This delicious Sourdough Blueberry Crumb Cake is a great way to use your sourdough discard! An irresistible coffee cake studded with blueberries and topped with cinnamon streusel.
Baking with Sourdough? Try my Sourdough Cheese Scones
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A Blueberry Cake of Many Names
I debated what to christen this recipe as it is known by so many names, all of them tempting! Let’s take a look at some of them
- Blueberry Boy Bait – supposedly the name given to a cake baked for a baking competition because of the effect it had on boys… that’s a fun one 😉
- Blueberry Streusel Cake – anything with streusel and I am there!
- Blueberry Buckle – thanks to the fresh fruit that tops the cake. The batter “buckling” around the blueberries as it rises
- Blueberry Coffee Cake – as it is the perfect slice to serve with a cup of coffee (not, as readers in Europe might think, because it contains coffee)
A Great Sourdough Discard Recipe
This is really what I wanted to call this cake because it contains a hefty amount of unfed sourdough starter (a.k.a sourdough discard).
This is such a fabulously tasty way to put your leftover starter to good use – you will not believe how delicious this coffee crumb cake is. Make sure to add this cake to your sourdough discard recipes!
You will also need the usual suspects such as flour, sugar, butter, eggs, raising agents, cinnamon and, of course, blueberries.
Fresh or Frozen Blueberries?
This cake works best with fresh blueberries. Toss them with a little flour before adding to the batter so that they are evenly distributed.
Frozen blueberries are easier to find and cheaper so I often use them instead of fresh. You can use them straight from the freezer or thaw them first.
It is tempting to load this cake with a boatload of blueberries… but it might make the batter too moist. I like to half fill the cake tin with batter, stud it with a layer of blueberries, add the remaining batter, streusel more blueberries (to create the buckle).
You can also use other fruit in place of the blueberries, such as raspberries or blackberries.
HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH BLUEBERRY CRUMB CAKE
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
This is an easy cake using the “all in one” method. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to make the batter. Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature.
Make the Streusel Crumb Topping
Put the flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Use your fingers to rub together until the mixture looks like crumbs. Squish some of the crumbs together to make bigger clumps of the topping. Set aside while you prepare the cake.
Make the Cake
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir together to mix the dry ingredients. Add the softened butter, eggs, sourdough starter, milk and vanilla extract.
Start mixing on low speed then increase speed to maximum and beat well until the batter is smooth. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula halfway through.
Spread half the cake batter in a lined square 9 inch cake tin. Scatter with blueberries and a little Demerara sugar.
Top with the remaining batter, gently spreading over the fruit so as not to dislodge it and levelling.
Top the cake with the crumb topping and scatter with the remaining blueberries. Sprinkle with remaining Demerara sugar and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Bake for 50 minutes to an hour. The cake is ready when well risen and golden and the crumb topping is crisp. The internal temperature should be around 98C (210F) if checked with a digital thermometer. Cool the cake in the tin for 20 minutes then lift onto a wire rack to cool completely, lifting by the overhanging paper.
Make the glaze
Mix the icing sugar and the juice of half a lemon together, adding more juice as needed until you have a pourable glaze the consistency of maple syrup or honey. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the cake.
Slice the cake into squares and serve with a cup of coffee or tea. You can also serve warm with a little whipped cream, custard, or vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Storing and freezing
This blueberry coffee cake keeps well in a cake tin or similar container for 2-3 days, out of direct sunlight.
You can also freeze the cake, in slices, for up to two months without the glaze. Wrap each slice well in two layers of wrap and a layer of foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
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Sourdough Blueberry Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- 6 tbsp flour (plain/all purpose)
- 6 tbsp Demerara Sugar
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon plus extra for sprinkling over cake
- Pinch salt
For the Cake
- 2 cups (240g) flour (plain/all purpose)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1 stick (115g) unsalted butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (230g) sourdough starter (unfed/discard)
- ¼ cup (60ml) whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (200g) fresh or frozen blueberries divided
- 2 tbsp demerara sugar to sprinkle
Glaze
- 1 cup (100g) icing sugar
- Lemon juice , as needed (or use water or milk)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
Instructions
Make the Streusel Crumb Topping
- Put the flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Use your fingers to rub together until the mixture looks like crumbs. Squish some of the crumbs together to make bigger clumps. Set aside while you prepare the cake.
Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 340C / 170C. Spray a 23cm/9in square cake tin with cake release (or grease with a little butter) and line with baking paper.
- Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir together to mix the dry ingredients.
- Add the softened butter, eggs, sourdough starter, milk and vanilla extract. Start beating on low speed then increase speed to maximum and beat well until the batter is smooth. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula halfway through.
- Spread half the cake batter in the prepared tin. Scatter with half the blueberries and a little Demerara sugar.
- Top with the remaining batter, carefully spreading over the fruit and levelling.
- Top the cake with the crumb topping and scatter the remaining blueberries. Sprinkle with the Demerara sugar and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
- Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, tenting the cake with foil if it is browning too quickly. The cake is ready when well risen and golden and the crumb topping is crisp.
- Cool the cake in the tin for 20 minutes then lift onto a wire rack to cool completely, lifting by the overhanging paper.
Make the glaze
- Mix the icing sugar and juice of half a lemon in a bowl, adding more lemon juice as needed until you have a pourable glaze the consistency of maple syrup or honey. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the cake.
- Slice the cake into squares and serve with a cup of coffee or tea. You can also serve warm with a little whipped cream, custard, or vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Video
Notes
Nutritional Info
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Robert Foss says
While I didn’t have the fancy sugar, I loved this recipe. I substituted dark brown sugar. I used pastry flour (Bobs Red Mill) which gave the cake a delicate texture. I overcooked just a bit, but still very good. I will make again.
Jody says
Very Good results from this sourdough discard cake. I had many mango on hand and used them for the fruit. YUMMY! I will use this as my go to for a crumb cake in the future. Very light.
Christina says
Just made this and it’s in the oven baking. Easy recipe to make. Can’t wait to try it! I am always so happy to find recipes that use sourdough discard as I don’t like to waste it. (I made one substitution, using ground almonds for the streusel crumb topping rather than AP flour to add a bit of protein.)
Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes says
Thanks for sharing this looks very yummy 🙂