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This blueberry breakfast cake is a soft, buttery cake packed with fresh blueberries and topped with cinnamon streusel. I make it all summer when good berries show up.
My sister and I used to take our kids blueberry picking every summer, and this was one of the recipes we made the second we got home with full buckets. The kids would eat half the berries before they ever hit the bowl, and we still always had enough for this cake. It still takes me right back to those mornings every time I pull it out of the oven.
Most blueberry breakfast cakes have you cream butter and sugar and babysit the oven for an hour. I build mine on a box of yellow cake mix instead, so it comes together in one bowl and bakes in about half the time. It still tastes homemade because of the cinnamon streusel and a full cup of fresh berries. If you love an easy blueberry bake, my lemon blueberry bread starts with a cake mix too, and my blueberry dump cake is even faster when you want something for a crowd.
Tested & Perfected
The Update That Made the Difference
I went back into the kitchen and dialed in the blueberry-to-batter ratio so you get juicy berries in every slice without a wet center. The flour toss and a gentle fold are what keep the berries from sinking and bleeding through the cake.
Key Ingredients
- Yellow cake mix: This is what makes the whole recipe easy. The mix already has the leavening and structure built in, so you skip the creaming and measuring and still get a soft, even crumb. A 15.25 ounce box is the size to grab.
- Milk: Milk gives the batter a richer, more tender crumb than water does. Whole or 2% both work. If you want a little tang that plays well with the berries, buttermilk is a good swap.
- Fresh blueberries: Fresh berries hold their shape and stay juicy without flooding the batter. A full cup spreads through the cake so you get berries in every square. Toss them in flour before folding (see above) so they stay put.
- Cinnamon streusel: Melted butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon are what turn this from a plain cake into a buckle. The topping bakes into sweet, crumbly clusters with a warm cinnamon edge. Use salted butter, or add a pinch of salt if all you have is unsalted, so the topping is not flatly sweet.
How to Make Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Step 1: Prep the pan and oven. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350°F. Getting the oven hot before the batter is mixed means the streusel sets fast and stays crumbly.
Step 2: Mix the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the yellow cake mix, 1/3 cup milk, 2 eggs, and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Mix until smooth, but stop as soon as it comes together. Overmixing makes the cake tough.
Step 3: Flour and fold the blueberries. Toss 1 cup of blueberries with 2 tablespoons of flour until lightly coated. Fold the floured berries into the batter gently, just until they are spread through. This is the step that keeps the cake from turning purple.
Step 4: Spread the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it to the edges in an even layer. An even layer bakes evenly and gives every square the same soft crumb.
Step 5: Make the streusel. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 2 tablespoons melted salted butter, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon until it forms damp, crumbly clumps.
Step 6: Top the cake. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter, all the way to the corners. Even coverage means every bite gets that crumbly cinnamon top.
Step 7: Bake. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Check it with a toothpick in the center. It should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs, not wet batter. Berries can leave a little moisture, so look for set cake, not jam.
Step 8: Cool before cutting. Let the cake cool before you slice and serve. The berry juices settle back into the crumb as it cools, so the texture firms up and the cuts stay clean instead of gummy.
Easy Ways to Switch It Up
Use a white cake mix. Swap the yellow mix for white or another flavor you like. The crumb stays soft and the berries and cinnamon still carry the cake.
Reach for buttermilk. Use buttermilk in place of the milk for a little tang that balances the sweet streusel and the berries.
Try a brown sugar streusel. Swap the granulated sugar in the topping for brown sugar. You get a deeper, almost caramel note under the cinnamon.
How to Store Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Keep the cake covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days. It travels well, so I like to bake it the day before a brunch and leave it covered on the counter.
For longer storage, this cake freezes for several months. Wrap it well so the streusel does not dry out, and let it come back to room temperature before serving.
Blueberry Buckle FAQ
A breakfast cake is any cake meant to be eaten in the morning with coffee, like a coffee cake. A buckle is a specific kind of breakfast cake that is studded with fruit and topped with streusel. Because this one has both the blueberries and the cinnamon streusel, it is also a blueberry buckle.
I tested this with fresh blueberries, so treat frozen as a starting point. If you use frozen, add them straight from the freezer without thawing and still toss them in flour first. Thawed berries release a lot of juice and are more likely to tint the batter.
More Blueberry Recipes You May Enjoy
Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Ingredients
For Cake:
- 15.25 ounces box yellow cake mix
- ⅓ cup whole or 2% milk
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For Streusel Topping:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare a 9×13 baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the yellow cake mix, milk, eggs, vegetable oil. Mix well, but do not overmix.15.25 ounces box yellow cake mix, ⅓ cup whole or 2% milk, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Lightly coat the blueberries in 2 Tablespoons of flour. Fold the blueberry flour mixture into the rest of the cake mix.1 cup fresh blueberries, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Pour cake mix in the baking pan and spread the batter to the edges of the pan. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon together to form the streusel topping.½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons salted butter, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter in the baking pan.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Check the cake with a toothpick to make sure it is completely cooked before taking it out of the oven.
- Let the cake cool before cutting and serving.
sounds great I will try it soon
Can I make this in a bundt pan?
This is delicious. I would add more blueberries and bake less.
Also do half the topping.