Blueberry Coffee Cake with Lemon Icing – (With Dairy Free Option)
I know it’s September, but it’s technically still summer, y’all. Now, before you start throwing pumpkins at me, google it–fall officially begins on September 23rd (nerd alert!). But seriously, we’ve got to hang on to the last shreds of summer and long days when the sun stays up with you until late in the evening.
I posted recently on Instagram about how I love cooking and baking with seasonal produce, and for that reason, summer is one of my favorite seasons. There are so many local, organic, and delicious produce options at farmers’ markets that it seems a shame to let these hot summer months go by without taking time to enjoy all the flavors they bring with them.
Making seasonal baked goods is easy in the winter, when having warm gooey cookies fresh out of the oven makes the season a little less drab and a lot more cozy, but summer doesn’t have that same effect on people. During the summer, I tend to opt for iced coffee, cold sandwiches, and smoothie bowls rather than warmer foods. This coffee cake is amazing served at room temperature with a chilled glaze.
I recently served this at a late morning brunch at my house, and it was a hit. The lemons and blueberries combine for a sweet, tangy flavor that lends itself well to a brunch or afternoon picnic setting. It doesn’t really need any ice cream on the side–it’s plenty rich enough on its own, but I’d suggest having this with a large glass of iced tea in the summer, or a fresh cup of black coffee in the fall. You’ll notice that basically everything I make “pairs well with a fresh cup of black coffee”.
This recipe is meant for a bundt pan like this one: make sure you grease WELL because otherwise you’ll end up with half a cake stuck in a pan. Not cute.
Also: if you’re making this recipe NOT in the summertime or can’t find fresh blueberries that look perky enough, just use frozen blueberries. I like to use frozen fruit in some recipes because it brings out the natural sugars of the fruit and will often give a tangier, sweeter taste to baked goods.
Lastly: because I know she’ll want credit, the original recipe is from my mom, but I’ve tweaked flavorings/spices, added a lemon glaze (I’m a genius, I know… just kidding. Not doing rocket science over here) and added the dairy alternatives. BASICALLY an entirely different recipe. Kind of. I’ve added the option for you to choose your own adventure: topping option 1 or topping option 2. Option 1 is more of a true coffee cake crumble topping (see dictionary definition for: fall) and option 2 is a light lemon glaze (for those of us still hanging on to summer and asking it to never leave us again).
Ingredients (Dairy Free in Parentheses)
- 1 c. softened butter (1 c. crisco or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
- 1 1/2 c. white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 c. sour cream (1 c. unsweetened Silk almond milk yogurt)
- 1 T vanilla extract
- 1 5/8 c. all purpose flour
- 1 t baking powder
- 1/4 t salt
- 2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries – shake in a container with 1 T of flour so they don’t sink to the bottom)
- Topping Option 1:
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1 t ground cinnamon
- 1/2 c. chopped pecans
- Topping Option 2:
- 2 lemons
- 1 c. powdered sugar, or enough to get glaze to the desired consistency
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease and flour bundt pan and set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk together.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter (or butter alternative) and sugar until light and fluffy. Be sure not to overmix. Beat in the eggs, and then add sour cream (or yogurt) and vanilla.
- Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in floured blueberries.
- Option 1 Topping (skip this step if you’ve chosen option 2, or just mix this into your batter. There is no wrong answer here.): Combine brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. Spoon half of mixture into bundt pan, then pour in half the batter. Spoon remaining mixture on top of the batter and stir with a knife or chopstick to give it a “swirl”. add the remaining batter.
- Option 2 Topping: Just skip Step 5 and move on. Nothing to see here.
- Bake for 55 min, adding about 12 min if you chose to use frozen blueberries. Check to make sure cake is fully baked by inserting a clean butter knife and making sure it comes out without crumbs or wet batter. When fully baked, remove from oven and let cool completely before inverting.
- If you chose Topping Option 2, combine 2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice with 1 c. powdered sugar. Add more lemon juice or powdered sugar until you get desired consistency–I prefer a thicker glaze so it’s more of an icing consistency, but if you want it to really soak in, use more lemon juice for a thinner glaze. Top just before serving. I also like to leave out a small bowl of glaze when serving so guests can add more glaze if they’re anything like my family and prefer more icing to cake.
- Enjoy!
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