Blueberry Coffee Cake (aka Boy Bait)
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This tender blueberry coffee cake topped with a crunchy cinnamon streusel is cleverly named for its habit-forming effect on boys.
This old-fashioned blueberry coffee cake comes with a darling name and story. In 1954, a 15-year-old girl from Chicago named Renny Powell submitted a blueberry coffee cake recipe to the Pillsbury $100,000 Recipe & Baking Contest (the precursor to today’s Pillsbury Bake-Off). Renny took second place in the junior division for her recipe, cleverly named “Boy Bait” for its habit-forming effect on young men.
Tender, easy to make, and jam-packed with berries, boy bait has been popular ever since. My version is updated with lemon zest to complement the flavor of the blueberries and a crunchy cinnamon streusel topping. You certainly don’t need to be a teenage boy to enjoy it, but I can attest that this 14-year-old loves it — so maybe Renny was onto something ?.
What You’ll Need To Make Blueberry Coffee Cake
Fresh blueberries are ideal for this coffee cake, but frozen will work, too. If you’re using frozen berries, stir them into the batter without thawing, otherwise they’ll turn the batter purple. If you have extra blueberries on hand, or find them on sale at the market, you might also enjoy my blueberry pancakes, blueberry cobbler, or lemon blueberry pound cake – all family favorites!
How To Make Blueberry Coffee Cake
To begin, make the streusel topping by combining the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl.
Using your fingers, mix until no lumps of brown sugar remain, then add the cold butter.
Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture reaches a crumbly state. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Next, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, beating on low speed to combine.
The batter will be quite thick.
Add the berries to the batter.
Fold gently with a spatula until evenly distributed. Do not over-mix.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the batter.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and a cake tester comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan on a rack for about 20 minutes, then serve right from the pan. Enjoy!
You May Also Like
- Best Blueberry Muffins
- Blueberry Cornbread Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon-Walnut Swirl
- Blueberry Cobbler
- Crumb Cake
Blueberry Coffee Cake (AKA Blueberry Boy Bait)
This tender blueberry coffee cake topped with a crunchy cinnamon streusel is cleverly named for its habit-forming effect on boys.
Ingredients
For the Streusel Topping
- 6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch chunks
For the Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon packed lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- ½ cup milk
- 2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen may be used but do not defrost)
Instructions
- Make the streusel topping: Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Using your fingers, mix until no lumps of brown sugar remain. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it reaches a crumbly state. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch square pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
- Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, beating on low speed to combine. Add the berries to the batter and fold gently with a spatula until evenly distributed. Do not over-mix.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a rack for about 20 minutes, then serve right from the pan.
- This cake is best served on the day it is made. Leftovers will keep well for a few days wrapped in foil and stored at room temperature.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Serving size: 1 piece
- Calories: 223
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 169 mg
- Cholesterol: 47 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This turned out great!
Amazing
I used fresh blueberries trucked up to PA from GA to help the farmers.
With this recipe would be okay to make blueberry muffins?
Sure Anthony, these would work as muffins but I have a recipe specifically for blueberry muffins if you’d prefer to go that route. Hope that helps and that you enjoy whatever you make!
Followed the recipe exactly and the baking directions were perfect! I did read that the stand mixer makes it extra fluffy and it was DELICIOUS. Thank you, Jenn! I would give it more stars if I could.
It was delicious!! I made it this morning fresh. A big hit …A keeper!
I made this cake today and it is wonderful! I followed the recipe exactly and baked for 40 minutes. My husband and I just had a piece and it was so good we went back for more. The streusel topping really put it over the top. Thanks for another winning recipe!
Can you make the batter the night before and leave it in the fridge overnight? Then bake it in the morning?
Unfortunately, it won’t work to refrigerate the batter as the cake won’t rise well when you go to bake it. If you’d like, you can mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another and then combine them and proceed with the recipe when you’re ready to bake it.
I used frozen blueberries, doubled the streusel topping, and baked it for closer to 50 minutes. I would give this recipe more stars if I could! Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing it!
I just baked this a short while ago and it came out fluffy and delicious. I had an 8 x 8 pan so I baked it at 345F for ~50min. Checked at 40min then 50min. I used a fresh lemon off our tree for the zest, I think it adds a nice flavour to the cake. I would try this as muffins, too. Great recipe!
I was wondering if I need to adjust baking time if frozen blueberries are used?
No need to adjust the baking time. Hope you enjoy!
Had to cover with foil half way through to prevent topping from burning, but came out beautifully. Cake has a wonderful texture and my husband loved it 🙂
Just made this cake and not only does my house smell DIVINE, but the cake is delicious! One of the best crumb cakes I have ever made. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I made this last night but since I only had a cup of blueberries, I threw in some strawberries that were about to go off as well–so good! This absolutely cured my coffee cake craving. I’ll definitely make this again next time my in-laws visit.
This is soooooo Goodman easy saying that I’m only 11 and I made this like that. I definitely recommend this recipe
Can you use a mix of blueberries, blackberries and strawberries?
Hi San, I haven’t tried this with a mix of berries, but I think it should work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Can you use any type of milk (e.g. almond, buttermilk, 1%)? Can you replace the milk with sour cream or plain greek yogurt (if you do not have milk on hand)?
Hi Puneet, Any kind of milk will work here (with the exception of buttermilk). And I wouldn’t recommend using sour cream or yogurt in place of the milk.
This was a huge hit ! I made this twice, once with my stand mixer and once with my hand held mixer ! The cake seemed to be lighter with the stand mixer, both were amazing ! I doubled the topping because my husband is all about the crumb topping, it worked fine..
What type of milk can you use? If cows milk, then does any % work?
Yes, Puneet, cow’s milk will work and full-fat, 2%, or skim will work. Hope you enjoy!
You never say what size pan.
You’ll need a 9-inch square pan. Hope you enjoy!
I only have an 8 x 8 pan. Will that work? Will I need to adjust the baking time?
Yes, that will work; it may need a few minutes less in the oven so keep a close eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve made this a couple of times and they are amazing. Best recipe, thank you so much for sharing
Intrigued by the raving reviews. Could I sub a portion of sugar with Stevia without affecting the batter?
Hi JB, I wish I could help but I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes so I can’t say how it would impact the recipe. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it with one!
This is delicious. I made a few changes however. I put lemon extract rather than vanilla. Also on the topping cut the brown sugar to 4 Tlbs. and Butter 4 Tlbs.
Turned out great my spouse loves it.
Thanks
Debbie
Best blueberry coffee cake recipe!!!
Hi. We love your recipes and always have success with them. We are trying to use ingredients we have on hand. Can we substitute apples for the blueberries in this recipe?
Hi Tracy, Glad you like the recipes! If you want to use apples, I’d suggest this recipe instead (and you could put a streusel on top if you’d like).
I’ve baked this several times as directed and it never disappoints. I love your blog. The directions are clear and the pictures are beautiful.
This time I subbed coconut oil for butter and, in the crumb topping, I halved the cinnamon and used dark brown sugar.
The coconut oil needed to cream with the sugar for a longer period to fluff up, probably 5 minutes total. I used a stand mixer.
When I made the topping, I had to chill the coconut oil for it to create a coarse texture.
I didn’t have my 9×9 metal pan handy so I used my 11×7 glass pan. Baked at 350F for 50 minutes. It came out about 2 inches thick after cooling.
Thank you for sharing! Honestly, if I didn’t trust your recipes so much, I’d never try to substitute ingredients and experiment.
Looks delicious! Can I omit the lemon zest?
Sure – hope you enjoy!
Made this cake on Saturday afternoon … It was a big hit…pretty much gone!
I love most of your recipes because of the ease in making them.
Thanks
Hi Jenn from Toronto! I just took this cake out of my oven. My kitchen smells so good and I can’t wait to cut a piece for dessert tonight! Easy peasy recipe too. Thank you.
Want to make this coffee cake but want clarification re: flour
2 1/2 cups flour in total…but there is no breakdown for the amount in streusel topping & cake batter.
As well, oven temperature not mentioned…
Thank you in advance for your reply
Hi Diane, If you look at the ingredients, they are broken down into two sections–one for the streusel and one for the cake. You’ll need a half cup of flour for the streusel and 2 cups for the cake. And the cake should bake at 375°F/190°C. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Hi Jenn, Made your recipe this weekend. Fantastic!!!! The texture and blueberry ratio are just right. The crumb topping really finishes it perfectly. My wife generally does not care for coffee cakes but this one she really enjoyed. Thank you
Follow this recipe exactly and you won’t be disappointed. Don’t forget to scrape your mixer attachments to get the lemon zest removed.
I made this today but realized I only had an 8 inch pan. The cake was dry. I am not sure if the pan size made a difference.
Hi Karen, Sorry to hear this came out dry. With an 8-inch pan, did it need to bake for longer? Also, cakes can be dry if too much flour is used. Did you use the spoon and level method to measure the flour? Even a few extra ounces can make a big difference. This article/video explains it nicely.
Hi Jenn, Thanks for the article. I did not bake longer. I did use convection bake. I did not spoon the flour so could be the reason it came out dry.
Hi Karen, You may have done this but when baking in a convection oven, it is best to reduce the oven temp by 25°F.
Can you make this in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with the same amount of ingredients on the list?
Hi Patty, If you’d like to use a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, I’d recommend doubling the recipe.
Hi! I was so excited to do this but I substituted some almond flour, coconut sugar and I used a blender cause I don’t have an electric mixer. It wasn’t as thick before putting into the pan and it did come out not intact/mushy inside even if I left it for 50 minutes. Is it because I substituted some ingredients? Or is it the mixer? My boyfriend still says its good but I feel like I messed it up 🙁 thank you!
Hi Janine, I suspect it was a combination of the ingredient substitutions you made as well as using the blender. Sorry to hear it was a disappointment!
Used gluten free 1 to 1 flour and it turned out AMAZING. Made it a few hours ago and half the cake is gone already.
Hi Jennifer! Could I substitute Chopped Rhubarb for the blueberries?
Thanks!
Terrie from Prince Edward Island
Hi Terrie, I’ve never tried making a cake with rhubarb so it’s hard to say for sure. You may want to try using half chopped rhubarb and half blueberries. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
This is a delicious recipe Jenn! No tweaks, no substitutes, no changes, no nonsense! Delicious just like it is.
For others who post reviews, please…just make the recipe as is. That is what you are actually reviewing. Your additions, changes, substitutions, etc. are not a fair way to rate the recipe(s) herein. Feel free to make this cake in 682 different ways if you wish, but make Jenn’s recipe for your review. She has invested a ton of time and effort to test and perfect her recipes. She is a trained professional chef and we are lucky to have her skills and knowledge available to us as home cooks. I’m not writing this to be rude, mean, or insulting and if anyone takes my words that way, my apologies. I’ve made several of Jenn’s recipes and have not been disappointed. Jenn shares her vast knowledge with us, and we should show our appreciation by actually reviewing her recipes AS IS! I’m a 61 year old man whose wife HATES to cook, so I do the cooking. Jenn…you are my first responder, so I don’t crash and burn! Thank you for all of your efforts to make all of us look good!!!
Well said!! Couldn’t agree more, however, relatively speaking, very few people change too much of Jenn’s recipes. I think there is just too much trust and respect there for people to get carried away, plus they are THAT good! If you want to hear about changes, go to Epicurious.com!!! It will blow your mind the way dozens of self absorbed “chefs” obliterate the recipes and then have the audacity to “review” them! It’s such a joke!!
Growing up on the east coast of Newfoundland blueberries were plentiful and delicious. I’ve eaten lots of blueberry cakes over the years and this one is definitely at the top of my list. It’s delicious.
Made yesterday for husband, he absolutely loved it. Perfectly light and fluffy with tasty crunchy topping (I did add extra cinnamon). Thank you for a great recipe, this one is a keeper, a bit like my husband :o)
🙂
OMG!!!!! I made this for guests in our Airbnb. It was a huge hit with them, my husband and all subsequent guests. It is a definite regular on my recipe rotation list. The only problem is having the leftovers calling my name! My solution has been to package up several pieces for guests to take away with them. They are all very appreciative. This is such an easy, moist, and delicious treat. It stays fresh and moist for days. It’s perfect.
This is by far one of the best blueberry coffee cakes I’ve made. I didnt cook it as long and covered with foil and turned down to 325 after cooking 30 min and baked until completely puffed and tested with touch pulled out of oven and uncovered let cool did drizzle lemon icing after cooled. Very yum
Hi Jenn, can this recipe be easily be made GF simply by using GF flour.?
Hi Rosie, Thanks for your note. I haven’t made this with gluten-free flour, but I think it should work. A number of readers have commented that they have good luck with King Arthur’s gluten-free flour. Hope you enjoy if you make them!
I made this today for the second time. The first time I used a glass pan. The middle just would not get done. I took it out so at least we could eat the outside of the cake. Today I used a metal pan, thinking that may be the issue. Same. Any suggestions??
Sorry you’ve had a problem with this, Bette! This cake is pretty predictable – – have you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe?
We had the same issue. Used a glass pan and had to put it back in the oven for another 30 minutes as it was all gooey in the middle. We covered the edges with tin foil so the topping wouldn’t burn. Once it cooked through, it was delicious! Only substitute we used was almond milk.
Could it be that you live in a higher altitude? Baking times and temps would probably need to be adjusted.
I started to make this cake without checking to see if I had a 9 x 9 baking pan, which I didn’t, but somehow I had 3 8 x 8 pans! It was difficult to buy a 9 x 9 on short notice and for a moderate price so I decided to use the 8 x 8. Of course I expected it to take longer so I lowered the temp to 365 degrees and kept checking the cake after 45 mins but it went quick from jiggling liquid in the center to cooked and the topping became quite hard. What would be a good temp and time for an 8 x 8?
Also, is there a trick to keeping the blueberries from sinking to the bottom?
Hi Rose, I’d suggest lowering the temperature a bit more — to 350 or 340 degrees and I’d start checking for doneness at 50 minutes. Hope that helps!
Easy to make but too dry for our liking.
So simple but so delicious, an absolute favourite in my family w the fluffy cake and crispy topping, a keeper for sure!
We couldn’t wait for this to come out of the oven , it was super delicious. My husband said it was excellent !!!
Just made your recipe for blueberry coffee cake, so delicious! Thank you for all your
recipes. So exciting to know when I want something new to make I can always count
on your site for the best recipes from dinner to dessert. Your directions are great! Thanks so much!
I haven’t made it yet, but am wondering If this be doubled for a 9×13?
Sure, Karen, that will work. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Don’t see a baking temp…. Not sure how anyone else was able to make this recipe successfully 🤷
Hi Ericka, the oven should be set to 375°F/190°C. (You can find the temp in the first sentence of the second paragraph.) Hope you enjoy if you make the cake!
If I wanted to bake one of these without blueberries would I adjust the vanilla and cinnamon?
Hi Layla, You’d have to adjust the recipe enough without the blueberries that I’d suggest looking for a plan crumb cake. I think you’ll be happier with the results. This one looks good and gets positive ratings. (Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried it myself.)
Hi thanks for sharing, this looks to be a great recipe and would love to try. However we do not have a stand mixer or hand mixer for that matter. Can we mix/beat with hand? Will it cause any difference in the end product?
Unfortunately, this recipe really won’t work without a mixer — sorry!
HI there!
Can you suggest how to make this as a muffin? It would be easier for me to give as gifts as a muffin instead of a whole loaf. If you have suggestions for cooking time that would be great. Thanks so much!
Lynn
Hi Lynn, these would work as muffins. You don’t need to make any changes to the recipe, but I’d start checking them for doneness at about 30 minutes. Also, I have a recipe specifically for blueberry muffins if you’d prefer to go that route. Hope that helps!
I am obsessed with this coffeecake, it’s that good. This may be one of the best recipes I’ve ever gotten online. I didn’t need to change a thing, though I do add a 3rd lemon zest. I’ve made it several times now, for many people, and everyone raves about it!! I even keep all the ingredients on hand so I can make it any time.
Hi thanks for sharing, this looks to be a great recipe and would love to try. However we do not have a stand mixer or hand mixer for that matter. Can we mix/beat with hand? Will it cause any difference in the end product?
Hi Tina, Unfortunately, you really need a mixer for this one — sorry!
Love love love 😍 thank you for this recipe!!! I did have to make substitutions as I cannot have dairy so instead of butter I used vegan butter, instead of regular milk I used almond milk and instead of eggs I used coconut yogurt (same quantities as recipe states but for egg substitutes, I just put two heaping tablespoons of the yogurt) and it’s amazing!! Thank you again!! It’s hard to make vegan recipes but this one works so well and is super delish. I bet it’s out of this world with dairy!
If I make this the night before, could I cut it into pieces and place on a platter over night covered with foil or should I leave it in the pan covered with foil and cut in the morning before serving? Do you think it makes a difference in freshness? Thanks!
To keep it as fresh as possible, I’d slice it in the morning. Enjoy!
Can I put this together the night before (keeping the streusel topping aside until baking), refrigerate and bake the following morning?
Hi Emily, Unfortunately, it won’t work to refrigerate the batter as the cake won’t rise well when you go to bake it. If you’d like, you can mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another and then combine them and proceed with the recipe when you’re ready to bake it. Hope that helps!
I wanted this to be a go-to recipe, but unfortunately, it’s not🙁 it was too doughy inside for me. I expected a traditional coffee cake texture. I did not have lemons so I used lemon juice I had on hand. I used swerve instead of granulated sugar. I used coconut brown sugar instead of regular brown sugar. Need to keep glycemic index low. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thank you!
Hi Jacque, I’m sorry this didn’t work out well for you. I don’t have any experience with sugar substitutes like swerve or coconut brown sugar so I can’t say for sure, but I suspect the use of those had an impact on the texture of the cake. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Hi! I was wondering if I can add walnuts or pecans to the streusal part of the cake?
Thank you!
Sure – hope you enjoy!