Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake
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If you’re looking for a delicious, seasonal, berry cake recipe to add to your morning-treat repertoire, this buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake is perfect! The batter can be made ahead of time and stashed in the fridge, allowing you to bake the cake off in the morning. What’s more? It freezes beautifully!
Buttermilk is magic. It turns everything into gold: super-moist, super-delicious gold.
This morning I awoke needing a simple, summery, cake-like-but-not-dessert-like breakfast treat. 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 need a good, seasonal, berry cake recipe in their morning-treat repertoire?
Nobody. And I think I’ve found the recipe that fits the bill: buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake. 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.
(And if you’re looking for more fruit options, this cake is so good with cranberries.)
PS: Divine Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
Five Favorite Recipes Made with Buttermilk
- One-Bowl Buttermilk Birthday Cake
- Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Simple Rhubarb Compote
- Tartine’s Buttermilk-Blueberry Scones
- Joanne Chang’s Buttermilk Biscuits with Maple and Sea Salt
- One-Bowl Buttermilk Pancakes
Bonus: Favorite Buttermilk Dressing for Slaw
How to Make Buttermilk from Scratch
Scale this recipe up as needed.
- Place 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
- Fill cup with milk (2% or whole is best) until it reaches the 1/2-cup line.
- Let stand for five minutes. Use as directed.
Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 to 16 pieces
Description
This cake is a long-time family favorite. My mother made it for my siblings and me when we were young, and every time I pull it out of the oven, clichè as it sounds, I am reminded of summer mornings in my childhood kitchen. It’s simple, adaptable, and make aheadable 🙂
Over the years, many questions have been asked, which I’ve answered as best as I can in the comments. I’ve answered a few FAQs in the notes below the recipe as well.
Also, if you’re new here, welcome! You’ve landed on one of the two most popular recipes on Alexandra’s Kitchen, the other being My Mother’s Peasant Bread, which led to the creation of my cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs, which includes 40 simple bread recipes and 70+ recipes for eating them up. (If you love baking, you’ll love this no-knead bread.)
Ingredients
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons | 4 oz | 113 g ) unsalted butter, room temperature
- zest from 1 large lemon
- 1 cup (214 g) sugar (set aside 1 tablespoon for sprinkling)
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour (set aside 1/4 cup of this to toss with the blueberries)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt (I like 1.25 tsp)
- 2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over
- ½ cup buttermilk, see FAQs below
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, cream the butter with the lemon zest and the 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon of sugar until light and fluffy.
- 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.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the batter, and stir with spatula to incorporate. Add all of the buttermilk. Stir. Add remaining flour, and stir until flour is absorbed. Fold in the blueberries. (Leave excess flour from the blueberry bowl behind.)
- Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar—I prefer this 8-inch pan because I like the thicker pieces) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. If you have parchment paper on hand, line the pan with parchment on top of the butter. Spread the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the batter with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes — a 9-inch pan will be done in closer to 35 minutes; an 8-inch pan usually needs 40 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, especially if you’re using a smaller pan such as an 8×8-inch. It’s not unusual for this cake to take 50 minutes, so just be patient.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
FAQs
- Can this be made ahead of time? Yes. Prepare the batter, spread it into the prepared baking pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge. In the morning, if time permits, bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar, then bake as directed. It may need more time if the batter was refrigerated.
- Can this be doubled? Yes. Bake it in a 9×13-inch pan … like this pan from Pyrex. Increase the baking time but begin checking at the 35 minute mark.
- What if I don’t have buttermilk? Use 2% or whole milk or make your own buttermilk: place 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Fill cup with milk until it reaches the 1/2-cup line. Let stand for five minutes. Use as directed.
- Can this be made gluten free? Yes. I like Cup4Cup and King Arthur Flour gluten-free flour mixes, but use whatever you like, keeping in mind that all gluten-free flours absorb liquid differently, so you may need to adjust to get the batter to the right consistency.
- Should the batter be thick? Yes. As with all baking, I highly recommend using a scale to measure the flour. I have this one, which costs under $11.
- Can I bake this into muffins? Yes. Follow the baking directions on this post.
- Can I use frozen berries? Yes. No need to thaw.
- What other fruit could I use? Really any fresh fruit or berries. Around the winter holidays, I make this cranberry-orange buttermilk breakfast cake.
- Can this be frozen? Made ahead of time? Yes! Let cool completely, then wrap well with plastic wrap or other airtight wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature the night before serving. Reheat at 350ºF for 15 minutes before serving. If you are not freezing it, store it at room temperature for a day. Refrigerate if storing for more than 1 day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
3,554 Comments on “Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake”
for those who thought it wasnt sweet enough, heres an idea for you. Juice the lemon you have already zested and add powdered sugar to make a sweet/tart glaze. Drizzle on the cake. This makes it more of a dessert than a breakfast in my opinion, but the cake is a winner either way
It taste good but I feel there is too much butter in the recipe and then it fell apart.
If I make it again i will use only half amount of the butter to compensate for the Buttermilk. It is really high in fat even though I used low fat buttermilk.
Just want to get your permission to post on Pinterst. Thanks.
Bobbi — of course!
I made this for my sister’s friend for her “day-after” birthday breakfast. We had to cut a piece as soon as it was cool because it smelled SO good we couldn’t resist. This was gooey as promised, and didn’t need any extra sweetness. This was so easy (I burn everything I bake usually), extremely tasty, and I would make it again for sure! I will probably make it my contribution to Holiday breakfasts and brunches. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Yummy!!! Glad I found this I had blueberries & buttermilk I had to use before they went bad. Will be making this all the time!!
Great to hear, Miriam!
I would love to make this JUST for me.. In other words.. in amounts for ONE or TWO servings.. Maybe to make it in a Ramekin … But in cutting down I usually go by the EGG amount and cut it, starting there… but with only ONE egg to make a dish that will serve 6 -8 servings, I don’t see how.
Any suggestions..
So I made this a 2nd time and I used strawberries again but substituted whole wheat flour and it was still great. Yay! I loved the dense texture and the added health benefits of the whole grains. Just thought I’d share incase there’s anyone else out there having the urge to “heft” up the fiber on this lovely piece of heaven. =)
I love the look of this Recipe and definately want to try it. I was wondering if as mentioned by Jan Cargill in a previous Post you could make individual portions in separate ramikins? I really like that idea. If that is doable any idea how to adjust the baking time and how full would you make the Ramikin? Does this cake rise much?
I love getting all the ideas from the ladies on here. I have learned so much. Thanks..
Terry and Jan — I think you could definitely bake off individual portions in ramekins. This recipe makes delicious muffins — so you could use a muffin tin and just fill as many as you wish — and I have in fact baked off just one or two muffins at a time, but I did so using disposable muffin liners as seen here: https://alexandracooks.com/2012/01/13/coffeecake-muffins-coffeehouse-style/
Baking time for individual ramekins is more like 30 minutes. The cake does not rise too much.
This was so good! I think I ate, like, 4 pieces in one sitting. (Don’t tell.) Because I found this on Pinterest, I reviewed it on my blog. (Naturally I gave you all the credit and didn’t spill the beans on the recipe details.) Thanks for a yummy breakfast! –Denise
Oh wow, I think I could eat that every morning for breakfast! Looks incredible!
Re Jan Cargill’s thoughts,
I often make smaller portions of recipes by freezing the egg white/s with a pinch of salt after I give it a stir (usually in snap lock plastic bags… or resealable bags if you haven’t heard of them) and then I defrost the egg whites ever so gently in the mic and they whip up perfectly…. Salutations from Emu Plains/Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia!!
Just made it! It was fantastic! Only downfall is that the only buttermilk in the store was a half gallon so I’ve got to find a bunch more recipes to use it in! Pancakes for dinner… here I come!
Elle– I am making this recipe because I have leftover buttermilk too! It was a smothered porkchop dinner, if you’re interested?!?
Handwritten notes on recipes is one thing then internet can’t replicate…seeing mom’s handwritten notes are priceless. 🙂
@Elle and @MaMaMoJo- I have the same problem. I never use buttermilk and wondering what the heck I’m gonna make with it. I would love your pork chop recipe…if your’re willing 🙂 amueller329@gmail.com
I love using leftover buttermilk for panna cotta. Here is my go-to recipe: https://alexandracooks.com/2012/01/26/indrivanilla-beans-buttermilk-panna-cotta/
Yummy!!…Just made for breakfast this morning and it tastes just as delicious as it looks. Baked for exactly 35 minutes & it turned out fabulous, soft & moist on the inside with a sweet crunch on top. This is definitely a keeper…Thanks for sharing.=)
Can you make it ahead the night before? If so do you still cook it for 35minutes?
Brooke — Yes, make the batter the night before. Several commenters have reported in that they have had success doing so. And they even put the batter right in the pan that they planned on baking it in. Baking time did increase by about 10 minutes, but start checking it after 10 minutes.
I made this a few months ago and it was so delicious and moist! My husband and I couldn’t stop eating it. I think I might make it again tomorrow!! here’s how mine turned out: https://graceadkins.blogspot.com/p/adventures-in-kitchen.html
Buttermilk is a great marinate for fish, chicken and even pork.
I guess I should know, but could someone clarify for me, do yo use self rising or all purpose flour. Thanks
Looks VERY good! Will definitely have to try it! I have a similar recipe that does uses cream cheese, not buttermilk. I’ll be interested in finding out how the two recipes compare (here’s a link to the one w/ cream cheese, in case you’re interested:
https://thecountrybasket.com/blueberry-cream-cheese-coffee-cake-recipe-pictures-show-how/ )
Your pictures are excellent as well; love your dark cutting board, cool and rustic.
Uses for leftover buttermilk: homemade ranch dressing; and also as a marinade for bite-sized pieces of chicken. Then coat with panko bread crumbs that have been seasoned with garlic, salt, onion powder, and paprika, and then bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. You can spray them with non-stick cooking spray (I actually use olive oil in a spray bottle) to make them a bit crunchier. Makes amazing homemade chicken nuggets. 🙂
My friend made this cake for my family yesterday because my daughter had surgery and she brought us dinner. It was AMAZING. Thanks for putting a smile on my poor, sick daughter’s face! 🙂
Lucindy, since the recipe calls for baking powder, which is a rising agent, you’d want to use all-purpose flour. HTH
Sorry for multiple posts. Raising, not rising. Darn swype. At least it was close. 😉
You can always make your own buttermilk to use in recipes (WHEN will the stores start to sell buttermilk in smaller cartons? WHEN?)
Add one Tablespoon of vinegar to one cup of milk.
Let stand for ten minutes and voila! Buttermilk for recipes. HTH
Lisa — I hear you! It is so painful having to throw away expired buttermilk. Thanks for the homemade tip!
The kids and I made this recipe this morning. Batter tastes great and it looks wonderful. We can’t wait for it to come out of the oven and cool.
I just made this and it is very good. I think I did something wrong though. Mine remind me so much of my mom’s blueberry muffins, same texture and similar taste, this just has the hint of lemon. The batter was very thick. Looking at your pictures they seem more moist and from the top I gather that your batter was thinner than mine. Mine looks almost like the top of a banana bread, texture wise. I wish there were pictures of the batter so that I could compare. Next time I may add a little more buttermilk.
Cassandra — It sounds like you did everything just right. The batter is very thick, and it bakes nicely into muffins.
I love cooking with buttermilk and I often freeze “about to expire” buttermilk. I freeze in 1 cup portions as this is what I often use for my pancakes..works great!
Kathy — I had no idea you could freeze buttermilk. Genius! Thanks for sharing.
in the oven now, but I added rasberries also:) Can’t wait to eat. Your pics make it look delicious!! thanks for letting her post on pinterest. How I found you!
Can I use regular milk or does it work only with butter milk? It’s 11pm here and I just found this recipe and want to make it tomorrow ….any suggestions if you don’t have buttermilk?
Hi Traci,
Regular milk will work but I do think there is something special about buttermilk… the result is probably subtle, so by all means, use regular milk if can’t get your hands on buttermilk. Also, one of the readers just commented that you can make your own. Here is her comment:
You can always make your own buttermilk to use in recipes (WHEN will the stores start to sell buttermilk in smaller cartons? WHEN?)
Add one Tablespoon of vinegar to one cup of milk.
Let stand for ten minutes and voila! Buttermilk for recipes. HTH
Several other commenters have suggested the same thing. I have never tried it but I imagine it will work. Good luck! Let me know if there is any other question I can answer.
Any suggestions if made (cooked in oven even) night before, to reheat next morning without burning top?
Sarah — I would suggest reheating it at 350 with a piece of foil covering the top for about 15 minutes. Check for warmth after the 15 and remove the foil for the final few minutes of reheating.