This delicious blueberry muffin cake is like a blueberry muffin in cake form, with a fluffy and moist texture that's bursting with fresh blueberries. Topped with a buttery, crunchy streusel, it's an easy treat that's perfect for brunch or dessert!
This fluffy blueberry muffin cake is just like a batch of blueberry muffins in cake form. What could be more classic than a blueberry muffin? I love them so much, I have recipes for mini blueberry muffins and blueberry muffins with chocolate chips too!
This cake uses the same buttermilk muffin base as my small batch blueberry muffins, just baked in a cake pan! The crunchy streusel topping takes the cake to the next level, making taste like it's straight from the bakery!
For more blueberry recipes, try my blueberry gin and tonic with blueberry simple syrup or blueberry chocolate cake with homemade blueberry filling!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Tall with a fluffy texture- The cake is baked at an initial high heat, which is one of my secrets for tall, fluffy muffins! I use the same technique in all my muffin recipes. This makes the cake get the same sky-high rise as bakery style muffins.
- Mixed by hand-ย Lots of cakes are made with an electric mixer, but you don't need one here! The dry ingredients are directly mixed into the wet ingredients too to make clean-up a breeze.
Key Ingredients
- All purpose flour-ย Make sure to measure it in grams with a kitchen scale for the most accurate results.
- Granulated sugar- White sugar sweetens the cake and helps achieve a light and fluffy texture. It's also used to sweeten the streusel.
- Melted butter-ย Adds a rich buttery taste to the cake and streusel without overpowering the other flavors.
- Brown sugar-ย A little brown sugar adds a subtle molasses flavor and moisture to our cake and crumble, creating a depth of flavor and moist texture. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Oil- Use a neutral tasting oil like canola or vegetable oil to keep the cake moist.
- Eggs-ย Provide structure and moisture, ensuring that the muffin cake has a perfect tender crumb.
- Plain Greek yogurt and buttermilk- Both of these ingredients add fat and have acid that tenderizes the gluten strands for an extra soft cake!
- Baking powder-ย Make sure to check the expiration date before adding it to the muffin batter! It won't work as well if expired.
- Blueberries- You can use frozen or fresh blueberries! I prefer frozen berries because they are a bit more juicy. I recommend coating your blueberries in a few teaspoons of flour before adding them to the cake batter. This suspends them in the batter, keeping them from sinking to the bottom!
For the full ingredient list, quantities, and full instructions, see the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Buttermilk substitute: Plain kefir is the best substitute. It's like a thin yogurt with a similar, slightly sour flavor.
- Different berries: I recommend trying this recipe with fresh or frozen blackberries or raspberries.
- Add citrus: Try adding a few teaspoons of lemon zest or orange zest to the dry ingredients for a fresh, citrusy twist.
- Add a glaze: This cake would be delicious drizzled with a simple glaze made with ยฝ cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk or fresh lemon juice!
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF. Line a 9 or 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.
Step 1: For the streusel, combine flour, sugar, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Melt your butter and whisk it in with a fork. Refrigerate while you make the cake batter.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk the remaining granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract together.
Step 3: Add the Greek yogurt and buttermilk, whisking until everything is smooth.
Step 4: Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl. Gently fold the dry ingredients in with a rubber spatula until there are only a few dry streaks of flour left.
Step 5: Toss the blueberries in a little flour and fold them into the batter until the dry streaks of flour disappear.
Step 6: Pour the cake batter into the springform pan and sprinkle the streusel on top. You can add a little turbinado sugar for extra crunch too.
Step 7: Bake the blueberry muffin cake for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350ยฐF and bake until the crumb topping is golden brown and the center is baked through.
Step 8: Carefully take the cake out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the ring of the pan and let the cake cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Then slice and serve!
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. I always recommend using room temperature dairy ingredients and eggs for any baking recipe! When the ingredients are the same temperature, they blend together seamlessly and bake up evenly.
- Measure the flour correctly. Don't pack the flour into your measuring cup! The cake will turn out dry if you do this. Measure it in grams with a kitchen scale, or fluff the flour up in the bag before gently scooping it into your measuring cup.
- Use an oven thermometer. Make sure your oven is fully preheated to the right temperature before baking by using an oven thermometer. Not all ovens are calibrated the same, so the thermometer will help you know if the temperature it displays is correct! A consistent oven temperature is key for a perfect bake.
Storage and Freezing
Store the cake in a large airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature. You can also slice the cake and store the pieces in a zip-top bag or rectangle airtight container.
Muffins and quick breads are notorious for getting a little soggy after being stored, so I recommend placing a piece of paper towel inside the container or bag to soak up any extra moisture!
Freezing
To freeze the whole cake, carefully wrap it in plastic wrap and then in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
For slices, wrap each in plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer bag, freezing for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can turn the cake into classic muffins by using a muffin pan. It should make 12-14 muffins! The recipe also works in a 10-inch cake pan, just make sure to use one with tall sides so the batter doesn't overflow in the oven. It may also work in a loaf pan, but I haven't tested it this way. Let me know if you do!
Because the cake is covered with streusel, you can't really press down to see if it springs back to check for doneness. I recommend sticking a toothpick, butter knife, or skewer into the center of the cake to check. If it comes out clean with a few sticky crumbs, it's ready! If there's still wet batter, bake a little longer.
Cake batter and muffin batter are very different! Cake batter usually has more sugar and fat, making it sweeter and giving it a softer, lighter texture. In contrast, muffin batter has less sugar and fat for to a denser, more bread-like texture. Cake batter often uses more leavening agents for a higher rise, while muffin batter produces a denser crumb.
More Blueberry Recipes You'll Love
๐ Recipe
Blueberry Muffin Cake with Streusel
Equipment
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
Streusel
- 90 grams all purpose flour
- 85 grams granulated sugar
- 65 grams brown sugar light or dark
- 70 grams unsalted butter melted
Cake
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 50 grams brown sugar light or dark
- 56 grams unsalted butter melted
- 50 grams vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 120 grams plain Greek yogurt room temperature
- 120 grams buttermilk room temperature
- 320 grams all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 296 grams blueberries fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Line a 9 or 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.
Streusel
- Combine flour, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Pour in the melted butter whisk together with a fork. Chill in the fridge while you make the muffin cake batter.90 grams all purpose flour, 85 grams granulated sugar, 65 grams brown sugar light or dark, 70 grams unsalted butter
Cake
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the remaining granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract together until well combined.200 grams granulated sugar, 50 grams brown sugar, 56 grams unsalted butter, 50 grams vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Next, whisk in the Greek yogurt and buttermilk until smooth with no lumps.120 grams plain Greek yogurt, 120 grams buttermilk
- Add the all purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the wet ingredients. Gently fold with a rubber spatula, scraping around the sides of the bowl until just a few dry patches of flour are left.320 grams all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ยฝ teaspoon salt
- Toss the blueberries in a little flour and fold them into the batter until the dry streaks of flour disappear.296 grams blueberries
- Pour the batter into the springform pan. Evenly sprinkle the streusel on top of the cake batter.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 400ยฐF (200ยฐC), then reduce the heat to 350ยฐF (180ยฐC) and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Gently run a butter knife between the edges of the cake and the pan to loosen the sides and remove the outer ring. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
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- Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure the dairy ingredients and eegs are room temperature so they blend together seamlessly.
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- Toss the blueberries in flour. If you toss the blueberries in a couple teaspoons of flour or cornstarch before adding them to the batter, they won't sink to the bottom!
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- Carefully remove the springform pan. You can remove the ring while the cake is still slightly warm, but I recommend waiting for it to cool completely before transferring to a cake stand. If it's still hot, it will fall apart!
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