You just can’t go wrong with a buttery breakfast cake loaded with juicy, tart raspberries. Make this soft, rich cake in the height of summer when the raspberries are fresh and plentiful, or dig a frozen bag of raspberries out of your freezer in the depths of winter. Either way, your morning just got a whole lot more delicious!
I’ll take a great breakfast cake over dessert any day, and this raspberry cake is a perfect illustration of why that is. Breakfast cakes are indulgent without feeling decadent, and I can enjoy my treats so much more when I don’t have to deal with the guilt.
This recipe is based on a 50 year old Betty Crocker blueberry buckle recipe, so I guess you could call it a raspberry buckle…but whatever you call it, it’s the perfect simple summer cake for breakfast, bunch, snack, or tea time. It follows the age old tradition of combining fresh summer fruit with a simple cake batter.
why I love this raspberry coffee cake recipe, and why I think you will too!
- it’s an easy 2 bowl recipe (one for the cake, one for the streusel)
- it bakes up with a nice crackly crunchy top
- the inside is moist with a tender, loose crumb
- I love the background vanilla flavor with the tart raspberries
- there are just enough berries for great flavor without overpowering the cake
- the base cake is fabulous and could be varied a million ways
- it keeps beautifully for a few days on the counter
fresh or frozen raspberries work in this breakfast cake
We picked our own raspberries this year, but because they’re so delicate, I flash freeze them so I can use them at my leisure without them spoiling on me. I just lay them on a baking sheet, put that directly in the freezer for about an hour or so until the berries are frozen, and then a slide them all into a heavy duty zip lock freezer bag. They stay perfect for months, although they never last that long. Note: if you use fresh raspberries they will break up a bit as you fold them into the batter, turning it pink. That’s fine, it will taste just as good!
more raspberry recipes to try:
- Easy Raspberry Galette
- Raspberry Apricot Rugelach Bars
- Perfect Black Raspberry Muffins
- Vanilla Cake with Raspberry Buttercream
the light streusel topping is one of my favorite things about this cake!
The topping really makes this cake extra special, it’s not a thick crumble, but just enough butter and sugar mixed with a little flour to give the top a sweet crunch.
variations suggestions for raspberry coffee cake
- If you happen to have other berries or summer fruit on hand, try those, too. I think chopped nectarines and blueberries would be a nice combo. Use cranberries or pears in fall. Use rhubarb in spring.
- Throw a handful of finely chopped nuts or rolled oats into the streusel mixture.
- Spice the batter or streusel (or both!) with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, or all three.
- Substitute almond extract for the vanilla; use 1 tsp. Add sliced almonds to the streusel.
- Make this a raspberry lemon coffee cake by adding the zest of one lemon to the batter.
- Bake in a 9 inch square baking pan.
featured comment:
“This cake is amazing! I have made it now 3 times within the month of August! It receives rave reviews from my friends and family.” ~Susan
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Raspberry Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch spring form pan (or other 9 inch round or square baking pan)
Ingredients
crumb topping
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
coffee cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3/4 cup buttermilk,
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups frozen raspberries (don't thaw)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F Grease a 9 inch spring form pan. I like to wrap the bottom half of the pan tightly in foil to prevent any leaks. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
- Mix the streusel together in a small bowl, using your fingertips to work the butter in to the flour and sugar until the butter is evenly dispersed and the mixture is crumbly. You can also do this in your food processor, using the pulse button. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy either in a stand mixer or by hand in a large bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Beat in the egg until completely incorporated, scraping down the bowl again. Then beat in the buttermilk and extract. The mixture may look curdled, that's fine.
- Blend in the baking powder and salt, then fold in the flour. Finally fold in the frozen raspberries, stirring just enough to get them evenly distributed. Turn the batter into your prepared pan and smooth out evenly. Sprinkle the streusel over the top.
- Bake for about 55-60 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it (moist crumbs are fine.) Cover loosely with foil if it seems to be browning too quickly.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then gently loosen and remove the sides. The cake can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.
This cake is the absolute bomb. I’ve made it several times at home and also for morning work meetings. I used marionberries a couple of times, which is also delicious. I reached out to Sue to confirm the vanilla amount the first time I made it, and she responded right away. Best coffee cake ever!