This Berry Coffee Cake has a moist and tender crumb topped with a crunchy sugar crust. Bursting with raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, it’s the perfect way to start your day.
The bright colors and flavors of the mixed berries are a delicious addition to the sweet and buttery coffee cake, while the tender crumb and crunchy sugar crust provide a delightful texture contrast. Whether enjoyed alongside a morning cup of coffee or as a midday treat, this Berry Coffee Cake is sure to brighten your day and leave you craving another slice.
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Mixed Berry Coffee Cake
Whether you are sipping coffee solo or sharing it with family, this Mixed Berry Breakfast Cake will make your morning feel extra special. It’s fluffy, tender, moist, and packed with juicy berries. Rather than a streusel topping, this coffee cake has a simple coarse sugar crust that adds a perfect layer of crunch.
Another reason to love this coffee cake recipe is that it can be made ahead of time and baked the morning of. And just because it’s called a breakfast cake doesn’t mean that it can’t be enjoyed all day long. This makes the perfect afternoon treat.
If you love coffee cake, you can also try our Pumpkin Coffee Cake or our Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake with vanilla glaze.
Berry Coffee Cake Ingredients
- Butter - your butter should be at room temperature so that it will mix properly with the sugar. You can either pull it out to room temperature for at least 1 hour ahead of time, or warm it for about 5-10 seconds at a time in a microwave just until soft.
- Sugar - this recipe calls for white granulated sugar.
- Eggs - any large eggs will work. It's best if your egg is at room temperature, which you can do by either pulling it from the fridge ahead of time or running the whole egg under warm water.
- Lemon Zest - you will need the zest from about 1 medium lemon. Lime zest or orange zest would taste great, too.
- Vanilla Extract - pure vanilla extract has the best flavor.
- Flour - all-purpose flour is great for this recipe.
- Baking Powder - the baking powder helps the batter rise and keeps the cake nice and fluffy.
- Salt - sea salt works great.
- Buttermilk - the buttermilk adds a little tanginess and keeps the cake moist and soft. You could substitute sour cream if you’d like.
- Mixed Berries - you can use fresh berries or frozen berries for this recipe. Just about any berry besides strawberries will work. Strawberries have a really high water content which will make your coffee cake a little mushy.
- Coarse Sugar - this is to sprinkle over the top of the coffee cake to add a little texture. Sugar-in-the-Raw works great. Turbinado sugar is another good choice.
How to Make Berry Coffee Cake
- Mix the breakfast coffee cake batter. Add the room temperature butter and sugar in the stand mixer bowl. Using the paddle attachment, beat until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes. Slowly add the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, mixing on low speed until smooth. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until almost combined. Finally, add the buttermilk and mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined. Carefully fold in the berries by hand.
- Transfer the batter to your baking dish. Spray a 9" by 9" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, or lightly grease it with melted butter. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and use an offset spatula to spread evenly. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of coarse sugar over the top just before baking.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and serve. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing. Enjoy!
Berry Coffee Cake Recipe Variations
- Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake: Incorporate fresh or frozen blueberries into the coffee cake batter and add lemon zest to infuse a bright, citrusy flavor. Drizzle the baked cake with a lemon glaze for an extra burst of freshness.
- Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake: Fold fresh raspberries into the coffee cake batter and sprinkle sliced almonds on top before baking.
- Blackberry Ginger Coffee Cake: Mix chopped fresh blackberries into the coffee cake batter and add a hint of ground ginger for a warm and spicy kick.
- Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Swirl Coffee Cake: Alternate layers of coffee cake batter and cream cheese filling in a baking pan, swirling gently with a knife to create a marbled effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any kind of fresh or frozen mixed berries besides strawberries. Strawberries have a higher water content than other berries and tend to make the cake a bit mushy.
There is no denying that Breakfast Coffee Cake is cake. But considering you typically eat it for breakfast, it’s also breakfast. Therefore, it is both a dessert and a breakfast item. Serve with coffee, bacon, fresh fruit, or any other of your favorite breakfast staples.
If you wanted to save a little time, you could make this breakfast cake the night before, store in the fridge, then bake the next morning. Just be sure to pull the baking dish out to room temperature while you preheat the oven.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Storing - your coffee cake can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer - you can also wrap your cake and store frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight or room temperature for a few hours.
- To warm: to reheat, place in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes, or until just warmed. You can also microwave a single portion.
Berry Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter room temperature
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 1½ Tablespoons Lemon Zest
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Buttermilk
- 2 cups Mixed Berries (Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries) fresh or frozen
- 2 Tablespoons Coarse Sugar for topping, Sugar-in-the-Raw works great.
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature butter and sugar. Using the paddle attachment, beat until light and fluffy, or about 3 minutes.
- Slowly add the egg, lemon zest and vanilla and mix on low speed until smooth. Stop the mixer and add the flour, baking powder and salt, then mix on low speed just until almost combined.
- Add the buttermilk and continue mixing on low until well mixed. Finally, use a rubber spatula to carefully fold in the berries by hand.
- Transfer the batter to a buttered 9" x 9" baking dish, using an offset spatula to spread evenly. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of coarse sugar over the cake batter just before baking.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.
How to Make Lemon Glaze
- In a small mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar. Add 2 Tablespoon lemon juice. Stir until combined. Add up to 1 more tablespoon of lemon juice until you reach your desired consistency. (I like the add juice unitl there is a ribbon-like drizzle that melts into the glaze when you lift your spoon)
- Drizzle lemon glaze over the Berry Coffee Cake, Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Breakfast Quick Bread Recipes
- Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Easy Pumpkin Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Cake
- Pumpkin Bread
- Homemade Banana Bread
- Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- Einkorn Pumpkin Muffins
- Mini Blueberry Bread
- Triple Berry Muffins
- More Breakfast Recipes
- More Fall Recipes
This Berry Breakfast Cake with a crunchy sugar topping is a perfect make-ahead breakfast or brunch recipe. It has a moist and tender crumb that is bursting with berries and tastes delicious with coffee.
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