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Blueberry Coffee Cake (aka Boy Bait)

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Blueberry Coffee Cake

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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.

blueberry coffee cake

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 ?.Boy holding a piece of blueberry coffee cake that is missing a bite.

What You’ll Need To Make Blueberry Coffee Cake

Cake ingredients including lemon, vanilla, and flour.

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.

Bowl of unmixed dry ingredients.

Using your fingers, mix until no lumps of brown sugar remain, then add the cold butter.

Pieces of butter in a bowl of dry ingredients.

Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture reaches a crumbly state. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Bowl of crumbly butter mixture.

Next, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes.

Beaten butter and sugar in a bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition.

Egg in a bowl with a butter and sugar mixture.

Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Vanilla extract and lemon zest in a bowl with an egg mixture.

Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, beating on low speed to combine.

Milk, dry ingredients, and an egg mixture in a bowl.

The batter will be quite thick.

Coffee cake batter in a bowl.

Add the berries to the batter.

Blueberries in a bowl with coffee cake batter.

Fold gently with a spatula until evenly distributed. Do not over-mix.

Bowl of blueberry coffee cake batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Knife spreading coffee cake batter into a baking pan.

Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the batter.

Coffee cake batter topped with streusel topping.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and a cake tester comes out clean.

Blueberry coffee cake in a baking pan.

Let cool in the pan on a rack for about 20 minutes, then serve right from the pan. Enjoy!

Pieces of blueberry coffee cake on a plate.

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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.

Servings: 12 to 16
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • I made it last week for my book club discussion, it was easy to make, delicious not very sweet, and the combination of blueberry and cinnamon is marriage made in heaven, I’ll make it again and again

  • Absolutely delicious!! Literally the best coffee cake recipe I have ever eaten. Could easily be change up with any other berry too. You need to make this!

  • This incredibly rich coffee cake is beyond compare. No other coffee cake tastes as good as “Boy Bait.” My family knows when blueberries come into season as this is always the first desert I make to celebrate summer. You cannot go wrong with this recipe.

  • If you like blueberry muffins, this recipe is for YOU! It is so luscious and so much better than muffins. Frozen blueberries work just fine; sometimes it is hard to find nice fresh ones.

    • — Connie Purrington
    • Reply
  • I have made this several times for my husband; he loves it for breakfast, and it is easy to make, coming out flawlessly every time without a lot of work/prep. I appreciate that it isn’t overly sweet, and I find myself having blueberries on hand to make it regularly. My parents love it too, and my Mom requests it often, so it certainly qualifies as girl bait, too!

  • I love this recipe! It is always a hit when I take it somewhere. I like to add whip cream when serving.

  • The first time I made Jenn’s Blueberry Coffee Cake aka Boy Bait, I took it to work for a birthday breakfast and it was an overwhelming hit! The recipe is so easy and so rewarding. I have made it many times since then, and it is always a winner. Simply delicious. Thank you, Jenn.

  • The name ‘boy bait’ fits this recipe to a T. My teenage son LOVES this and it’s easy to make. We go buy bushels of fresh blueberries when they are in season and freeze them and they are so flavorful.

  • Yum, yum and yum!! I now need to make this when my kids are visiting or there will be major disappointment all around! I have no suggestions for improvement, but did find that frozen blueberries worked just fine.

    • — Carolyn Rogers
    • Reply
  • This recipe is foolproof! So tender and delicious. Not overly sweet. Easy to put together and is delicious with coffee or tea. I always get asked for the recipe!

  • I was looking to make something for a friend who just returned from the hospital. I made this and not only did she love it but her whole family did. So I made it last year for Christmas presents for neighbors. I now have requests to get this every year. It is truly a hit. So moist and the lemon adds just the spark that sends it over the top. We love this cake. 🫐❤️

  • This recipe is a keeper. It was one of Jenn’s first recipes that I tried, and I’ve used it many times: book club dessert, Pot Luck dinner, carry-in dinner for a sick friend–not to mention that it is a family favorite. Based upon the feedback I’ve gotten from this recipe, I have given Jenn’s signed “Once Upon A Chef” Cookbooks to two of my friends for birthday presents.
    The recipe is easy, texture is excellent, and it is loaded with flavor.

  • I made this cake last night and it’s already gone (12 hours) later. It was a huge hit!

  • My daughters and I have been making my grandmother’s blueberry cake for years. I always thought it was perfect…until I tried this one! This cake is moist, fruity and has the perfect balance of flavors–the added lemon makes a huge difference!

  • I’ve had to make this many, many times because my husband, friends, and family members keep asking me to make it again! For some reason it seems to taste even better when I use frozen blueberries and bake it for a bit longer. I have no clue why! You are the best Jenn, thank you for bringing so many smiles to my kitchen the last couple of years 🙂

  • Do you really have to call this ‘boy bait’? What time is it, 1950?

    • — Robert Frodeman
    • Reply
  • The sponge didnt taste that great and went stodgy.

  • I dont mean to be cruel, but this tasted awful! I did everything exactly as you’ve instructed down to the 2 min. beater time for the butter and the sugar as well as beating in the eggs one at a time and the measurings were precise and it tasted like a bunch of flour mixed with water with blueberrys. Not sweet at all and the topping was way too dry. I dont understand. I took it out of the oven at 47 min. when the toothpick was dry. I WISH I had done something wrong, bcuz I was so hoping this would be as great as it looks and sorry but for myself AND my family agreed that it lacked sweetness and it even made my sweet blueberrys bitter! Sorry but I will try again just to be sure and I’ll update but i know i followed to a “T”. Thank you.

    • I used a little more sugar in the cake and on top. More butter on top could help the dryness, mine was a little dry too. I always use new baking powder because if it’s older it won’t work. I use fresh eggs and whole milk. Ingredients are gonna make a huge difference. This cake is also baked at a higher temperature than usual. G

  • I made it today. It was perfect. I didn’t have any lemon so it was just blueberry. I used a 9 inch square stoneware pan. 45 minutes was exactly right time.

  • How long do I bake if I only have an 8 inch square pan?
    Thanks.

    • — Barbara Dowtin
    • Reply
    • Hi Barbara, It will take a few extra minutes in the oven. I’d start checking at 45 to 50 minutes. Enjoy!

      • I also only have an 8 inch Pyrex square pan. I have followed the recipe exactly and baked it 15 minutes longer and it´s still raw in the middle. Now I have put foil loosely covering it on top. Do you think it´s just my oven, or am I doing something wrong?

        • Hi Cynthia, it’s strange that with all that additional time tacked on, it’s still raw in the middle. Is there any chance you made a measuring error?

        • Try an oven thermometer to check if the temp is off. I have to add 25 degrees to mine. My thermostat is not working properly. Also, if your baking powder is old it won’t cook properly.

    • Made this recipe and it came out delicious thank you

      • — Carolyn Bernal
      • Reply
  • Great recipe but I would use less sugar. I love your blog and would love to see a bit of a healthier take on some cakes. Thank you!

  • I wanted to add a little more lemon taste, so added lemon glaze. I used 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp milk and a tsp of lemon juice. I put in sandwich bag and snipped a corner to drizzle over the top. Everyone loved it! I didn’t have any lemons for lemon zest, so used 2 tsps of lemon juice per substitute options, in the cake too. I will definitely be making again!

  • Delish as is! (Usually I can’t help but change recipes just a wee bit here and there 🙂 I loved how many blueberries there were throughout.
    Mine took longer to bake than the recipe called for. I went for an internal temp of 205.

  • Hi there!
    I would like to try this without the blueberries, so would I leave out the lemon zest as well? I want to make this for my parents, but they don’t want blueberries in it.
    Thanks!

    • Hi Lisa, I don’t think this cake would translate well without the blueberries. I have a recipe for a coffee cake that will be in my upcoming cookbook that may better suit their tastes. I will email it to you. Hope they enjoy if you make it!

  • My husband loves this! I followed the recipe except I used a regular cake pan for a thinner cake and baked 10 minutes less. I love it plain – sweet enough for me. I added a vanilla glaze for my husband. (10x sugar, milk, vanilla). He doesn’t rave about much but he did this! It freezes well. I recommend using a scale to measure by weight which is more consistent than volume.

  • My whole family loved these and the story of the recipe is so charming! I cut the sugar in the cake to 1/2 cup and didn’t add the lemon, I’ll try that next time (when I have blueberries and lemon at the same time!)

  • Love making this cake! I used coconut oil instead of butter and almond milk, half whole wheat and and half white flour. Everyone loves it!

    • — Marina Belanger
    • Reply
  • Absolutely delicious. Thank you for the recipe.

  • Excited to try this! If I don’t have fresh lemons at hand, best to skep the lemon zest or replace it with bottled lemon juice? Thanks!

    • Hi KB, I would just skip the zest – it will still be good. 🙂

  • Hi Jenn,

    Can this be made in a bread/loaf pan?

    Thanks!

    Taylor

    • Hi Taylor, I haven’t made this in a loaf pan, but I think it should work. Bake time may be a bit different so keep a close eye on it. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!

  • This was great – took a bit longer to cook for me but I have a temperamental oven.

    Fourth or fifth of your cake/pie recipes i’ve tried, and all have been fantastic.

    I cook your rustic apple tart all the time – love the pastry.

    Would you consider doing some more savoury pastry pies?

    Picnic pie, beef/chicken/fish/pork pie etc?

    • So glad you’ve enjoyed the recipes you’ve made! I will add your request for some savory pie options to my list of recipes to potentially develop. 🙂

  • Why is it called coffee cake when there is no coffee in it?
    Very misleading I think.

    • Sorry for any confusion. Coffee cake doesn’t actually contain any coffee; it’s just called that as it would be nice served with a cup of coffee. Hope that clarifies!

  • This blueberry coffee cake was amazing! Tender, moist, and delicious. I followed your recipe exactly and we enjoyed it for breakfast this morning. Thank you!

  • I tried this recipe the day and it was absolutely delicious!! I can’t wait to try your other recipes. Thank you Jennifer :)!!

  • Everyone I’ve baked this for absolutely LOVE IT!! It’s soooooo yummy 🙂

  • The cake was very good and easy to make. The texture is moist and not too heavy.

  • can you use unsweetened coconut milk in the container?

    • — sally waldstein
    • Reply
    • I assume you mean in place of the regular milk? If so, that should work. Hope you enjoy!

  • So, made this, this week. Wasn’t sure how it would go down with my husband because, although he enjoys a lemon drizzle cake, he doesn’t usually enjoy anything with an ‘added’ lemon taste. However this was a massive hit. He managed to clear 9 pieces of it himself in 3 days!! Thank you Jen – another fabulous recipe.

  • Jenn, Thanks for yet another outstanding recipe. I am always confident when I make one of your recipes that it will be another winner. I don’t know how you do it, but I haven’t made a single one of your recipes that weren’t worth more than 5 stars. Not a clunker in the bunch and I have made dozens of your recipes from the blog and your book. Thanks so much!!!

  • Hi,
    Just wondering if this could be made in a springform pan?
    If yes, how long would you bake it?
    I’m looking forward to making it with the fresh wild blueberries I’ve just picked!
    Thanks!

    • Sure, I think this would work in a springform — hope you enjoy! 🙂

  • Another great recipe! Made two of these coffee cakes-one for home and one for work! Rave reviews from both! My boss, a dentist, said it was the best cake he’s ever had! His wife made it for him the next day!

    Question-I bought too many blueberries and decided to make two more coffee cakes and freeze them. I found that the butter from the streusel was pooling on top of the coffee cake. It made it very hard to determine when the cooking was complete. Any idea why that would’ve happened? I took it out of the oven after 50 minutes because I didn’t want it to be over done. The butter is still pooled on top. So I rotated the pan around to try to evenly distribute the butter. But it doesn’t resemble streusel topping. It is more like a hard crust.

    • Glad this was a hit! It sounds like you froze the extra cakes before baking them? If so, I think that may have been the problem. If you want to make this ahead and freeze it again, I’d bake before freezing. Hope that helps!

    • I had a similar experience.
      Made this with half the toppings but it still took additional time to bake and was almost too buttery. Flavor was very good so I would try it again. Not the “coffee cake” style I was looking for.

    • I had the crumble pool up (and sink in the center) of mine, even though I followed the recipe and didn’t freeze anything along the way. Any suggestions, Jenn?

      • Sorry you had a problem with the crumble. I suspect that if the crumble pooled up and sunk in the center, the batter was a bit too thin. What brand of flour are you using? I have great luck with King Arthur flour. Next time, you may want to try adding another 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour. Hope that helps!

  • My family LOVES this recipe!! I add oatmeal to the topping with some chopped pecans which gives it a little crunch. Sunday morning breakfast along with a veggie scramble and everyone is in seventh heaven.

    • — Colleen Tellier
    • Reply
  • Hello,
    I only have 1 cup fresh blueberries, would it be ok to do 1c fresh and 1c frozen?

    • Sure, Lily. Hope you enjoy!

  • This recipe is delicious and my family thought so, too. I thought I’d really messed it up because I inadvertently used 6 Tbsp butter in the topping instead of the 4 it called for, but the topping was still crispy and delicious! Practically foolproof. I also used frozen berries and it worked beautifully. I’ll make it again! Thank you.

  • Hi is 1/2 cup of butter 1 stick?

    • Yep – hope you enjoy!

  • I have a Blueberry Buckle recipe I have used for years – but I’ve never been overly excited about it. So I found yours online and tried it this morning. Now THIS I am excited about! It is wonderful! Not too dry!! Wonderful flavor! I have to admit that I did double the topping – but I always do that!! Thankyou so much! I have a new ‘go-to’ Blueberry coffee cake recipe!! A full five stars!

  • This recipe makes the best blueberry coffee cake EVER! It is everything…..easy to make, tastes fabulous, lovely to serve to guests as a dessert with ice cream, or on it’s own with a cup of coffee/tea. Definitely a keeper!

  • I made this and got rave reviews from my friends. I used frozen blueberries which I didn’t thaw. The mixture turned purple when I mixed so the cake tasted better than it looked. How would I prevent the dough from turning purple?

    • — Vernelle McElfresh
    • Reply
    • Hi Vernelle, I’m surprised that the batter turned purple despite the fact that you didn’t thaw the blueberries – usually that’s the key. Next time you make it try to reduce the amount of folding you do once you add the berries to the mixture. You want them to be evenly distributed, but the more you stir, the more likely the batter will start to take on that purple hue. Hope that helps!

      • Just made it this morning. It was delicious. My husband loved it . I will make it again. Thank you for all the information you put into your recipes it is very helpful.
        IdaB in Idaho
        9/19/20

      • Hi Jenn, I just wanted to tell you that when I use frozen fruit the cake takes longer and the berries always sink (I don’t use flour on them) even if the berries are fresh. This time my solution was to dump the frozen berries in the pan (since that’s where they’re gonna end up) then pour batter on top. It turned out ok and I didn’t have purple batter. I used cake flour. This cake is just like the cake my mom made when I was a child. I’m so happy I found your recipe…its a ten!! Thank you!!!

  • This was really delicious! Loved it,
    & your instructions are so easy to follow. Also made your blueberry muffins – also delish!!! Thank you!

  • Delicious! I get rave reviews when I make it!

    • — Linda Zgonc Minnetonka MN
    • Reply

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