOD. i could have eaten half of it in a day if i let myself. i baked it in my mini rectangular glass baking dish. (40 mins was perfect.) i’m too chicken to use parchment (on other occasions the paper has always turned dark brown and gotten smoky which makes me paranoid) so i just buttered & floured and it still turned out! a nice surprise.
the only change i made was just to use regular salted butter because i can’t be bothered to buy unsalted butter. also, my hand mixer died so i used a potato masher instead ;)
i put a glamour shot on IG:
https://instagram.com/p/5DMiYEy59t/
thanks again, this one’s going in my permanent recipe box!
Ohhhhhhh my Gosh.
Deb! This recipe is perfect.
I followed it to the letter today and changed nothing. I knew it was the right thing to make because every. time. that I eat a blueberry muffin I think to myself, “this needs more blueberries.” This cake is everything yummy and so satisfying for summer. My kiddos, who are very particular about cake (I know – whose kids don’t like every kind of cake?? Mine.) rated it 1,000 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Thank you!!
I’m really looking forward to making this cake for my dad’s birthday tomorrow, but I was just wondering if it would be possible to make the batter the night before and refrigerate/freeze it and then bake it the next morning?
Anna — I don’t generally recommend premaking batter because the baking powder begins to work fairly quickly after being mixed, and won’t be as potent in the morning, plus the blueberries will leak a lot of liquid, possibly leading to a mushier cake. However, the cake keeps very well (and moist) overnight and longer so no reason not to make it in advance. If more than 2 to 3 days, you can also freeze it until needed.
Made this with halved pitted sour cherries and with mahleb instead of cinnamon in the topping. Delicious!
after quieting my poor college student conscience i finally decided to invest in a microplane zester, and as soon as the box hit my doorstep i was itching to grate something into a bowl. i debated for probably nearly an hour what my first recipe to recreate would be and after a riveting episode of breaking bad i decided at 1 am to have a go at this cake. i had to put myself to sleep to prevent myself from eating it 35min later. this cake is so freakin good. like so easy and so good and next time i will be sure to bake this with the crumb topping (i dont know why i omitted it last night, poor judgment or something). thank you so much for sharing all of these ingenious recipes, deb. this and many other recipes of yours will be my go-to stress relief joints for this upcoming hellish semester. and also, late, but congratulations on your baby girl! she’s absolutely adorable : ) wishing the best for you and your family
What a yummy cake! I made this with pitted and halved sweet cherries, added about a 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract and replaced some of the flour in the topping with almond meal. This was my birthday cake this year and I truly enjoyed it. Thanks again Deb and congratulations on the adorable addition to the family.
I’m not usually one to comment, but after making this cake four (!) times in the past week and about to make cakes five and six tonight, I felt like I needed to bow before your culinary genius. I suspect this cake is the reason for at least half of my invitations to cottage weekends this summer, and with a recipe this easy and blueberries abound, it’s hard to find an excuse not to bake a seventh to keep for myself :)
Hi, thank you so much for this recipe! I am from Norway, and the Norwegian forest is packed with delicious bilberries now and they make an exquisite version of your cake! If you ever get the chance to make this with bilberry instead of blueberry you have to try it, you will love it! I have made your cake several times, and almost every time someone says it’s the best cake they have tasted. I bought your book because of this cake :D Looking forward to trying out more of your recipes. Love from Norway :)
I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, and finally yesterday evening made this with my last fresh berries, from my own bushes. Needless to say, the neighborhood went wild. Does it work with frozen berries?
Deb, Thanks for another great cake recipe! I made this using frozen wild blueberries because I’m so tired of fat, flavorless fresh blueberries. I defrosted the berries only slightly (the berries were still firm) so I could towel off as much water as possible. The batter turned purple, I freaked out a bit, but the baked cake looked fine. The cake took about 45 minutes to bake (I test cakes with an instant read thermometer, baking cakes to an internal temperature of about 200F). I used light brown sugar in the topping instead of the granulated sugar (I had a bit of brown sugar to use up), cut the cinnamon down to 1/2 tsp. (I used strong Vietnamese cinnamon), and skipped the walnuts (they seemed an odd note in this luscious cake). Delicious!
Hi Deb! My partner and I have various food allergies, and I have had so much success tinkering with your recipes! I substitute goat milk yogurt for sour cream or certain cheeses you call for, and using the same ratios of gluten-free flour has worked every time but one (maple bacon biscuits…way too dry and crumbly). Most recently, I replaced egg with banana in your recipe for blueberry cornmeal butter cake and the results were TO DIE FOR. I’d made the cake twice with egg and this time it was even better!
Thank you so much for your inspirational recipes. I’ve currently got an egg-free and gluten-free version of your pineapple upside down cake in the oven…fingers crossed!
Leah
Hello Deb, I would like to make this LOVELY GORGEOUS AMAZING cake as a 9×13 cake to feed hungry coworkers (well, and me) but I’m forever confused about the leavening ratios. I know other people in the comments have said that they have doubled the recipe but I’m wondering if that means also doubling the baking powder? Or should the baking powder be 1.5x? Or just keep it as it is? Signed, confused and obsessed in London.
laughing girl — Double everything to put it in a 9×13.
Deb, thank you so much.
This cake is so fabulous and seeing it on FB masked me want to make it again! I saw some comments about frozen blueberries. I’ve only made it with frozen ones and it worked great but did trquire 10ish more minutes of baking. Also, I followed a cooks illustrated recommendation to use frozen wild blueberries. They are smaller and according to CI are better for baking. For those with Trader Joes, TJs has very affordable frozen wild blueberries!
Just made this today to use up some frozen berries before moving next month. I used a combination of blackberries and raspberries…it was fantastic! So delicious. This will now be my “go to” coffee cake. Thanks!
I just made this for Thanksgiving tomorrow I replaced the lemon zest with orange zest and the blueberries with fresh cranberries. I did dust the cranberries with a small amount of flour to help with more even distribution. I have made so many awesome recipes from your site. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Thanks!
Hello! I have made this before with a regular round oan that you have in the directions, and it was amazing! I wanted to make this in some mini loaf pans as gifts…would it be doable? Should I add more baking powder for a little more height, or can I get away with it since they’re smaller loaf pans (technically, those little fancy cardboard stand alone ones)?
Michelle — You shouldn’t need to change anything.
This makes great muffins – I have a long commute so eat in the car. I found that freezing them, even if only for a couple of days, keeps the streusel fresh and crunchy. I pull them out before the coffee starts, warm them up in the toaster oven, and head out to face the early morning Denver traffic. Just hoping( really won’t work but I can hope) for no more snow this spring.
This was delicious! My friend’s mom’s recipe has the same recipe for the batter, but your topping is so much better! I added chopped walnuts. It took 45 min in a springform pan at 375F. This is a keeper!
I have been making this recipe since I was a little girl.
The lemon zest and the vanilla give it its unique flavor.
I like to prepare the pan the night before and coat it with the bread crumbs or even matzo meal the night before and place in refrigerator. Makes it easier when you put in the thick batter.
When the cake has cooled, run the knife along the edges before flipping onto a serving plate.
Made this cake as written and weighed out all the ingredients for the topping but the crumb seems to have melted! (At least most of it) I baked at 190C (writing from Sweden :)) is there any adjustment I should make next time or just make more of the crumb??
Aga — I mention the softness of the streusel in the head notes. “… every time I make the streusel topping, I find it too buttery and soft; I’m eager to add more flour to make it more crumbly but I recommend resisting because Heatter knows what she’s doing. The streusel will seem moist but when it bakes, it will both become crumb-like and adhere well to the cake, so you lose very little when you flip the cake out of the pan.” So, my question is, did it adhere or totally disappear? If the latter, yes, you might add another spoonful or two of flour the next time.
Made this tonight and my whole family raved it was the best cake they had ever eaten! Used the maximum amount of blueberries by weight – 450+ grams. Didn’t have the correct sized round pan so used an 8″ square pan and 40 mins was perfect! Didn’t even bother to turn it out of pan, just cut and served it from there. Amazing. Thanks Deb, this is a keeper!
Baked this the other day and it’s a great tasting cake. The crumble at first seemed to be on the sweet side but it pairs well with the cake beneath but I might try adding less sugar next time and maybe a bit of coconut to the crumble. My husband said it’s the best tasting cake he’s had in a while.
Can this cake be frozen? I want to take it with me on vacation in three weeks. Blueberries will be scarce by then; I’ve already bought enough to make this. Thanks muchos. Your recipes are fabulous.
Hi there.. Thanks a bunch for sharing this yummy recipe.. Since in the part where we live we dont get fresh berries i made this cake using a blueberry pie filling and it was awesome
Hi there.. Thanks a bunch for sharing this yummy recipe.. Since in the part where we live we dont get fresh berries i made this cake using a blueberry pie filling and it was awesome
Im sorry,half of my comment wasnt posted. I wanted to ask your advice on making this as mini cupcakes. If its possible to do,how long should i bake and at what temperature. I thought of doing this for eid
Shafna — I haven’t made them as muffins but these two commenters have. They don’t mention baking times. In general, you want to use the same temperature and start checking at 10 minutes.
2 questions:
1) do you line the entire pan with parchment, or just the bottom? Why do that if you’re buttering and flouring the pan?
2) can you substitute frozen blueberries?
Thanks!!
yes it was great with frozen berries, but i thawed them first.
just line the bottom.
Hi.. Thank you so much for replying, in Shaa Allah I hope to make it for eid.there is another question for you. Will it affect the batter in anyway if I double or triple it? Will there be problems with the rising of the cake batter or the taste
This cake was delicious and so easy to make!! Made it for my family today and it was a huge hit with a dollop of cream on the side.. yum!
I brought this cake to a friend’s house on Friday and everybody loved it! I did the max amount of blueberries and used buttermilk for the milk. It was not too sweet, which we liked. On Sunday, I made Blueberry Boy Bait (also from your site) for a BBQ. After using 2 2/3 C of blueberries in this recipe, I was mystified that the other recipe only called for 1/2C in the batter and 1/2C on top, so I doubled it. That recipe was good, but this one is better! I’ll be making it again!
But, wait! Don’t forget about your *BLUEBERRY BOY BAIT*!! Every time I make it for clients, they go crazy for it!!
Gosh, Ellen beat me to it. (I’ve had Maida’s recipe in my laptop for ages–it’s time to try it, I guess!)
I did scroll through and could not find my answer….. since it looks wonderful in square cut pieces, could this be made in a square pan? 8 or 9″?
thanks
Loved your recipe and made it for a birthday for my brother and his family. Eaten by all. I have also been able to order a used copy of Maida Heatters cookbook. Looking forward to seeing what other recipes she has. Thank you for all the amazing recipes you have to share
I absolutely love this recipe!
Do you think it would work with sour cherries? I’m going to pick up a pail of slightly sweetened cherries. If I drain them really well, perhaps dust them with a bit of flour, is there any reason it won’t work?
Definitely. Maybe you won’t need to drain them, just keep an eye on the baking time — it might need longer.
Having this for breakfast at my desk after making it this weekend, it’s SO GOOD! I subbed ginger for the cinnamon in the streusel just because I like a ginger/lemon combo, and I cut the sugar down to a half-cup in the cake because I am one of those people who compulsively does that in all recipes (it was perfectly sweet without it).
One idea on the softness of the topping: in another buckle-type british recipe I made this year, they smooshed the streusel ingredients into almost a dough, stuck in the freezer while you made the rest of the cake, and then crumbled it over the top. So I tried that here and it worked great.
I just made this for a family, summer get-together and it was perfect. It was a HUGE hit and even an aunt with gluten intolerance ‘risked-it’ for a full slice. Flavors are wonderful. Don’t skip the extra blueberries or the lemon zest! I also used a 9 in. spring form which was perfect for serving. Thanks Deb!
PS – I also just made your small/intense chocolate torte, from the book, for my husband’s birthday and it was spectacular. Thank you!!!
I’m making this right now with blackberries from the backyard!
I’ll have you know I was supposed to be making dinner when my eye landed on your photo of this recipe. I put off dinner for an hour and made it because I figured I had just bought a giant clamshell of blueberries and what were the chances I’d get to use over two cups of them on something so delicious?
And it was delicious. My husband (who usually complains I don’t make enough vegan and raw desserts) said it was right up there with the best crumb cake he’s ever had and this is definitely in reference to his childhood trips to bake shops all over New Jersey. I reduced the sugar to 1/2 c and used 1/3 c brown sugar in the crumble. I used almond milk with no problem. My only lament is I had no lemon zest, so of course I’ll have to make it again. 24 hours later this sucker is gone between the two of us.
I like the beautiful new website design, however, I cannot figure out how to print a recipe easily! (Like before! Without using up too much ink…)
There’s a printer icon right below each recipe that should take you to a recipe-only template. Does this help?
Thanks Deb! I’m not really an icon person, I like words. Heh! I didn’t look closely at the string of icons because I don’t do twitter or Pinterest and my brain must have assumed all the icons were related to social media. Thanks again!
Also, need to add that I had to disable my ad block add-on on my web browser (Firefox) so that I could even see the icons, including the printer icon, in the first place.
This is my second summer making this cake, and it’s now my go-to, everyone just loves it.
A friend asked me to make it and bring it to her cottage this week.
I had a bit of an issue with the topping though. I covered the cake with Saran wrap, then foil, really just to give it structure to transport.
By the time I served it the following day, the topping wasn’t crisp or crunchy, it had softened. It was still good, but did I make a mistake using Saran? The topping is one of the best parts, so what’s the best way to avoid this? I’m making it to take away next weekend.
Does this cake freeze, and if so, does the topping stay crisp, I’ve got my doubts about it.
Yes, don’t care for saran wrap on cakes. The thing is, the cake is moist, unless it’s basically uncovered that moisture is going to soften the crisp topping after some time. If it’s uncovered, it can dry out too much. I tend to loosely cover with foil but it’s not a perfect system.
I have been making this cake for many years .( and have all the Maida Heatter books.) It took me a ridiculously long time to realize that I could make it in a 9 inch springform pan, and never have to worry about flipping it again. I just put it on a baking sheet in case there is any leakage.
Absolutely no loss of crumbs !
This cake is absolutely delicious! Made it many times, especially in Summer time when blueberries are sun kissed sweet and fragrant. Love your recipes, Deb and your cookbook is fantastic 😊.
This is a fantastic dessert! Fantastic!
I made an extra 1/2 batch of the batter and used all but 2 full pints of blueberries! Also, I put it in a 10″ springform pan to avoid having to flip it. :) The men in this house swoon over blueberries so can’t wait to cut into this sweet smelling cake!!
I made this cake, put it in the freezer and then defrosted it to serve a day ago. the topping was soft. I did wrap it in aluminum foil, but perhaps this cake shouldn’t be frozen. Regardless, the cake was delicious. A definite keeper and repeater next year when blueberries come around again.
I would also make this with raspberries. There seems to be a glut this year, they are cheap in the shops and all the home growers are saying they have loads.
This is so easy to make and so light and delicious. Not too sweet. I made it yesterday and it is even better tasting today. Thanks for a great recipe.
Made this this morning and it’s brilliant. Better than the blueberry boy bait, even, because crumb topping bests everything!
Have made this countless times, with and without variations ( peaches are divine with the blueberries!) My youngest pronounced this “the best thing I have ever made.” Sweet! But it really is sooooo good.
Hey Deb! in prep for thanksgiving – do you think i could use cranberries for this one? would you advise bumping up the sugar at all to combat the tartness of cranberries? i like when cakes etc are really just a touch sweet, but also don’t want it to be puckeringly tart….
let me know what you think! thanks!
jen
Definitely. You could bump up the sugar a little; it will help but of course, cranberries will always still be tart (and that’s why we like them).
for anyone who is wondering — this works amazingly well exactly as is with these non-dairy substitutions: earth balance, almond milk, and neat egg. also great with either blueberries or mixed raspberries/blackberries. thanks, deb, as always!
Thanks! I was just wondering if a dairy free version would be as good.
This recipe is easy, amazing and versatile for all seasons! In the fall, I often make it with lots of apples (and cinnamon and a big squeeze of lemon), and in the winter, I make either the apple & cinnamon version or frozen blueberries (which needs extra time)…today, we’re having a mix of blueberries and cranberries and I’m sure it will be as good as always. Thanks, Deb!
Made this in a 8 inch square pan with frozen blueberries. The cook time was 45 minutes to perfect, even with frozen berries. The cinnamon in the topping was really nice and everyone mentioned the crispy top that they all picked off and ate first. This is a “do again” recipe.
Hello! This looks lovely. I’m wondering if I could add some shredded, toasted coconut to the batter? Do you think it would work or make the cake dry?
Many thanks!
A very solid recipe! But holy moley, this batter really is thick. It can be difficult to stir in the berries equally. Also as a note to anyone who freaks out about the struesel melting- it may look like it has melted into an even mass right out of the oven, but it really does cool as an awesome crumb.
Made this with kiwi and orange zest (we have to be creative to finish up the hundreds of kiwi that our one kiwi tree offers). Worked out really well!
I made this twice and I know you said that the proportions for the topping are right. However it somehow ends up too soft and moist. Should I add more flour and sugar? The cake though is awesome
I’d add more flour, necessarily sugar, unless you find it not sweet enough.
I’ve made this cake many times, it’s my go to when I want something reliable and delicious. The only time the topping wasn’t perfect and with a gorgeous little crunch, was when I covered it with Saran overnight, because I was taking it somewhere. Now I cover very, very loosely with foil, but even then, just to get me where I’m going. If you covered it, maybe that’s the problem?
This cake gets rave reviews every time. So so easy and so so delicious. I like to make it for brunch parties.
The recipe works perfectly as written, though the next time I make this, I might sub in brown sugar for the crumble topping. The current granulated sugar recipe has a wonderful crunch, but I think brown sugar might make for a more classically crumbly texture.
I mostly followed this recipe. Left out walnuts and used 425 grams of blueberries. I baked this in a 8×8 square baking dish and it took 60 minutes before a toothpick inserted in the center came out clean. Not sure if the ratio of berries to batter increased baking time. Turned out great and was well received. Thank you Deb.
I made this for brunch several months ago and the guests are still talking about it when I see them. it is perfect and will be my go to coffee cake.
I’ve made this cake four times in two months. I’m obsessed. I’ve been telling everyone about it, how delicious it is and how easy it is to whip up. A+ recipe!
Thank you, Deb, for putting this in your newletter just as I was searching for ways to use up some blueberries we picked last week, I followed the instructions carefully since a I really really wanted the crumb topping to adhere so I could flip this out of the pan. It worked!! And tasted soo very good. Perfect.
This is SO good I’ve made it twice in the last week or week so. I love that the crumb is crispy and crumb-y in all the right ways but stays super in tact for being flipped and transfered to plate (where it doesn’t last long). Absolutely glorious. I tried this because I had made the Blueberry Recipe like 4 times. So, variety ;) Now I can just keep these two on rotation until I turn into a blueberry or my pants no longer fit. (The latter is very close to true, but jeans that fit are entirely overrated…That’s why yoga pants were invented!)
I’ve made this crumb cake at least 6 times in the last 3 months, doubling the recipe and baking in a 9″x13″ pan with the same baking time of 40 minutes. Some readers have asked if other fruit can be substituted in this recipe; in my experience, yes. I have used 1 lb/454 grams of fresh strawberries (small ones cut into 4ths or large ones cut into 1/2″ dice) per recipe (in my case, doubled to 2 lbs / 908 grams). I have also made it with fresh pluots (plums) diced to 1/2″ cubes. Although each batch has been wolfed down by my coworkers, my personal favorite version is still the original with blueberries.
I love this recipe! How would I print it?
How would you adapt this for frozen blueberries? We have so many from berry picking this summer! Thanks, Deb!
Just use them! I wouldn’t even thaw them first.
This is a great recipe, thank you! I made it exactly as written, yesterday. Mine took a solid hour to bake, but it was perfect. I’m amazed at how plush and moist it is considering the batter only has 4 Tbsp (!!) of butter. I was nervous about turning it out of the pan, but nooo problem, there, thank you parchment paper. It’s a substantial cake, perfect for taking to work or sharing with neighbors. Definitely a keeper.
Oh, how I love this cake. It’s homey, delicious and welcome in our family. Don’t skip the lemon zest. I have a stand mixer which makes it easy. Thanks Deb.
I forgot to say that I put the butter for the crumble in the freezer for a few minutes and then grate it into the rest of the ingredients, so much easier than using a pastry blender or my fingers. Thanks to my chef daughter for sharing this tip.
This is one cake I make over and over, never changing a thing because it is perfectly scrumptious every time. This time I wasn’t able to eat it till the third day. It was still lovely.
I posted last week on this perfect cake, then found a pint bag of sour cherries in the freezer. After lightly dusting with powdered sugar and flour, I added them all frozen to the batter along with 1/2 tsp of almond flavor. I also added a handful of sliced almonds to the crumb topping and omitted the walnuts. Delicious.
this recipe is different from the one in your cookbook. Which is the one you prefer, or which one is more decadent? Lucy
PS I will be making it for quests this Saturday.
The one in my first cookbook has some extra interest from cornmeal; I really love them both. This is probably more classic.
Just made this with freshly picked stella cherries and it is fabulous! Cut the cake sugar to 1/2 cup and used 1 cup all purpose white and 1 cup pastry wheat – all’s well with that combo. Springform pan is the way to go for those of us who are terrible at flipping cakes. What a treat!
Has anyone tried to make muffins using this recipe?
There are a few comments above but might I plug instead my favorite blueberry muffins? I think you’ll love them.
Since it is just me and my husband, I ended up using left-over cake to make a delicious blueberry “bread” pudding. I just added milk, eggs a bit of sugar and vanilla and baked it up in a shallow baking dish. I have also done this with Deb’s left-over apple cake and the results are wonderful.
I’m curious why you wouldn’t use a 9-inch springform pan to make this. It seems to me that you wouldn’t have to do all of that cake flipping to remove it from the pan and then get it right-side up, thereby inevitably losing some of the streusel on top. It’s a thick batter so there shouldn’t be an issue of leakage. Have you ever tried making it this way?
I always use a springform pan for this cake. The first time because I didn’t read the instructions correctly. I didn’t even notice for ages. It works beautifully, and no cracked topping.
Thanks! It just seems to make so much sense. I often make great discoveries by not properly reading directions!
I always use a springform pan for this!,
Definitely you could. I think I wanted to make sure it fit in a regular cake pan because I know more people have them (in the US) than springforms.
Cannot wait to make this for my blueberry adoring son’s birthday! Thanks as always, Deb.
Thanks so much for reposting this on Instagram. I made it this morning and brought it to a 4th of July gathering and it was a hit! So yummy!!
Delicious. Here are my variations:
-Upping the blueberries to the full pint was good advice. I think next time I make this, I’m going to try an even larger quantity of b-berries.
-I used an extra half teaspoon vanilla, and the just-baked scent was pretty vanillalicious.
-I cut back the sugar by about 20% in both the topping and the batter, and the cake was still sweet and lovely.
-I only buttered my springform pan, skipping the flour and parchment paper step, and the cake did not cling to the pan at all.
-I subbed half the flour in the streussel with white whole wheat to no noticeable effect.
This crumb cake was a multigenerational hit at a summer family party. The consistency was soft and tender, but it also held together in wedges well, making it easy to enjoy while balancing a plate on one’s lap. I look forward to making it again!
Made this last night with raspberries instead of blueberries and used a 10inch springform pan. The pan was too wide for the thick batter and didnt spread enough. The raspberries were nice but I could have put a lot more. We picked up a flat at a local farm and I wanted to used them in a cake. Made a puree as well and that helped to moisten the cake on the plate.
Made this and couldn’t wait to taste it! The only substitution was adding almond slivers because I didn’t have walnuts and baked it longer than 40min. I think this is because of altitude differences where I live. But man!! It was sooo good! Loved how the blueberries combined with lemon flavour and the crunch from the crumble. Definitely adding to my favourites. Thank you!
The cake is delicious, but mine had some sinking, just off center, rather like a two-inch crease. It did test done at the end of the specified baking time. I used a 2-inch deep 8-inch wide cake pan, but perhaps I need one that is slightly deeper?
The cake is best on the day it is baked, but it will have a more moist texture after that first day.
This is a great fast cake, i did sift because why not. I missed the instructions to mix the blueberries in-i already had the cake batter in the pan so i put them on top and pushed them in- worked fine. Used almonds instead of walnuts. The streusel was declared the best I made by my wife-I will use this proportion for all streusels going forward. Thank you! all loved it.
Just made this (again) but this time I doubled the streusel. Can’t imagine too much streusel!
Just made it with blackberries ( had a lot of them). The cake is excellent. It took almost an hour to cook, instead of 40 minutes and I didn’t fold the fruits in the batter, I just arranged them on top. It really is a success.
I just discovered this recipe a couple weeks ago after a dear friend told me about it, and I LOVE it! While some love lemon with blueberries, I prefer no lemon. I have now made this cake 3 times. First as written. Second time without lemon zest but with 2 tsp. vanilla, and this third time was my favorite so far. I again used 2 tsp. vanilla but I also took 1 tbsp. of the flour in the cake recipe and mixed it with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves and used this mixture to coat the blueberries just before folding them into the batter. Although the berries do not need the flour coating to keep them in place given the thick batter, the spices really enhanced the flavor of the blueberries. Next time, I want to try to use buttermilk instead of milk. Any suggestion on how much baking soda to use instead of baking powder if I use buttermilk?
There’s no reason you cannot use buttermilk with baking powder. Glad you’re enjoying the cake!
I didn’t see a note about how much lemon zest to use?
I love this recipe
I used buttermilk ,like you
I didn’t read through the recipe well enough and had batter in pan without mixing in the blueberries……so put them on top of the cake.
Well it made the most lovely layer of blueberry topping under the crumbs.
I was worried about turning cake out of pan; but I trusted you and it came out without losing topping.
Thanks
Mary
Nettles island
Can I freeze this cake? If not, will it last in fridge for 6 days?
Yes and yes! So, up to you. Probably holds up better in the freezer for that long.
Would the topping stay crunchy if frozen? It’s the best part!
It might lose some texture.
Made it, adore it.
I suddenly had the urge to use my frozen blueberries at 10:30 pm last night, so I made this. And then a friend from the other side of the time zone called so I was very distracted… and forgot to make crumbs, mixed butter with the dry ingredients, and also decided on a whim to add poppy seeds and a whole ton of lemon zests.
But the result was wonderful, and it’s even better today! I already finished the piece I brought to work for elevenses and am dreaming for more…
Was thinking of making cranberry orange…do you think it will need any other tweaking?
I made this just yesterday! Used 1/3 AP flour 1/3 cake flour and 1/3 almond flour. It came out really really moist and tender. Instead of using all blueberries, i used up my mum’s leftover homemade blueberry compote! worked the same way too!!!!
However, i do find the crumble way too sweet (and i have already halved the amount. Prolly needs to reduce it further!!!)
Nevertheless, loved this recipe (esp how it only has 110g of butter for the cake+Crumble!!!). The texture or flavour wasnt compromised because of the lack of butter. Yum!
Oh my goodness, this cake is incredible. I used up some frozen blueberries I had stashed away, about 400g. There was a slight panic when I added the frozen fruit and the cake batter immediately turned semi-frozen… Why didn’t I think that would happen?! 🤦🏻♀️ So it was really difficult to try and smooth out the top when put in the pan, but I tried and hoped for the best. It evened out just fine! I had to add about 10-15 minutes of extra cooking time to account for the semi-frozen batter, but it still turned out fantastically!! The notes of cinnamon and lemon are balanced perfectly. Will definitely be making this one again.
I made this with Apple’s cut about the size of blueberries. I left out the walnuts and lemon zest but might add them next time. It took 10 minutes longer to cook. Maybe more liquid in Apples? It was yummy.
When do you put the crumbs on? do you cook them? I’m confused as I am not a baker at all
Yes Robert, Put them on after smoothing the batter, then bake.
Made this today, sans walnuts (only because I didn’t have any). Subbed lemon juice for the vanilla to up the lemon factor. I used the last of my frozen blueberries from last summer’s farmers market, around 350g worth. I baked at 350, since I’ve never had luck baking a cake above that temp (yes, I have an oven thermometer; a requisite with my 60 year old oven).
The cake was cooked through (temped 210*F in the center) at 50 minutes. I expect it will be delicious, as per all the other reviews.
I made this to accompany Mother’s Day brunch this weekend and it was loved by all. I made it sans walnuts (they weren’t missed) and with the aid of a springform pan to avoid the flipping problem (for me, flipping is basically always a problem) thanks to comments here. I made it a night ahead and it was perfect and moist late the next afternoon. This will go into my rotation.
I made this today in Maida’s memory since she passed away, at 102 yrs old, yesterday. It’s delicious! Thank you for posting it
I made this using gluten free flour (Bob’s Red MIll 1:1 Baking Blend) for a barbeque last week and everyone loved it. Thanks!! I followed it up with a vegan/gluten free version of your strawberry rhubarb crumble with my garden strawberries and my neighbor’s rhubarb and it was amazing!! The food allergy crowd was bowled over.
I have this in the oven right now!
Got locally grown blueberries from my Farmer’s Market on Saturday and you posted this!! Can’t wait!💙
Hi!
I made this:
– with frozen blueberries (close to the highest measurements listed in the recipe)
– subbed sour cream for the milk 1 to 1.
– in a 8×8 square pan
It needed to cook for 55 minutes and is delicious!
Deb,
I made it this morning! My daughter is lactose intolerant, so I subbed Earth Balance for the butter and almond milk for the whole milk, and it came out amazing! Even the crumb topping was wonderful!
May I please post my version, with attribution, on my site? I will, of course link to this page for anyone who wants to make it with butter and milk.
Thanks,
Cheffzilla
http://Www.jeffskitchen.net
Not sure if this went through – got an error message – so please forgive if it posts twice. Can I sub whole buttermilk for the whole milk? And would it still be a 1/2 cup? Have some to use up. Many thanks.
Warning — those clamshells of blueberries at the supermarket are sold by weight. Mine had under 2 cups in it. I think the cake came out a bit heavy and dry, which is probably due to the scarcity of blueberries. But everyone liked it, and had a second piece; I used an 8″ square pan and cut the pieces fairly small. The recipe is definitely a keeper.
I made this this morning with a few changes:
1. Cherries instead of blueberries
2. Lime zest instead of lemon
3. Brown sugar in the topping because I just couldn’t not
4. Sliced almonds instead of walnuts
5. Replaced 1/4 cup of the flour with almond flour for more almond flavor and a little more tender crumb (since I tend to over-mix)
It was phenomenal and the recommendation for gobs and gobs of fruit was so on the money!
the BEST blueberry cake I have ever had. Delicious and the taste gets better each day after being baked.
Has anyone made this with cream instead of milk? All I have in the refrigerator.
Went blueberry picking this morning and needed to bake something with our haul. My son chose this and I’m so glad he did, its great! Thanks
Dear Deb,
I am new to your website…Question: What is the best way to print the
recipes???
Thanks,
Barbara
There is a print icon that leads to a print template at the bottom of each recipe, where it says “DO MORE:” You can also click CTRL + P from any recipe post and it will take you to a streamlined print template.
I don’t use milk day to day. Is there a substitute; for example, diluting heavy cream with water? Or would buttermilk work in this recipe?
BUTTERMILK by all means! I’ve been making this recipe at least 3-4 times per week with different fruits for a farmers market. Buttermilk has the best overall texture in my opinion. Ohhh…and fresh raspberry blows the blueberries out of the water (and so does blueberry peach, strawberry peach, plain peach or nectarine – even a mixed berry version).
I added some freshly grated nutmeg to the cake. Can’t wait for it to come out of the oven! Thank you, oh recipe goddess!
LOVED this! I didnt have lemon zest so I added a splash of lemon juice. I also used a little whole wheat flour. It’s such a great recipe! I dont understand how it’s just a stick of butter total and one egg. It was the perfect way to celebrate our blueberry harvest. I think I’ll put it on the menu for our next brunch. Thanks for sharing such great recipes!
You can publish this
I made your blueberry crumble cake for dessert Last night. I can’t believe what a hit it was. There was a fight to take the leftovers home. I thank you so much for all the recipes you’ve given me that my family I have had and really enjoyed, but this one I think was the biggest hit yet! Yum Yum!!
A slice of summer perfection. My father loved all things blueberry and when I prepared it and served it, thought of him so very much. Your recipes feed our bodies as well as our souls…
Hello, Deb! Long-time lurker and recipe-user here, but this blueberry crumb cake NEEDS a review. After a particularly disappointing cafe-purchased crumb cake (if you can even call that soggy mess on top a crumb), I decided I had to make my own super-crunchy crumb cake at home, so of course I turned to Smitten Kitchen.
This was absolutely amazing. I subbed unsweetened soy for whole milk because I was too lazy to go to the store, and this was still fabulous. I went overboard on the blueberries, as you recommended, because you’re Deb. Most importantly, the streusel on top was the streusel of my dreams — I somehow had exactly one last slice left two days later, and it was still perfection. Easy to bake, moist in the middle, crunchy on top, keeps well — my favorite cake. Forever.
Just made this and it was a hit, but wondering if anyone has tried to one-bowl this recipe? Three bowls and a mixer no longer qualifies as an “everyday” cake at my house. Was wondering if I could just melt the butter and make it more like a quick bread or muffin style (but still baked in a round cake pan), or if that would do something tragic to the texture, etc?
I one-bowl this all the time. Mix all the wet stuff together then gently pile in the dry stuff, trying to mix the leavening agents in with the flour for a little bit before I mix the dry into the wet. Then I toss in the blueberries.
Whoops, I do mix the topping in a separate cereal bowl, which I then use to eat my portion of crumb cake, so it doesn’t technically count as another mixing bowl ;)
I added freeze-dried corn powder to the cake batter flour mixture, about 40 g. It was delicious!
Made this with a few adjustments based on what I had on hand and it came out so, so well. I used butter in the topping, but replaced the butter in the cake batter with olive oil, replaced half of the flour with whole wheat, and used oat milk instead of dairy because it’s what I had.
For the topping: I mixed the chopped walnuts into the butter/flour mixture and added about a tablespoon of white miso (inspiration from a Bon Appetit recipe) which was really delicious and is a great trick to add a little bit of oomph to a sweet baked good. Baked in a 9 inch springform pan for exactly 40 minutes, although I probably could have taken it out a few minutes earlier.
It’s that time of winter when I realize several days have gone by and I’ve not eaten a single piece of fruit. And the Costco-size bags of frozen berries leftover from summer smoothies definitely aren’t getting any fresher. And my expired-in-January buttermilk ought to be used or trashed. And I want dessert. I got pretty annoyed at how difficult this was to stir once I added 3 cups of frozen berries and the whole thing basically turned the consistency of hard-frozen ice cream. But I managed to fold it together, flatten it in a pan, and 60 mins later (due to frozen berries), it was the perfect winter pick-me-up. Amazing recipe, and I think it’s probably close to impossible to mess it up.
Love this recipe. I’ve made it twice. The first time, I followed the recipe exactly, but the second time, I reduced the sugar by 1/8 cup in the topping and 1/8 cup in the cake batter and baked in a 9 X 9″ square. We preferred this version.
Wow!! I made this as a coffee cake this morning and it was phenomenal. I appreciated how little butter and sugar this required (especially important since the pandemic has me feeling judicious with my baking ingredients). And yet the flavor was still so rich! Also, the walnuts are a MUST. I almost skipped them but they add a beautiful balance to cake and crumb texture. Since I did it as a coffee cake, I baked in a sprayed 8”square pan, but did not turn it out onto another plate. It was gone so fast that no one seemed to mind serving from the pan.
This is absolutely delicious. Made this recipe exactly as written including adding more blueberries. The cake is almost gone, it is tender and just delicious. I think this would also be good for a breakfast cake.
This was delicious and came out perfectly. I know I will certainly make it again and again.
I didn’t have quite enough blueberries, so added in some raspberries as well. It was like 4th of July on the inside. And the thickness of the batter kept everything evenly distributed without sinking to the bottom. Pretty! I also added a tablespoon of poppy seeds.
I didn’t have a 9 inch cake pan, so used an 8 inch and had enough batter for 3 extra muffins.
This could not have been yummier!!!! Thanks so much for the recipe and your tweaks! I went with weighing the 240 grams of flour (i must say i did then hold back 1 tablespoon to toss with the berries in case i didn’t do a great job drying them). I have a bunch of blueberry cakes in my repertoire (including your triple berry bundt cake that i usually make with just blueberries and added zest, and your raspberry buttermilk cake that i make sometimes with strawberries, sometimes with blueberries), and this may top them all!
This cake is fabulous!
I like to make these as muffins and sub oat flour for the white flour in the topping. Makes a dozen perfect muffins.
Hi Deb,
I was just wondering if I could sub the milk for sour cream? I find sour cream and a nice tang to the cake as well as making it soft/delicate.
Many thanks!
Rachel
Yes, it should be fine here.
Great cake. I used 13 oz of blueberries.
My son’s girlfriend is dairy free. Can I substitute unsalted margarine for butter?
Yes, or coconut oil or a vegan baking “butter.”
I just made this and it is incredibly delicious!!! Thanks once again Deb!
This recipe did not work for me at all. The dough was super stiff – like cookie dough – so stiff that I couldn’t fold the blueberries in, so I just threw them on top and tried to push them down a bit in the dough. I got a very low cake that didn’t rise at all. I double checked all my ingredients before baking. Are you missing some liquid here?
Considering all the rave reviews, it doesn’t seem she’s missing anything. The dough is somewhat stiff. Weighing the ingredients might help, or, using the technique of mixing the dry and wet ingredients in increments as she described.
I had too many sweet cherries for my husband and I to eat – this cake came to the rescue! Coarsely chopped the cherries after pitting and dusted with a little flour to soak up some of the juice before mixing them in. Turned out wonderfully! Will definitely make again.
I made this cake this week and it was absolutely delicious. The whole family likes it. I did halve the amount of sugar in the crumb due to previous family received feedback of crumb toppings on cakes being overly sweet. I have quite a sweet tooth and I felt the sweetness level of the overall cake (with halved sugar in crumb) was perfect 👌 this recipe is a keeper 😋
I made this yesterday and we absolutely love it. It’s actually a little less sweet than I anticipated, which may be because we are out of powdered sugar. My fiance said it’s the best thing I have ever baked! Will definitely be making this again!
Made a half batch in a 6″ round pan and it came out great!
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve made it but this cake never disappoints! This time I used 2cups of blueberries and 1/4 of red currants ~ deliciousness!!
So delicious! So full of berries. Thanks, Deb.
It’s in the oven now. I love using the metric measurements, so much more exact! Too bad the U.S. never converted completely!
I’m using a spring form pan so I won’t have to flip it.
A secret to many of my recipes is to add a few drops of a lovely lemon or orange flavored olive oil. The beauty of this is that they deliver a punch of flavor using, very little oil and they don’t alter the basic chemistry of the product. I’ve used it in cheesecakes and other baked items, as well as savory dishes.
I love this cake, and have making it for years. One day decided to put in a
Spring form pan.. et voila.. no more falling crumbs. Perfection!
I made this cake as my birthday cake a few days ago, and WOW was it good! The cake is plush, tender and buttery and the streusel has just the right amount of crispness without being hard. It was lovely after an outdoor, summer dinner and also as breakfast the next day! I made a simple icing with confectioners sugar and milk and drizzled it across the top, just to be decadent, and used a half and half mix of toasted almonds and pecans because I had those on hand. The cake did take 55 minutes in my oven and I used a springform pan so there was no risk of crushing any crumble. This is definitely a make-again recipe!
Perfect recipe, turned out very well with the 455 grams blueberries and walnuts. I was pleasantly surprised how soft, fluffy and not too sweet the result was. Will definitely become a favorite for using up the first buckets of self-picked blueberries this season.
Thank you for creating and posting it!
Yet a third or fourth time making this recipe and it hasn’t disappointed. I made this at my parents’ using their springform pan. Must get one! It’s so easy to make with a wonderful result each time.
Oh my goodness, my whole kitchen was filled with the wonderful smell of this cake! Mine did take a little longer than 40 min… kept it for like 50 min just to ensure that it is not undercooked. And it tastes soooo good! Had to put a pic on instagram. :-)
I love this cake. It works with any fruit. I’ve made blueberry, peach, and just tried blackberry pear.
I generally love coffee cake–it’s the best midday pick me up, delicious with coffee, and so tasty. And this is perhaps the best coffee cake I’ve ever made. It’s light, fluffy, and just the right amount of sweet. This cake is an absolute winner.
I made a couple of tweaks to the recipe: I swapped the milk out for buttermilk to make it fluffier and I’m so glad I did. I also forewent flouring the cake tin, as I find that makes the outer part of cakes a bit gummier. I found buttering and adding a round of parchment paper was more than adequate to allow the cake to pop out. If I were making it again (and I definitely will!), the only thing I’d do differently is perhaps add a bit more lemon zest. As written, the zest is enough to balance the sweetness and add zing but without a noticeable lemon flavor. It’s very good, but I love lemon so I might add a bit more next time.
This is PERFECTION Deb! Used fresh blueberries. Bake time was right on! COMPLETELY delish. Thank you
I made this for a casual Sunday breakfast with my boyfriend and housemate. I loooved the lemon zest pop in the cake matched with the warmth from the cinnamon in the crumb topping. I used frozen blueberries from my backyard berry patch. The cake was an enormous success and deemed a “keeper recipe” by all three eaters. The cake is gone this morning, Monday. :)
I had forgotten just how wonderful this cake is. Perfect.
I am an avid baker and I just made this today. It was absolutely delightful!
I love this! I made it with 400 g of sweet cherries, swapped 1/2 tsp almond extract for the vanilla, skipped the almonds, and did it in a springform pan (no parchment). It was delicious and beautiful, to the surprise of no one. Thanks, Deb (and all the previous comment-writers who used cherries and reported good results)!
Oh yeah and I used whole buttermilk instead. (Not sure how much a difference that made, but there you go.)
Made this today with the bumper crop of backyard blueberries. Perfect as written. Cake comes out light even though the batter is stiff. Definitely putting this recipe into rotation.
My smallest springform pan is 10 inches. Do you think the cake will be too flat?
No, I think it will be fine. Thinner, but not too thin.
This is an oldie, but a goodie! If you, like us, went overboard at the blueberry u-pick this weekend and are looking for an easy, delicious solution, this is it. We ate it all over the course of a single, blissful, blueberry filled day.
Made this tonight and its wonderful. Moist and perfectly balanced.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! Every year when we go blueberry picking this is my go to recipe. I know that Deb has wonderful blueberry muffin recipes, but wondering if anyone has made this into muffins?! Seems like it may be the worlds greatest blueberry muffin… thanks!
Ok, I’m here to report that after making this crumb cake my go-to post blueberry picking summer recipe for years, I have now made the most perfect blueberry muffins. This is the recipe that I have been searching for! It yielded 12 gorgeous muffins (made then in the Silpat muffin mold, which may be the worlds greatest invention) and baked for 25 minutes. Came out big and beautiful. I did have a surplus of the topping, but I’m not mad about it ;)
Anyway, for those who are searching, like I was, go for it. They’re amazing. Thanks Deb!!
I made this last night and just ate a pretty large piece in bed for breakfast with my coffee. Delicious!! I’m going to have to have another piece!
Deb, any reason this recipe wouldn’t work with the method for the crumb cake in SK: Every Day, ie, could I put the crumbs on the bottom of the pan and the batter on top, then flip out after baking?
It’s likely to flatten, but definitely let me know if you try it because I’m curious too.
Could you substitute chopped applies for the blueberries? We love this cake and would like to use apples for Rosh Hashana.
Can you sub almond milk and unsalted margarine for the whole milk and butter?
Oh my lord, this was delicious. My only mistake was making it when I was home alone. Could have eaten the entire cake by myself!
Please put a “jump to recipe” tab on your entries. As a professional developer who just wants to research and compare published recipes, it’s enormously annoying to have to scroll through umpteen pictures WE’VE ALL SEEN BEFORE, and silly, made-up memories from grandma and all the other trite drivel that seems to accompany online recipes these days. Just give us the darned recipe please. Place the drivel afterwards in case anyone really has any interest.
This was so good. The taste of the lemon was so refreshing. I even made a lemon glaze to drizzle over my piece with powdered sugar. I didn’t have any trouble turning it out of the 9″ round pan. I sprayed my pan with the Pam used for baking, and put the parchment down. Baked mine about 45 min. My only tweak next time would be to melt the butter for the crumbs in order to make nice big crumbs, and mix white and brown sugar. Great recipe, especially if you love blueberries and lemon. 😁
I made this for the first time yesterday-It’s amazing! My husband gave it a 9.5/10! He’s not even sure what he would change, but he refuses to give any recipe a perfect 10. This is the closest he’s come.
Tried making this gluten free with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1. After over an hour in the over it still was claggy in the middle and the taste was so bad. Anyone have success making this GF??
Hi i dont know what happened but i did as directed but my batter was not thick it was pourable and went to the top of my 9inch pan which had 2inch sides as i measured it. With the streusal its quite a bit over top as its cooking. Its been 40 min and toothpick is clean tho.why tho was my batter not thick tho i wonder? Ty L
This was AMAZING! I made it in a bread tin instead and baked it for around 55-60 mins at 375 degrees.
This is not about Blueberry Crumble but it is about how pleased I am I found your site. Just viewed the I Want Chocolate Cake on YouTube. Excellent! I am already a fan.
Keep up the good work!
Jackie in Oro Valley, AZ
So good. To use up rhubarb, I cooked it down to thick soup texture, then plopped some between layers of batter. Also used almond extract instead of vanilla. Really hit the spot!
This is a recipe I make every summer when I have girlfriends over, they love it and would be disappointed not to see it on my table!
I’m bringing dessert to a lunch on Sunday, and with fresh rhubarb in my fridge, I wonder how chopped rhubarb would be in place of blueberries 1/2” diced, maybe smaller?
If not, I’ll make the rhubarb snacking cake, and serve it with whipped cream.
It would be delicious!
I have made this twice, and it is incredibly delicious! I have a question about the crumb’s texture. Should it be soft and tender? Mine always turns out rather crunchy. I mixed the crumb with my fingers quickly and I tried it with a fork.
What’s the story? Hmmmm.
I have been making this cake since forever, such a hit with family & friends. The copywriter on my edition is 1974!
This cake is delicious but my layer of streusel did not adhere to the cake and broke off in (still very tasty) chunks when I cut in. Any idea where I went wrong?
Made this with blueberries from my garden and it came out perfectly. Tastes better the next day and even better-er the day after. The streusel tastes sort of like the filling in brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts. Which is wholly welcomed.
Made this today, and it’s now a family favorite. I found that baking it in a greased but not floured ceramic pan without parchment made it possible to remove pieces easily with no need for flipping. The entire cake is just so good, and the crumble’s amazing. Thanks, Deb!
This cake is really good and easy to put together. What really made it next-level fabulous was substituting Penzey’s “cake” spice mixture for the cinnamon (It’s mostly cinnamon, but with just a bit of star anise, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves). Also, in the topping I used a combination of equal parts white sugar, brown sugar, and turbinado aka “raw” sugar (easy to do because I always double the recipe to make two cakes – one for now and one to freeze). Mine has taken consistently longer to bake than the recipe says, particularly in a 9″ springform. For some reason, that was really slow ( and yet I think my oven temp is pretty accurate). I’ve taken to using a 9″ square instead, and that goes more quickly, but still needs more than the 40 minutes for the center to be cooked through.
I’ve made this cake at least 50 times and every time we enjoy every single morsel, and sad when it’s all gone. It’s an absolute keeper and whenever I make it to bring to someone or serve to guests, they always ask for the recipe!
The cake turned out perfectly. I used a spring form pan so no need to invert the cake. Very moist and delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Quick question. This was so delicious as I mentioned previously. Now I’d like to know if I can do this with raspberries or would they be too wet? Thank you.
I’ve made this twice. Once as directed with fresh blueberries – it was excellent. And, once with a long lost bag of frozen blueberries from my freezer. I defrosted and drained well, blotted on paper towels, and proceeded with the recipe incl. cooking for the same amount of time and it was nearly as good as with the fresh blueberries. I am going to make again using a bag of frozen mixed berries and will let you know how that goes. I love this recipe.
I made this for a work breakfast and it was delicious. I doubled the recipe, except the blueberries because that’s all I had on hand, baked in a 9*13 pan, and used buttermilk in place of whole milk. I will definitely be making it again.
do you think adding coriander and nutmeg would work in this? you had mentioned that in the notes for the blueberry muffin recipe.
I love making a Smitten Kitchen bake on Saturday mornings and this was the one I made today. Used half whole wheat flour and sour cream instead of milk. The batter was quite thick so I was a little worried putting it in the oven, but all tuned out well!
Deb, I really like to keep my morning baking one bowl. Could I add all the milk/sour cream after the eggs/vanilla, then beat in baking powder/salt (a method I’ve followed in other of your recipes), and then add the flour? Or does alternating wet and dry really make a difference? I could really keep it one bowl by making the crumb topping in the same bowl as the cake batter, once the batter is in the baking dish :)
I made this yesterday, it was so good. Not to sweet and I love the topping. Thank you!
I love this cake… it qualifies as a “special dessert “ if you want to impress or gift someone.
Has anyone attempted doubling this recipe with success? I’m assuming it would require a 9×13 pan. Appreciate any advice as I’d like to make this for a crowd.
Can I use buttermilk?
Yes
I made this for some friends for a brunch and it was a big hit! I loved everything about this cake, and it was easy to make. Will definitely make again soon!
You know those “Jump to Recipe” options on cooking blogs? I don’t do that on your page. I never have. Reading your stories is like sitting at the counter while you cook. Or bake. I had a big grin reading this post and now I also want to book a trip to New York.
Time to bake this cake, instead. I have no doubt we’re going to lick the plate clean.
Love to try this! Could I sub yogurt for the milk?
I haven’t tested it but I’m sure it’s fine.
Can I make this dairy free? Sub margarine for butter? Sub what for the milk? My future daughter in law is dairy free.
My only question is “why didn’t I make this sooner?” I made the cake as written and it’s scrumptious. So easy and delicious.
This is an absolutely delicious and moist cake! I weighed all the ingredients and was just shy of the lower weight of blueberries, but it still came out bursting with summer. One small note for those who might want something less sweet: the crumb on top was a little too much for me personally, so next time I might only scatter about 2/3rds. But such an excellent recipe, I know I’ll make again and again!
I made this today and it was delicious but the very center collapsed and was a bit too soft. I tested it at the edges at 40 min and it was done …..that’s where there was no streusel. Next time I guess I need to test the center. Did this happen to anyone else?
Worked great subbing in nectarines and skim milk. Had a scant cup of large blueberries and some withered nectarines, which diced up and mixed with the berries gave me a generous quart of fruit. Followed the rest of the recipe as written. Delicious!
Can I make this in a loaf pan
So delicious! When I made this cake I was so excited to discover that it ltasted just like my mom’s beloved blueberry cake. I then looked at her recipe and realized it’s identical to your source recipe. The link above says that “Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts” was published in 1999, but my mom has been making her blueberry cake since the 80s. I was stumped! Thanks to some sleuthing, I discovered that the cookbook was first published back in 1974, so that resolves my confusion. What a long-standing beloved cake! I now make it with your changes (my mom likewise adds 1 tsp vanilla) and my own tweak of using 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar in the crumb topping.
I love this cake with blueberries but would like to try it with cherries since they are delicious this year. Should I still use the lemon? And how many pitted cherries do you suggest?
Popping in to say I made this with blackberries yesterday and it was delish. If I made it again I might reduce the sugar (in the cake) a hair (leaving the topping delightfully sweet).
I washed and drained the berries very well and folded them into the batter, leaving 10 or so to scatter on top. I didn’t need to increase the cook time.
Thanks Deb!
Just put this in the oven for my son who is coming home from college for the weekend. It’s one of his favorites (mine, too)! Absolutely delicious.
I make this every summer and always use fresh wild blueberries. It is a perfect summer dessert (with vanilla ice cream). I also love it for breakfast! If I’m planning on freezing pre-cut slices for future breakfasts I make it with white whole wheat flour and cut the streusel topping in half.