This Sourdough Blueberry Crumb Cake is the perfect treat to make for brunch and weekend breakfasts. With an easy, make-ahead topping, browned butter, and a rich sour cream base there’s no way you’ll pass on a second slice!
Raise your hand if you love cake for breakfast?!
Inspired by the classic coffee crumb cake which we all know and love, I’ve created this delicious sourdough version to enhance any breakfast, brunch, or snacking situation.
How so?
More flavor is packed into every bite with a few simple but noteworthy upgrades.
And because you know I love a good time saving tip, I’ve included my secret weapon for incredible make-ahead desserts, guaranteed to wow your guests at a moment’s notice.
Sourdough Blueberry Crumb Cake: A Few Upgrades
Butter? Oil? Sour cream? What about berries?
I wasn’t sure what direction to take this cake initially. But after several tests, including one major flop I wish to eradicate from my memory, I’ve settled on the following upgrades- and proud of it!
Salted Butter
If you’re not baking with salted butter, you’re really missing out.
I’ve been using salted butter almost exclusively these days, and it makes all the difference in the world especially for cakes, frostings, and chocolate chip cookies. My cat is actually licking the bowl right now as we speak!
Also, for a nice touch, I like to lightly brown the butter before adding to the batter. I did this by accident when first testing this recipe, and it was so yummy, I decided to keep it.
Leftover Sourdough Starter (Discard)
Baking with leftover sourdough starter (the stuff you remove and discard when when feeding it), is one of the best ways to get creative with something you’d otherwise throw away.
As long as it’s been recently fed, smells yeasty (not like gym socks), and doesn’t have any dark liquid on top, it will add a wonderful depth of flavor to this crumb cake. Paired with tangy sour cream, the texture becomes rich and decadent too.
Tip: For best results, use leftover 100% hydration starter. This type of starter is fed with equal parts flour and water by weight, and has a consistency similar to thick pancake batter. If you need a sourdough starter, you can create one here (it takes about 7 days and up to two weeks). Or, you can purchase directly from my shop.
Make-Ahead Crumble Topping
Ok, so ready for my secret time-saving tip?
Freeze the crumble topping ahead of time!
Just take any crumble topping recipe (it doesn’t even have to be mine) and store the rubbly bits in a ziplock bag. Use directly from the freezer when ready to assemble desserts like apple crumbles, peach crisps, pies, cakes, etc.
It will last in the freezer for several months and there’s no need to let the crumbles come to room temperature before using.
Taste Test
It’s sweet, fluffy, tangy, juicy…. and I’m telling you: that lightly browned salted butter is just to-die-for.
Also, the blueberries are mixed into the crumble topping, instead of folded throughout the batter. They won’t sink to the bottom this way, and you’ll get a burst of warm, blueberry goodness in every bite!
Finally, your best bet is to make this cake fresh and serve it on the same day. The prep takes about 15 minutes from start to finish, and the frozen make-ahead crumbles shaves off even more time.
Enjoy it for brunch, overnight guests, holiday gatherings, weekend treats- the list goes on!
Anything Else?
PS: I did test an overnight version of this recipe, one where you would refrigerate the batter and bake the whole thing the following day. But I wasn’t happy with the results. The texture was really chewy, most likely from the sourdough starter, and I wasn’t inspired to test it any further. If you want to test it out, let me know! Can’t win ’em all!
Print
Sourdough Blueberry Crumb Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55-65 minutes
- Total Time: 70-80 minutes
- Yield: One 8×8-inch cake
- Category: Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Sourdough Blueberry Crumb Cake is the perfect treat to make for brunch and weekend breakfasts. With an easy, make-ahead topping, browned butter, and a rich sour cream base there’s no way you’ll pass on a second slice! Don’t forget to check out my notes below for best results. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Crumble Topping
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups (180g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
Rounded 1/2 tsp cinnamon (use 1 tsp for more flavor)
Pinch of fine sea salt
8 tbsp or 1 stick (113 g) salted butter, cut into small cubes, cold
Wet Ingredients
8 tbsp or 1 stick (113 g) salted butter
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup (120g) leftover sourdough starter discard (see note below)
Dry Ingredients
2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of fine sea salt
1/2 cup (120g) sour cream
1 heaping cup of fresh blueberries
Powdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil an 8×8-inch pan and line with parchment paper. Smooth the bottom and sides of the pan so the paper is flat.
Add the blueberries to a small bowl. Sift a a tablespoon of powdered sugar over the top and gently toss to combine. This will prevent the berries from sinking into the cake. Set aside.
To make the crumble topping, add all of the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl. Mix into crumbles using your hands. The butter should be well blended into to the flour; some larger pieces are ok. If using frozen crumble topping, remove it from the freezer now.
In a small skillet, melt the butter until light golden brown around the edges (you are not fully browning the butter). This will only take a few minutes, but do not walk away from the pan- it will burn quickly!
Meanwhile, using a stand mixer, beat the sugar, egg, and sourdough starter on medium-low speed, 1 minute. With the machine running, gradually pour in the warm melted butter.
In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. You should still see specks of flour in the bowl; do not over mix. Add the sour cream and mix until smooth. This technique will give the cake a soft, velvety texture. The batter will be thick.
Spoon the batter into the pan. In an even layer, scatter some of the crumbles over the top first, then do a layer of blueberries. Repeat to finish all of the crumbles and blueberries. See my note on this below.
Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted (I use a dried piece of spaghetti). Please check at the 50 minute mark to see how things are going.
Cool completely before serving. Dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
For best results, use leftover 100% hydration starter. Its batter-like texture is the perfect match for this crumb cake. If you’re using a thicker, low hydration starter you will have to add more liquid, otherwise the cake might become more dense.
If you’re not weighing your ingredients, spoon and level the flour into measuring cups. This way, you won’t be tempted to overpack the flour which will result in a denser cake.
When adding the crumble topping and blueberries, make sure to evenly cover the surface of the batter, especially the corners. Otherwise, the batter will puff up in certain spots, which could lead to uneven baking.
Keywords: crumb cake, sourdough crumb cake, crumb cake recipe, blueberries, blueberry crumb cake, sourdough discard, sourdough starter
Comments
Annvee says
This turned out beautifully. I replaced 40 grams of AP Flour with Spelt flour and I used frozen organic blueberries. Where I live, fresh blueberries are only really good in the summer. Thank you, I will make this often!
★★★★★
Lexi says
I made this recipe and it was fantastic! It took longer than 65 minutes to bake, but turned out well with some extra time. I would rename it “Sourdough Blueberry Coffee Cake” to more accurately fit how it tastes, but I will definitely be making this again.
★★★★★
Cheryll says
Made this today, and the result was delicious. I baked it for 55 minutes, and my cake tester came out clean in several different spots. I noticed one reviewer layered the crumble with the batter. After reading and rereading your instructions, I put all the batter in the 8×8, then layered the crumble on top with the blueberries. Maybe your clarification about the layering will help me know which way to do this next time, and there will be a next time. This was a hit! Thank you for the delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Bonnie says
Can I substitute gluten free flour for the regular in your discard recipes to keep the gluten down since it doesn’t have a long ferment like bread to help with digesting gluten?
Mallory says
I bake from home often and have started using sourdough with a starter I got from a friend. This recipe is incredible. I cooked mine for 55 minutes in an 8×8 and it wasn’t quite done so I added 5 more for 60 total. Will be making again
★★★★★
Mallory says
I missspoke, my pan is an 8.25×8.25 and at 60 mins it was perfect.
★★★★★
Shayna says
I made this last night and didn’t think to check the comments beforehand… wish I would’ve because 65 minutes in an 8×8 pan does not cook it through!
I added 30-35 more minutes onto that cook time. I also did layer this in the pan: a layer of batter, then a cup of crumble, then spread some blueberries and repeated with two more layers (total of 3 layers), but probably could’ve just done two layers as the top dough layer was a little sparse, but it turned out just fine and tastes very good! Oh and I halved the amount of sugar in batter and it’s sweet enough in my opinion. Also, Would definitely add more blueberries throughout and on top.
★★★★
Sibbo says
Delicious – and only took 2.5 hours (lol – normal for blokes baking from the internet; double the time)!
:-)
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
So glad you liked it! Thank you!
Judith Reinhardt says
A delicious recipe only change that I made because I added some lemon zest to the batter
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Judith, I love the flavor of lemon & blueberry together. A perfect match. Thanks for sharing with us!
Judy says
I made this recipe and I must say it turned out beyond my wildest dreams! Eating a piece now with a cup of coffee and I’m in heaven. Followed directions as written and it was super easy. I made your basic sourdough bread and now this recipe and I am now such a fan of your site! I will be telling others about The Clever Carrot and can not wait to try the next recipe!
★★★★★
Assunta Trischka says
I made this last year for 4th of July and it was a bit hit. Want to do it again but have berries NOW (read: almost two weeks before I want to serve it). I wonder if I can make the entire thing, bake, then freeze and defrost day-of… Whaddya think?
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Great to hear, Assunta! I totally get what you’re saying. I haven’t tested a baked & frozen version of this cake, so I’m unable to advise with specifics. But I’m wondering if you could freeze the berries first, and then use them later? No need to defrost. I think this would be the best option.
Mads says
Came out beautifully! I was a bit nervous about the crumble to cake ratio but it’s delicious.
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Glad you liked it, Mads! Thanks for commenting! xx
Diane says
What about using frozen berries?
Either blueberries or haskap berries.
Jess says
Just made this, didn’t have sour cream so used natural yoghurt instead- it was delicious!
★★★★★
Kim says
Made it and it’s delicious. Absentmindedly forgot the sour cream, added it at the end. No problems still came out light and moist. Might just try chopped apple next will go lovely with the cinnamon crumble
★★★★★
Tina says
Made it and loved it! I added extra blueberries bc we love the fruit and “WOW” what a dish. It was even better the next day. This was my first time with brown butter, new changes to recipes. Thank you for the new ideas and the fun!
★★★★★
Deborah says
Hi, I made this yesterday and I must say it turned out great! I love it! A great way to use up my discard. Gonna try it today using strawberries. I think the ladies in my group will love it. Thank you for the recipes.
★★★★★
Sofie says
Hi,
Can I substitute sour cream with buttermilk? Any advice what to watch out for?
★★★★★
Christina says
This recipe is delicious!I made it last week and am making again today….I will add more blueberries this time though! Also your sourdough bread recipe is my “go to “ recipe for sourdough bread! Comes out fabulous every time!
★★★★★
AH says
I made this recipe tonight in an 8×8 pan, and while it was good, the two parts of the cake both seemed a bit too thick; 3 inches of somewhat bland cake with an inch of crumb topping just sitting heavily on top. I think next time I would A) use a larger pan (as other commenters have suggested), B) use more blueberries and include the extra in the batter layer, and C) sprinkle some of the crumb topping as a middle layer between two layers of batter (so, batter, crumb, batter, crumb, blueberries, crumb). A big positive: the light toasting on the butter really does come through and add a nice nutty flavor, which I loved!
★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Thanks for the tips! :)
Tracy L Bednarick says
Yes…needs a larger pan…Rectangular pan would be better. Took for ever to bake through!
★★★★
Bronwyn says
Hi Emilie
Thanks for this great recipe.
Can I omit the baking powder and baking soda? I’d like to make it purely sourdough.
Many thanks.
Bronwyn
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! I haven’t tested this, so I’m unable to advise with any specifics. However, if you experiment do let us know. Thanks!
Kristen says
So, I have it in the oven and suddenly realized I forgot the sour cream. May just try reducing the cook time a bit? Should I add a glaze of some sort?
Emilie Raffa says
Oh no! Not sure about the cooking time because this has never happened to me before! But I do know the texture of the cake will definitely be different as the sour cream adds moisture. A glaze would be a nice touch.
Davina Dunner says
Delicious. Gonna try it with cranberries next! Thank you for sharing this.
★★★★★
Rials says
I tweaked this to make it vegan (flaxseed egg and vegan butter), added vanilla, and baked for 58 minutes in the 8×8 pan and it turned out PERFECT. Seriously delicious, not overly sweet, and a perfect airy consistency. My roommates could not believe it was vegan. I thought I made too much crumb mixture so I only put about 2/3 on top, but seriously just pack it on there you wont regret it.
★★★★★
Síofra says
Do you think you could use spelt/wholewheat mix? Sounds divine and I loved this mix of flours in your strawberry crumb cake! Do you think it would work with the starter? :)
Christy says
Do you think these could be made into muffins? Also, I’m hoping you can help me with another question. I make sourdough breads and yeasted sourdough sweet breads. During these times that we’ve had to use whatever flour is available, how do you decide how much flour to use? Do you continue to use the same gram weight your recipe calls for? Or do you have to figure out how much a cup of your new flour weighs and use that for adjusting your recipe. I’ve been playing around, but with continued sales, I do not have time to experiment much. Thanks for any advice!
Erin Bloys says
3rd or 4th time I’v made this recipe and still giving it 5 starts, even with the cry changes that I made to it! My attempt to make this with blueberries was once again thwarted when I discovered that they were all completely moldy (hate throwing away expensive fruit!). The only fruit I had in the fridge were fresh strawberries, which I didn’t think would work because they’d be too watery, but decided to go ahead and try anyway. Heres’ what I did: first, I doubled everything, which made a HUGE, thick coffee cake in a 9 x 13″ pan. I fully and fairly deeply browned the butter in the batter, because anytime I can get brown-butter flavor into a dessert I’m happy about it! Then I added almond extract and vanilla extract to the batter. Also added almond extract and chopped, salted dry roasted almonds to the topping. Then after spreading the batter into the 9 x 13″ pan I tossed the two cups of chopped strawberries in with the crumb topping (the berries were chopped in 1/2″ pieces) and generously scattered that over the whole top. I ended up baking it at 350 F for 45 minutes, then turning it down to 325 and baked for another 45 minutes, rotating the pan every 15 minutes or so. The result is spectacular! Only maybe 1/4 of the strawberries sunk down into the batter. The ones that sunk almost turned into a jam-like substance, unrecognizable as an actual strawberry. But the ones that stayed on top mixed with the crumb topping ended up being deliciously fruit leather-like and roasted. What a topping! The cinnamon almond crumb studded with roast-y berries and bubbling juices is just wonderful! Maybe next time I’ll finally get to make it with actual blueberries!
★★★★★
MacKenzie Barker says
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe in grams soooo many billions of people dont live in America but use the internet for recipes.
Christine says
Hi! Super excited to try this out and wondering if I could add strawberries to the crumb topping also? Think it might be too wet? If anyone has thoughts please let me know!
I want to make it for Memorial Day weekend and it would be great to have the red, white and blue!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! I think it might be too wet! Maybe cut up and serve some fresh on the side with vanilla sugar?
Erin B says
This crumb cake was an excellent use of starter discard! Due to supply issues I had to make some substitutions, but we all loved the velvety texture, and the flavors I ended up with were actually really good! To the topping I added a big, heaping handful of sliced almonds, a few drops of almond extract and about 1/2 teaspoon of flaky Maldon salt. I didn’t have blueberries so I peeled and chopped two Honeycrisp apples. I tossed the apples with lemon zest, cinnamon, the powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. I had no sour cream so I used full-fat Greek yogurt. I folded about a third of the apples into the batter, a third on top of the batter and the final third tossed in with the crumb topping. It was awesome! I really like apples and almond together, so even though I can’t wait to get my hands on some blueberries to try the real version of this cake, the version we ended up with was also a winner! Thanks so much!!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Erin, this sounds so ridiculously good. I love almond extract. And paired with apples? Girl did you save me a piece?! xx
Dylan says
Hello! I’m one of the new quarantine sourdough bakers- got my starter from my mom’s friend. I really love your guides and recipes. So far, this crumb cake and your sourdough cinnamon rolls are a massive hit in my household. It took me 3 tries and some starter troubleshooting (thank you SO much for your “Why won’t my bread dough rise” page- extremely helpful!), but I finally got a beautiful loaf of bread just this morning.
Regarding this crumb cake- if I were to substitute fresh blackberries for the blueberries, are there any adjustments I’d need to make? I don’t know enough about baking to understand how the bigger berries would affect something like water content or bake time.
Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Dylan! Welcome! To be honest, fresh blackberries might be too juicy for this recipe making the cake a bit wet. I would have to experiment in order to provide more specifics re: bake time etc. To start, you can try using half the amount and see how you go with that.
dylan says
Used your recommended 1/2 amount of blackberries- worked very well! Probably could have used the entire full cup of them, as the blackberries were very sparse in the crumb topping, but that is for my next try to experiment with! Thanks for your advice and recommendations!
Emilie Raffa says
Ahhh! Thanks for circling back to let us know. Love it!
Sue Cohen says
LOVE this cake! I’m always on the hunt for recipes that use my discard. I substituted frozen(thawed and drained) cherries and added a little vanilla extract. The texture and the taste were amazing! I will definitely tag you on my insta @want.and.need
★★★★★
Sue Cohen says
Arrgghhh… spell check!
Insta is @want.and.knead
Emilie Raffa says
Sounds amazing. Thanks Sue!
katharoni.and.cheese says
I just made this today! Followed the suggestion of many and baked it in a 9×12″ pan (or maybe it was a 9×13…) and mine was done at 50 minutes. (instead read thermo said 210 F). I also used frozen blueberries that I kept frozen until adding on top rather than fresh. They didn’t get mushy or bleed into the cake at all. I found that the full amount of crumb topping was great, and would not have wanted less. When I make it again I will likely sprinkle & stir a few blueberries into the cake batter as they all stayed on top with the crumble, and I wanted some blueberry action in with cake itself. Overall a fantastic recipe and a great way to use up starter. The batter raw tasted very sourdoughy, but the flavor completely mellows out once baked! So if you taste the raw batter and are a little put off by the tang, fret not as it bakes out!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Excellent! Thanks so much for your feedback re: baking time! And all of your tips, so helpful… you never know with frozen blueberries, lol. x
Tamara says
Soooo YUMMY!!! Did not have blueberries or sour cream so used apples and yoghurt. So moist and the crumble just toped it off. Thank you Emilie
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Tamara, this sounds absolutely incredible. I’m going to try this myself… sounds like a French yogurt cake!
Tamara says
Well I do live in France!!!! Oh and thanks for putting all measurementin grams!!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Ahhh great taste :) And you’re welcome!
Annie says
Hi! I’m a huge fan of your book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple! I’m trying many of the different of the recipes and love it! For Easter I made Tear and Share Rolls – with my spent starter made your Blueberry Crumb Cake for dessert. Turned out great! I used 6 tablespoons butter in each part of the crumble and wet ingredients. I did need to bake it longer – 1 hour total. I’m in Denver – so not sure if it’s our altitude. Will make it again! Will use 8 tablespoons in the crumble next time and will freeze half of it for later.
I love any leftover starter recipes- I make your waffles almost every Sunday after making our bread for the week – my family loves them!
Emilie Raffa says
Hello! Wow, this sounds fantastic! I love hearing new tips from fellow bakers. Such a great community here. Glad you like the book too. Thanks again, Annie :)
Dawn says
Delicious. I would use a bigger pan for sure next time (9×12) at 60 mins in the outside was fully cooked and the middle still needed more time.
Children said it’s a keeper
Emilie Raffa says
Thanks for your feedback, Dawn! xx
Jen says
I can NOT thank you enough for having the weight of the sourdough discard! So many recipes have the measuring in cups. Great recipe :)
★★★★
Diane says
Frozen blueberries okay d’you think? And yes, I like the lemon zest idea – I have added lemon zest and dried blueberries to a sourdough loaf to make a not overly sweet tea bread I liked.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Diane! You know, I’d go with fresh blueberries for this recipe. The frozen ones can be too watery/mushy sometimes and I wouldn’t risk it!
DEcarmine says
Same problem as Dawn, center not cooked
enough after 50 minutes. Will try the 9 by 12
pan approach. My batter filled most of the 8by 8
pan. Then the crumb was over the top. I
could have made just half a topping recipe
and used a 9 by 12 pan.
I bake a lot, felt it was too much for the pan.
Went ahead as this was a first time. I never
get pinched by my first try. Lovely flavor.
The outsides had nice Cakey texture.
Center too soft for me. Too much crumb topping
I am more of a chiffon cake person. Will report again try #2. Thank you Emilie
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Thanks so much for your feedback. Let us know if the 9×12-inch pan worked out better! Glad you liked the flavor ;)
Gail says
Would it be ok to use half the sugar in the cake?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Gail! In my opinion, I wouldn’t halve the sugar in this recipe. It will change the overall texture, and perhaps it might not be sweet enough. But you are more than welcome to experiment and see how it goes :)
Rosa says
Hello,
Can I use unsalted butter for this recipe? And also substitute cherries instead of blueberries? Sounds so delicious! Can’t wait to make it this weekend!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Rosa! Yes! Just make sure to add additional salt to the recipe to make up for the flavor difference (perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 tsp?). Regarding the cherries: I haven’t tried it myself so I cannot advise with specifics. But with that said, it doesn’t hurt to experiment. Please let me know how it goes :)
Dawn says
Next time I’ll use a 9×12 pan! It took 65 minutes to get the center done otherwise it’s a lovely coffee cake.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Dawn,
Oh wow! Thanks for you feedback! This can happen as all ovens are different :)
Margaret says
This is absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Margaret,
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Anna says
I just made this! After my weekly grocery trip, which included blueberries for this recipe, I realized I only had one stick of butter left! I really had my heart set on this so to make do I used the butter for the crumb and 1/3 cup oil for the batter. Instead of cinnamon I used lemon zest and added a little lemon zest and juice, and vanilla to the batter. I also used half whole wheat and half AP flour for the batter. This turned out great! I only ended up using about half the crumb so in the future I know if I only have on stick I can use half of it in the batter.
Emilie Raffa says
Oh my goodness, Anna, this sounds awesome. Love the whole wheat and lemon zest variation- must try! x
kelly says
Ahh, the softness and beauty of these photos … so nice to see you back at your art lovely. I’ll pop over later this morning for a slice and cuppa in the sunshine, x