Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake
I swear buttermilk is magic. I’ve dwelled on this before. Buttermilk seems to turn everything to gold. Super-moist, super-delicious gold.
Anyway, I needed a simple, summery, breakfasty, cake-like-but-not-dessert-like recipe to make this morning. One of Ben’s friends had crashed here last night, and I thought it only appropriate to treat him to a proper breakfast. In other words, I was craving sugar and carbs. The truth is I’ve been craving sugar and carbs and a cake like this for months. But seriously, who doesn’t crave having a good, seasonal, berry cake recipe in their morning-treat repertoire?
Nobody. And I think I’ve found the recipe that fits the bill. On an old photocopied sheet of paper in my mother’s hand writing, I spotted a note: “Baby Boy’s Favorite.” Oh Baby Boy. Baby Boy is my younger brother, my parents’ favorite child, and one of the most satisfying people to cook for. If it was Baby Boy’s favorite cake, it would soon be mine, too. This cake is delectable! I think you’ll like it, too.
Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Serves 6-8
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour (set aside 1/4 cup of this to toss with the blueberries)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk***
* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top
*** To make homemade buttermilk, place 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Fill cup with milk until it reaches the 1-cup line. Let stand for five minutes. Use only 1/2 cup of the prepared mixture for the recipe.
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.
4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
alexandracooks
Apr 25, 2013 @ 19:12:38
Marcia — absolutely!
alexandracooks
Apr 25, 2013 @ 19:21:14
Kim — awesome to hear this! If you ever feel like sharing the precise proportions, I think many people would be grateful. Thanks!
Qdiva2
Apr 27, 2013 @ 09:49:53
I made this for my husband this morning and he loved it! The breakfast cake was amazing! A repeater! Thanks.
Sarah @ SimplyScrumptiousBySarah
Apr 27, 2013 @ 18:26:38
This looks crazy yummy! I will have to make this for a very special occasion as I definitely can not eat this all time.. but yum!
Paul
Apr 28, 2013 @ 01:35:13
I did seemingly everything wrong and this still turned out great. I didn’t have enough blueberries, so I made a half batch. I didn’t have a use for 1/2 an egg, so I used a whole one. Out of lemons for zest, so I used lemon juice concentrate. The dry ingredients only got mixed in the mixer and I only realized near the end that I hadn’t yet added the buttermilk. I hadn’t tasted the blueberries and found the cake could have used a bit more sugar. Despite all that, it was still very tasty and moist. Next time I make this, it will be even better!
Sara
Apr 28, 2013 @ 20:46:24
Have you ever tried to double this recipe?
Kathleen
Apr 30, 2013 @ 15:51:30
Wow! My friends came for coffee and I had made this coffee cake. They couldn’t stop talking about this recipe. So glad I pinned this!
Sarah
Apr 30, 2013 @ 21:00:29
If your recipes are half as interesting as your writing, the food is addictive!
Pacexfour
May 01, 2013 @ 23:37:31
I’m making this for second time because the first time it was amazing! It’s just 4 our us and it was gone in 1 day! Tonight I’m trying it with wheat flour and hoping it turns as great as the first time
alexandracooks
May 02, 2013 @ 04:07:31
Sarah — thanks so much! I hope you have success with some of the recipes!
alexandracooks
May 02, 2013 @ 04:08:02
Kathleen — wonderful to hear this!
alexandracooks
May 02, 2013 @ 04:25:23
Pacexfour — so happy to hear this! Report back on the wheat flour if you feel like it — I think lots of people would like to hear how this turns out.
alexandracooks
May 02, 2013 @ 04:34:54
Sara — I have not, but many commenters have had success doubling the recipe and baking it off in a 9×13-inch pan. It will probably take a little longer to bake — maybe closer to 45 to 50 minutes, but start checking it at 35 to 40 minutes even so.
alexandracooks
May 02, 2013 @ 04:36:37
Qdiva2 — wonderful to hear this!
alexandracooks
May 02, 2013 @ 10:24:07
Paul — I love it! Glad to know this is so forgiving
April
May 03, 2013 @ 07:53:17
I love this! It was super yummy!
A business note – I used the “print friendly” button, and was a bit shocked to find 5 pages of full color recipe come out of my printer. Not “print friendly” at all.
Cynthia
May 03, 2013 @ 14:21:49
Can you use frozen blueberries? I don’t have any fresh ones. =[
Kathryn
May 03, 2013 @ 20:41:05
Made this for our trip to Disney…AMAZING!! Trying it with strawberries and orange zest….next pineapple
Lisa
May 04, 2013 @ 00:31:51
When testing for done ness, should the toothpick come out dry.
alexandracooks
May 04, 2013 @ 06:32:37
It should be mostly dry, but it’s OK if there are a few wet crumbs — it will keep cooking as it sits. It’s it’s super wet, leave it in the oven. Don’t be afraid to cook it longer — several commenters have cooked it 10 to 15 minutes past the 35 minute mark. Hope that helps!
alexandracooks
May 04, 2013 @ 06:33:42
Cynthia — yes, definitely! No need to thaw before using. Just toss the frozen berries with the flour as the directions instruct and continue with the recipe. You might have to add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time. Happy baking!
alexandracooks
May 04, 2013 @ 06:35:09
April — oh no! There is a button at the top that allows you to remove images — I will see if I can make the default setting be to have that box unchecked. Sorry about that
You also can delete as much of the post as you wish, so if you just want to print the recipe, that is an option, too.
alexandracooks
May 04, 2013 @ 06:35:22
Kathryn — wonderful to hear this!
Sara Gienau
May 04, 2013 @ 18:45:54
Can you make this the night before and bake next day?
Donovan
May 05, 2013 @ 15:12:00
My sister asked me to make this for her after seeing the picture on pinterest. When baking it i forgot that we were only suppose to use half of the buttermilk mix that we set aside. I used all of it! LoL, so i had to double everything after it was already mixed. I had way to much so i did half strawberries and half with blueberries. It came out GREAT! my family loves it! The blueberry one was gone that same night. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks!
Marina
May 06, 2013 @ 12:37:54
Hi, this sounds fantastic! Can I use strawberries or frozen raspberries instead of blueberries??
alexandracooks
May 06, 2013 @ 20:28:31
Marina — yes, absolutely! Many people have had success with the various fruits (including strawberries and raspberries) as well as with frozen berries. No need to thaw the berries — just follow the recipe as though you were using fresh.
alexandracooks
May 06, 2013 @ 20:55:21
Donovan — So happy to hear this! And glad to hear you are such a great improviser… I know some people that might have had a complete tantrum upon dumping in all of the buttermilk. I love the idea of strawberries, especially this time of year. Thanks for writing in.
alexandracooks
May 06, 2013 @ 20:58:03
Sara — yes, definitely. You can store the batter in the buttered baking dish or in a separate air-tight container. Bake it off in the morning just as instructed. You might need to add 5 to 10 minutes to baking time.
Rose
May 08, 2013 @ 20:34:36
I really don’t like the taste of lemon in my cakes so I was wondering how much lemony does it taste?
Shannon
May 09, 2013 @ 07:30:03
I didn’t have time to read through all of the comments, has anyone tried it with whole wheat flour or turbinado sugar (instead of white sugar)?
alexandracooks
May 09, 2013 @ 20:05:45
Shannon — I can’t recall either, but I am pretty sure a few people have used whole wheat flour with pretty good success — the cake comes out a little denser, but overall still really tasty. As for the turbinado sugar, I feel like I do remember a Reader substitution turbinado sugar for the white and having success — I’m pretty sure she did it 1:1, but again, I can’t say for sure. Good luck with it. Write back if you feel like it if you make any discoveries.
alexandracooks
May 09, 2013 @ 20:07:38
Rose — the lemon is definitely detectable but it complements the blueberries so nicely. Because it’s just zest and not juice, this cake in no way resembles the sweetness or lemon-ness of a lemon bar or lemon curd or lemon meringue pie, etc. Hope that helps.
Rachel Rinehimer
May 18, 2013 @ 14:38:08
This looks and sounds scrumptious, and I can’t wait to try it!
There is just one thing that puzzles me. Why tell people to make one cup of “buttermilk” and then use only half of it….? That seems such a waste.
Surely it’s possible to make 1/2 cup of “buttermilk” (by using 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice/vinegar, and filling the measuring cup to the 1/2 cup mark with milk….?)? Or am I missing something….? Maybe just making 1/2 cup of “buttermilk” at a time messes with the chemical makeup of the “buttermilk”….? I don’t know….it’s too much for my un-scientific mind to figure out!! LOL
Anyhow, thanks for sharing this recipe! I will let you know how it comes out!
Jen B
May 19, 2013 @ 08:00:28
I made this cake again for the 4th time – absolutely delicious each time and many compliments from my family and friends who have been lucky enough to eat it! I’ve made it both the night before the morning of. The lemon and blueberry flavors are perfect for one another! Thank you for sharing my new favorite recipe.
Michelle
May 23, 2013 @ 05:52:59
I am wanting to make this for several groups of people – anyone have success doing it in muffin pans?
Sandra Van Dyke
May 23, 2013 @ 23:32:47
It’s 2:30 am and I’m making this right now. That’s how much I love this recipe.
Stephanie
May 24, 2013 @ 22:08:21
OMG! I just made this recipe for the first time and I LOVE it! I’ve been craving something with blueberries – sweeter than pancakes/waffles yet not as sweet as a full on cake – and this was perfect. It’s like you knew exactly what I was craving! I thought about adding a lemon juice/powdered sugar glaze on top when it was done, or serving it with whipped cream, but once I tasted it on its own I realized it needed absolutely nothing extra. The lemon zest does a great job of complimenting the blueberries and the overall combination of flavor is delicious. I can’t wait to eat it in the morning with coffee!
Stephanie
May 24, 2013 @ 22:09:50
Also, I used sugar in the raw instead of regular cane sugar and it turned out great!