Sourdough Blueberry Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping
Tender sourdough blueberry coffee cake layered with cinnamon streusel is perfect for cozy brunch spreads or an afternoon treat. You can use up leftover sourdough starter to make a freezer-friendly breakfast treat to save for a special morning.
Coffee cake is one of my all-time favorite breakfast treats. Nothing smells better coming out of the oven than a buttery, streusel-topped confection.
When I have sourdough starter discard to use, I love to stir it into baked good like this sourdough blueberry coffee cake because it gives them such a unique texture.
The batter bakes up a little extra spongey and bouncy than classic coffee cakes and the way that texture pairs with the golden brown streusel pieces is so amazing.
Fresh blueberries add just a little bit of tartness to the sweet coffee cake making this a perfect option for a special holiday brunch!
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Sourdough Discard Recipe: Don't let a single drop of that precious sourdough starter go to waste! After you feed your sourdough, use the leftovers to make this delicious recipe.
- Moist and Springy: Sourdough starter gives this coffee cake a unique texture that bounces back when gently pressed. It also makes amazing browned crispy edges.
- Buttery Streusel: The yummy cinnamon streusel is a ribbon throughout the cake and used on top for color and crunch.
Ingredients
Making homemade coffee cake requires several pantry ingredients:
- Sourdough Discard: Need tips for getting started with sourdough? This recipe is easy enough for beginners. Just save the extra after your next feeding!
- Fresh Blueberries: You could use frozen blueberries, there's no need to thaw them first but you may need to bake the cake a few minutes longer.
- Butter
- Milk: I used 2% milk. This or whole milk are preferred over fat-free.
- Sour Cream: I use light sour cream in all of my baking. I do not recommend fat-free.
- Eggs
- Flour
- Sugar & Brown Sugar
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Kosher Salt
Prep the Streusel
Melt the butter for the streusel in a microwave safe mixing bowl.
Add the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon and stir to combine with a fork.
The mixture will be quite thick.
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Prep the Batter
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the sugar, brown sugar, and softened butter. Beat them together until light and fluffy and then scrape the bowl.
Add the sourdough starter, milk, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until just combined.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
With the stand mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl. Don't over mix it, some dry streaks of flour in the batter are ok.
How to Assemble
Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Spread half of the batter into the bottom of the pan and smooth it into an even layer.
Scatter half of the blueberries over the top.
NOTE: Do not stir the blueberries into the batter, they will burst and turn the dough purple.
Pinch off small pieces of half of the prepared streusel and scatter it evenly over the blueberries.
Drop the remaining half of the batter over the top of the streusel by large spoonfuls. Scatter the remaining blueberries over the top.
Gently spread the top into an even layer, being sure to nudge the batter into all the corners.
Pinch and scatter the remaining streusel over the top.
Baking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the sourdough coffee cake for 40 - 50 minutes or until golden brown and the center is set.
Let the coffee cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing so the squares separate neatly.
Make Ahead Tips
You can bake the blueberry coffee cake the day before and keep it covered at room temperature. You may want to warm it in the oven before serving.
You can freeze the coffee cake wrapped in foil for up to 2 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and warm it in the oven before serving.
Alternatively, you could prep the streusel and the batter and store them separately in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Let them come to room temperature and then assemble and bake the coffee cake fresh in the morning.
Variations
This recipe and method would work just as great with raspberries, blackberries, or chopped strawberries. Just remember to place the fruit rather than stir it into the batter.
You could also add chopped pecans or chopped walnuts for crunch.
If you love blueberry with a citrus flavor accent, try adding some fresh lemon or orange zest to the batter.
Serving Suggestions
I served this delicious sourdough blueberry coffee cake warm, fresh from the oven and it was amazing. My family enjoyed leftovers at room temperature for a couple days. Not a bite went to waste!
You could serve it with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a fun dessert.
For a special holiday brunch, you could pair it with a skillet of scrambled eggs and vegetables, peppered bacon, and a fresh fruit platter.
More Sourdough Recipes
Looking for more sourdough discard recipes? Here are a few of our favorites:
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Blueberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Streusel Layer:
- 3/4 cup butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the Cake:
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (113 g) sourdough starter
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon for coating the blueberries
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Prep the Streusel Layer:
- Place the butter in a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl and melt it in the microwave. Let it set for 5 minutes to cool slightly before using.
- Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour to the melted butter. Stir them in until well combined and then set aside.
Prep the Cake:
- Add the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat them together until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add the sourdough starter, milk, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla to the mixer. Mix them in until well combined.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet batter. Mix until just combined, it is ok to see some dry streaks of flour in the batter, you don't want to over mix it.
- Add the blueberries to a small bowl. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour over the top and toss to coat. This helps prevent them from sinking in the cake.
- Pour half of the prepared cake batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle half of the blueberries evenly over the top and then top with half of the streusel layer.
- Drop the remaining half of the cake batter over the top in large spoonfuls. Gently spread it evenly. Press the remaining blueberries into the top half of the batter and smooth over the top to even things out. Sprinkle the remaining streusel crumbs over the top.
- Bake the coffee cake for 40 - 50 minutes or until the cake has turned golden brown around the edges and the center is set. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving so the cake can firm up for better slicing.
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