This easy dessert recipe for a Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake baked in a cast iron skillet with fresh berries and a buttery crumb topping.
The skillet gives the cake golden edges, a soft center, and a bakery-style texture that works perfectly for breakfast or brunch.
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This post has been updated since it first appeared in 2020 with new photos, helpful tips, and refreshed information to make it even easier to bake this coffee cake at home.
Recipe at a Glance
Prep: 15 min | Cook/Bake: 50 min | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 10
Main Ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, blueberries, egg, milk, vanilla
Best For: breakfast, brunch, or casual dessert
Make Ahead: bake up to 1 day ahead and store covered at room temperature
Storage: keep covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days
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Table of Contents
- Recipe at a Glance
- Why this Cast Iron Coffee Cake is a Family Favorite!
- Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Main Ingredients Needed
- Substitutions and Variations
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Insider Tips from my Kitchen to Yours
- Storage & Serving Tips
- Recipe FAQ's
- Looking for MORE Blueberry Desserts?
- LOVE this recipe? SAVE it for Later!
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 💬 Comments
Why this Cast Iron Coffee Cake is a Family Favorite!
- This cast iron coffee cake is completely homemade, with a simple batter made from scratch and baked right in the skillet for golden edges and a soft center.
- It’s easy to serve warm or at room temperature and makes a beautiful presentation for guests.
- We love it for breakfast or brunch, and it also works perfectly as a dessert with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.
Looking for more cast iron skillet dessert recipes? Try my Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie, Pumpkin Coffee Cake or my Apple Crumb Cake.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Not sure how to clean your cast iron skillet? Read my post on How to Care and Clean Cast Iron Pans.
12.5 Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast iron Skillet -More InformationCast Iron Cleaner kit,More InformationCast Iron Brush and Scraper with BambooMore InformationCast-Iron CleanserMore Information
Main Ingredients Needed
Below is a quick preview of the ingredients you’ll need. For exact amounts, check the recipe card below. You can also use the "Shopping List button" to create a printable shopping list, or the "Get Ingredients button" in the recipe card to order groceries online.
Substitutions and Variations
Blueberries: Swap with raspberries or blackberries for a different berry flavor.
Milk: Replace with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for a richer, more tender crumb.
Crumb Topping: Add ½ cup chopped pecans or chopped walnuts for extra crunch.
Spice: Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg to the crumb topping for warm flavor.
Pan: Bake in a greased 9-inch round cake pan if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, checking for doneness a few minutes early.
If you're looking for a muffin version of this recipe, try my Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section includes step-by-step photos and instructions to guide you through the recipe. For the complete printable version, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Step 1: In the bowl of a KitchenAid or electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing well until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Alternate adding flour and milk until just combined and smooth, resulting in a thick batter.
Step 2: Spread 1 tablespoon of cold butter on the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Use a rubber spatula to evenly distribute the mixture in the prepared skillet. Drop the batter into the pan using a large cookie scoop, then spread it around with the rubber spatula.
Step 3: Add the blueberries to the top of the skillet blueberry cake batter. Then prepare the crumb topping by combining flour and sugar in a small bowl, then cut in the butter until crumbly, similar to making an apple crisp.
Step 4: Make sure the oven is fully preheated before baking so the batter sets quickly and helps prevent the blueberries from sinking. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the blueberry coffee cake batter just before placing the skillet in the oven so it bakes up crisp and golden.
Step 5: Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Insider Tips from my Kitchen to Yours
✔️ DO use cold butter for the crumb topping so it bakes up crisp and crumbly, and toss the blueberries with a tablespoon of flour to help them stay evenly distributed.
❌ DO NOT overmix the batter, as this can make the coffee cake dense instead of soft and tender.
Storage & Serving Tips
Refrigerate: Store leftover coffee cake in an airtight container for up to 4 days to keep it moist and fresh.
Freezer: Wrap individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw at room temperature before serving.
Serving Tips: Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a simple dessert.
Recipe FAQ's
To view the answers, simply click on the down arrow (⬇) next to each question. If you have any other questions not answered here, please leave a comment!
The cake needs to set quickly to firm up to hold the crumb topping in place. Make sure you have the oven set at the correct temperature. However, if you do find that this is happening a few times, you can easily bake the cake without the crumb topping for about 30 minutes and then pull the cake out of the oven and add the crumb topping.
Yes, you can substitute frozen fruit for fresh just don’t thaw it first.
Add the frozen fruit straight from the freezer and gently toss it with a little flour before folding it into the batter. This helps prevent excess moisture and keeps the fruit from sinking or turning the batter purple while baking.
Yes, you can bake a cake in a cast iron skillet instead of a traditional cake pan. Grease the skillet well, pour in the batter, and bake as directed. Cast iron holds heat evenly, which helps the cake bake consistently with golden edges and a soft center.
Looking for MORE Blueberry Desserts?
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📖 Recipe Card
Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake in a Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon cold butter to grease the bottom of the cast iron skillet.
- ⅔ cup flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cold butter cut in small pieces
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1 tablespoon cold butter on the bottom of a 12 inch cast iron skillet.
- Prepare the crumb topping by combining the flour and sugar in a small bowl. Cut in the butter until crumbly just as you would when making an apple crisp. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside while you prepare the cake batter.
- In the bowl of a KitchenAid fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract.
- Mix well until combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.
- Begin adding the flour and milk in alternating portions. Mix until just combined and smooth.
- Spread the cake batter into the bottom of the prepared cast iron skillet using a rubber spatula.
- Add the blueberries to the top of the cake batter.
- Evenly sprinkle the crumb topping on top of the blueberries.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
Notes
Tips
- Use cold butter for the crumb topping so it stays crumbly and bakes up crisp instead of melting into the cake.
- Toss the blueberries with a tablespoon of flour before folding them into the batter to help keep them evenly distributed.
- Preheat the oven fully before baking so the batter sets quickly and the cake rises evenly.
Storage & Make Ahead:
- Store leftover coffee cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- The cake can be baked a day ahead and served at room temperature or gently warmed before serving.
Heather says
This looks so easy and delicious! I don't have a cast iron skillet but I could bake it in a baking pan I'm sure.
Lois says
Yes, you can bake this in a baking pan if you don't have a cast iron skillet! Thank you for checking out the recipe.
celia bichun says
What other pan can we use instead of cast iron if you don’t have one?
Lois says
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, no worries at all — you can still make this recipe with whatever oven-safe pan you have that’s close in size. An 8×8 baking pan, 9×9 square pan, or even a round cake pan will work great. Just make sure it’s oven-safe and greased well before baking. You may need to check the bake time depending on the pan size, but the cake will still turn out great. Please let me know how it turns out for you! Thanks!
Marilyn says
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Marilyn says
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Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
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Donna Reidland says
This sounds amazing! I can't wait to try your recipe!