Sourdough Blueberry Coffee Cake
Need something to make with leftover sourdough starter? This sourdough blueberry coffee cake will make quick work of that, with fresh blueberries and crumble topping!
*Updated – May 17th, 2022* New instructions for baking in a 13×9″ pan.
Dish Count – 1 13×9″ pan, 1 mixer, 1 mixing bowl
It’s not just rounds of thick crusted sourdough bread that are gracing the counters of my kitchen, this sourdough blueberry coffee cake is sittin’ pretty up there, taunting me every time I go into the kitchen. Somehow those little slices just get chipped away, and it’s half gone!
I apologize for nothing.
With the lack of availability in yeast in stores, sourdough has really had a resurgence, and I’m not sad about it. Bread takes time, it takes focus off of everything happening outside my doors and sending my anxiety through the roof, and it brings me just lots of joy to make something from start to finish. There is nothing better than a slice of sourdough with cold salted butter on top. But the leftover sourdough discard just accumulates at an exorbitant rate, and I hate to throw it out – enter this sourdough blueberry coffee cake.
May I even suggest making two, one to bake right away, and one to freeze for later, or a gift?
The original recipe I made came from The Clever Carrot for her Sourdough Blueberry Crumb Cake. It was delicious, super dense, and more tea cake than coffee cake. I would dunk the shit out of that into some tea. It reminded me of my grandma’s thick cakes and tea breads. Loved it. But I wanted something a little more cakey, lighter, and a couple extra flavors added in to make the cake and blueberries shine.
To get it to that cakey stage, I added in more moisture with an extra egg, and changed the directions from adding the sour cream last, instead mixing it in as part of the overall wet ingredients. The dough was much softer, fluffier and tender.
So if you literally can’t even make another round of sourdough, this coffee cake recipe is a most heavenly change of pace, perfect with coffee or tea, or dessert, or as you walk into your kitchen for the umpteenth millionth time just grazing.
I’m starving. Off to go grab another slice. No shame.
Can You Freeze Coffee Cake?
Yes! Make this recipe, and divide the batter between two 9×9″ aluminum pans. Wrap the pans in plastic wrap, then in a double layer of aluminum foil. You can place them in the freezer for 6 months. Place in the fridge to thaw overnight.
Use this “How to Freeze Cake” how-to post for step by step instructions.
Can I use Greek Yogurt Instead of Sour Cream?
Yes, both have a tangy acid that helps activate the baking powder and baking sodas to create a good texture in the cake. You can also use plain yogurt in a pinch.
Ingredients for Blueberry Sourdough Coffee Cake
Crumble Topping
- White Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- All Purpose Flour
- Ground Cinnamon
- Butter, cold and cut into cubes – If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp Salt to this list.
Sourdough Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Butter, melted and cooled. (If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp Salt to this list. If you use salted butter, no more salt is needed.)
- Sugar
- Eggs, at room temperature
- Discarded Sourdough starter
- Sour Cream
- Vanilla
- Almond Extract
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Cinnamon
- Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
How to Make Coffee Cake
How to make coffee cake crumble topping
To make the crumble topping, combine all the ingredients into a bowl, and using your hands, squeeze it all together until a course crumble forms. To save time, you can also do this in a stand mixer.
Place it in the fridge to chill until ready to use.
How to make sourdough coffee cake
In a stand mixer bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add in the melted and cooled butter, sourdough starter, sour cream, vanilla and almond extract.
Mix until just combined. Scrape the bowl once, to ensure that it is evenly mixed.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and additional cinnamon. Turn the mixer on low, and add in the dry ingredients a 1/2 cup at a time.
Scrape the bowl once to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix. Gently fold 1 cup of the blueberries into the cake batter. Pour the dough into the prepared pan and smooth it out to the edges and corners.
It will be sticky, so spray a spatula with non stick spray to help spread it out without sticking.
Sprinkle half of the crumble topping on top of the batter, with the last cup of blueberries, then layer on the last of the crumb topping. Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 13×9″ pan, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
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Sourdough Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 45 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12–16 Slices 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Need something to make with leftover sourdough starter? This sourdough blueberry coffee cake will make quick work of that, with fresh blueberries and crumble topping!
Ingredients
Crumble Topping –
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 – 1 1/4 cup Flour – start with 1 cup, add more as needed
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Butter, cold and cut into cubes (If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp Salt to this list. If you use salted butter, no more salt is needed.)
Sourdough Blueberry Coffee Cake
- 1/2 cup Butter, melted and cooled. (If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp Salt to this list. If you use salted butter, no more salt is needed.)
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 cup discarded Sourdough starter
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla
- 1/4 tsp Almond Extract
- 1 3/4 cup Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 2 cups Fresh Blueberries
Instructions
*Recipe updated 5/13/2022 for a 13″x 9″ baking pan.*
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13″×9″ baking pan with non stick spray. Line it with parchment paper, and spray the parchment again. Set aside.
To make the crumble topping, combine all the ingredients into a bowl, and using your hands, squeeze it all together until a course crumble forms. To save time, you can also do this in a stand mixer, mixing the ingredients with a paddle attachment on low speed until a crumble just starts to form. Remove and use your hands to press it all together and them crumble it into large pieces. Place it in the fridge to chill until ready to use.
In the same stand mixer bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add in the melted and cooled butter, sourdough starter, sour cream, vanilla and almond extract. Mix until just combined. Scrape the bowl once, to ensure that nothing is lingering at the bottom of the mixing bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and additional cinnamon. Turn the mixer on low, and add in the dry ingredients a 1/2 cup at a time. Scrape the bowl once to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix. Pour the dough into the prepared pan and smooth it out to the edges and corners. It will be sticky, so spray a spatula with non stick spray to help spread it out without sticking.
Place one cup of the blueberries on top of the batter, and lightly press them into the dough so they stick. Sprinkle half of the chilled crumble on top of the blueberries. Repeat with the other cup of blueberries, and last half of the crumble.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. It may take up to 40 minutes to bake through depending on your oven and the type of pan you use. Porcelain baking pans tend to take longer to bake. When a toothpick comes out clean, it is done. Remove and place on a wire cooling rack. Slice and serve when cooled completely.
Notes
Adapted from The Clever Carrot’s Sourdough Blueberry Crumb Cake
Keywords: Blueberry, Cake, Coffee Cake, Sourdough, Recipe, Sourdough Discard
OMG that looks incredible. It would be so tough to stop eating this though. Love it!
Matt know how much I crave something sweet with my morning coffee. This would be the ultimate!
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No point in putting sourdough discard into this dish, as it makes no sense! The idea of making sourdough is for the health benefits of increased pre and probiotics. Also all that sugar? People are jumping on the “sourdough ban waggon” without actually knowing what the actual benefits are. The fermentation of the dough, batter (pancake) or anything else you use it for, is the key to health benefits. And for heavens sakes lay off the sugar
Hi Ricc, thanks for the comment. In this baked dish it works more as the leavener and flavor add for a slightly tart taste. I encourage you to try it and adjust the sugar to your taste. Don’t knock it until you try it! It might surprise you. And PS – I have an excellent sourdough pancake recipe on the blog now that you might like! 🙂 Have a good one!
Made this yesterday and it was delicious! My boyfriend raved about it all day and says we need to make it again. I used 1.5x the ingredients to make it in a 9×13 pan as I don’t have a square pan. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Chelsey, I’m so so so pleased that you and your boyfriend liked the coffee cake!! I’m having a serious craving for it again and might need to make it now! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe!
This was an immediate family favorite in our house–the light cakey texture, the abundance of blueberries and cinnamon, and the tang from the sourdough starter and sour cream. Absolutely divine. Holds it’s moistness and flavor for days after baking.
The only difference in my experience is that it takes an hour to bake. But, longer bake times have been a pattern with my starter, which is 50/50 AP and buckwheat and 100% hydration.
For those in the California Bay Area, this is very reminiscent of the famous blueberry coffeecake at Hobee’s. This recipe just edges out Hobee’s for our GOAT award. And since we have been missing brunches at Hobee’s during the pandemic, this has really hit the spot.
Awww thank you so much for the glowing review, Lauri!! And I will make sure I make a note in the recipe for differences in time required. It can definitely be tricky. 🙂
Delicious!! This coffee cake has a light, cakey texture and great flavor. I used a 9 x 9 and needed an extra 10 minutes. Already shared the recipe with my sons. We are always looking for good discard recipes.
I will respectfully disagree with Ricc B about the reason for making sourdough. The original reason was as a leavening agent for those who did not have access to yeast….I’m guessing the ancients had no idea of it’s terrific health benefits. And as coffee cakes go, this one uses a reasonable amount of sugar, much lower than some. Whether you use it in bread making or in a treat like this wonderful coffee cake, it is doing it’s intended purpose.
Thank you so much for your comment, PJ!! I’m so so pleased you enjoyed it. I will go back to the drawing board to see where I can make improvements on the time it takes to bake – It seems like it was always a little different depending on the pan or the hydration of the dough even with the same recipe, or how much of the crumble went on top. 🙂
Wow! Such a lovely use of discard. The hubby makes sourdough and I hate the idea of wasted discard so I am forever on the lookout for great ways to use it. This recipe is going in our recipe book for sure. I did use slightly less sugar (to taste; as you suggested to another commenter- sugar preferences are so personal!). Thanks for a fantastic recipe- the moistness and flavor were both excellent. Oh, and I browned the butter before adding it to the batter because I love browned butter.
This recipe did not last a day at my house. Easily adaptable using other fruit. Next time, I will use lemon zest instead of cinnamon, then will try with peaches when I can get them from the farm stand! Thanks for the post.
GASP!! PEACHES!! That would be spectacular!!!
I made this recipe and we love it! I used a bit less sugar in the cake batter, Used frozen blueberries, and substituted plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Baked in a 9×9 glass baking dish without parchment paper. I only used half of the crumble on the top. It took approximately 60 minutes since the berries were frozen. The cake was at least 2inches thick. Beautiful and delicious!
★★★★★
I don’t know if I did something wrong or what. I followed the recipe to a “T” other than using frozen berries instead of fresh. I used a 9”x9” glass baking dish & it came out all over the sides. The crumb topping ended up being a puddle in the middle & never really baked & that was after 90 minutes. Maybe omit the baking soda &/or powder? The flavor is great. The presentation & mess it made… not so much. 🥲
★★
Hi Jamileh! I’m so sorry you had issues. I am going to take this recipe back to the drawing board and see where i can make improvements. I think I’ll start with upgrading it to a 9×13 pan instead and that will hopefully give us a more consistent baking time. Then I do hope you will try it again! 🙂
Hi! I just whipped this up and it seems to be doing the same thing in the oven that you’ve described here. I made this once before with great results. I’m wondering if my sourdough starter discard was a little bit more active this time? And I am still hoping that this still turns out because the batter itself looked wonderful and smelled delicious.
Coffee cake smelled delicious while baking but the crumb topping seemed to melt causing a puddle to form in the center resulting in the bread having to take an hour to bake. Not sure if I should have used a bigger pan.
This took WAY longer to bake than the recipe described. It was nearly an hour and a half.
★★
What a mess! It overflowed terribly in the oven, leaving the grates all needing scrubbing. Thankfully there was foil on the bottom of the oven. Definitely needs a bigger pan than the recipe indicates!
★★★
Just found this recipe when looking for more ways to use sourdough discard and it turned out perfectly! I baked for 45 mins in a 9×9 pan.
★★★★★
Looks delicious! Is it possible to use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream? I don’t usually keep sc on hand. Thanks!
Hi Rachelle, yes Greek Yogurt is a great substitute here! I use them interchangeably quite often, so long as you have that acidic cream to activate your baking soda and create that tenderness you’re golden!