It feels a tad early for such a spring-inspired coffee cake, but with Easter only a couple of weeks away, it’s time to start sharing my holiday-themed recipes! Easter is certainly a time for sweets, from the kids’ Easter baskets to brunch and desserts. Growing up, my Nonnie used to make chocolate bunnies from these old-school bunny molds she had in her pantry. My mom would ALWAYS stock up on Malley’s Chocolates (in Cleveland, Ohio), before heading to Florida to celebrate Easter with my grandparents. Our baskets were filled with chocolates and cute stuffed animals. It was always so much fun!
Over Easter, my Nonnie would usually host some kind of Easter brunch or early dinner. On the menu was always a quiche and coffee cake, and probably some salmon and roasted asparagus, too. Oh, and of course, potatoes, bread, cheese, and crackers—Nonnie was big on carbs, and Mom is too! She knew how to put out a real holiday spread! Her secret was a trip to the local Publix to stock up on a mix of fresh ingredients and store-bought shortcuts. And from the bakery? Chocolate chip cookies and coffee cake for my grandpa. As much as I loved those cookies, the coffee cake always interested me more. I wanted to carry on her traditions with a homemade coffee cake. I know she would LOVE this.
These are the details
Step 1: make the cake batter Cream a stick of room-temperature salted butter with lemon zest and a touch of sugar. Then add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Now, the sour cream is key. You can also use Greek yogurt, but I’ve decided that sour cream will give you the best flavor and the most moisture. It really makes such a wonderful addition to this light spring coffee cake. Once all the wet ingredients have been mixed, simply beat in the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. You can use all-purpose flour in place of the almond flour, but I think the almond flour makes the cake special and keeps it from becoming heavier. I really love the flavor it adds too.
Step 2: the berries + streusel Next, stir in a cup of blueberries. You can use fresh or frozen. For the streusel, mix brown sugar with flour, butter, and cinnamon until a crumble forms.
Step 3: layer and bake Layer half of the batter into a loaf pan. Then sprinkle the streusel over the batter. Spoon over the remaining batter, then add swirls of blueberry jam and a sprinkling of sugar on top to finish. At this point, it’s time to bake. This takes about an hour in the oven, which I know is kind of long. But I promise, the wait will be worth it!
Step 4: the lemon glaze While this cake is so good on its own (really, it is), the glaze seals the deal (literally) and makes this cake just a little more special. The first step is the citrus. I used a Meyer lemon and honey. I then added powdered sugar to help the glaze come together. Spoon this over the warm cake for a truly delicious topping. It melts into all the nooks and crannies and seeps down into the cake. So yummy! You can really use whatever berry you love or have an abundance of in your fridge or freezer. Blackberries or raspberries could be delicious too. If you don’t cook with sour cream, try using plain Greek yogurt. That works really nicely too.
Looking for other spring sweets? Here are a few to try: Blueberry Swirl Coffee Cake Muffins Bursting Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake Bursting Blueberry Cardamom Buckle Blueberry Basque Cheesecake 5 Minute Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Mug Cake Dirty Horchata Tres Leches Cake Coconut Banana Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake Swirled Blueberry Lemon Thyme Cake Lastly, if you make this Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
