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
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.
You can’t go wrong with a buttery breakfast cake loaded with fresh (or frozen) raspberries.
Why I love this raspberry coffee cake recipe
- 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!
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.
Suggestions for variations
- 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.
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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.
Notes
Nutrition
*This recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker
Finally got a chance to make this. So so so yummy!!!! Rather than serving on the springform bottom, or trying to shift from bottom to cake plate. After removing sides, I inverted onto a wax paper lined 10 in cardboard cake circle, and then reinserted to wire rack to cool completely. Didn’t loose much streusel at all; worked very well. I did line my springform pan with parchment on the bottom. Thanks for a great recipe!
I have one of those thin round ‘cake lifters’ that works great when I want to remove a cake from a springform or tart pan bottom, but it sounds like you did fine without it 🙂
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. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely recipe! I am going to try other fruits including plums and peaches!
Thanks Susan ~ I made this with chopped bananas recently and loved it!
Could you recommend an alternative or adjustment to buttermilk for this recipe? I seldom use buttermilk and don’t want to buy a whole carton to make one loaf!
You can use whole milk, half and half, or even yogurt thinned down a bit. You can also make a buttermilk substitute: for every cup of milk add a tablespoon of lemon juice, just let sit for 15 minutes before using.
Just made this again as 12 picture perfect muffins! I halved my raspberries before freezing and used only 1 cup of the frozen berries in the muffins so as to not have big wet spots. Plenty of raspberry flavor. I baked them in a convection oven at 350 for 25 minutes. Sue I took your advice and did the crumbs in my food processor with cold butter and this time they came out perfectly. Thanks.
Oh wow, nice to know, I did a raspberry streusel muffin for the blog last year that I never posted, I love the idea!
Sue, can’t wait to try this! Few questions: do you dip and sweep when measuring the flour for this or spoon and level? Ok to grease springform with both crisco and flour? I would generally whisk the baking powder and salt with the flour, but per the recipe what speed do you suggest blending the baking powder and salt in the wet mixture using the kitchenaid? And then would you fold in the flour by hand or on the stir setting of the kitchen aid mixer? Finally, do you just keep it on the springform bottom when you serve? Sorry for all the questions?
Made this cake and it was delicious but I have a few questions..did you mean to use a Tablespoon of vanilla? I used a teaspoon assuming a typo and it was good but just wondered. Also did you use room temp butter for crumbs? I did and they just melted to a crackly crust on top of my cake which was still good but I really wanted soft crumbs like yours. Could you do the crumbs in a food processor? Thanks for the help
I often use a full tablespoon in baked goods, I just love it, but you can reduce for sure. I find I can increase the vanilla with no issues, but can’t with, say, almond extract, which is very strong. I love the combination of raspberry and vanilla, and I didn’t want it to be a background flavor.
As for the streusel I like to use cold or cool butter, I’ll clarify that, but I have made it with room temp butter without it melting into the top. And I LOVE to make the crumbs in the food processor, especially with the cold butter. Use the pulse button for best results.
Make this cake – you be glad you did! It’s delicious!
🙂 Thanks Donna!
Hi Sue,
I live in south Florida. We have Hurricane Isaías heading our way today. I’m hoping it stays off our coast so we don’t get a lot of damage. I’m ready – I’m a lifelong Miamian. I can’t say I’m used to hurricanes, I’m not! Part of my hurricane preparation is going to be making this cake. Baking calms me. Wishing the best to all my fellow Floridians!
I meant to reach out to my Florida readers in today’s email Donna, I hope you are safe. My Dad lives in Vero Beach and they’re nervous too. My thoughts are with you!
I love your recipe! I just made this cake (with 1/3 less sugar) and it was superb! I will do it again with nectarines and again……The crumbly topping is light and fluffy!
Yay Alexandra! I love the topping too. And I would love to try this with nectarines, mmmmmmm 🙂
We love a great coffee cake and one loaded with fresh raspberries as this one – has to be sublime! Great recipe, can’t wait to try it!
I can attest, this one is amazing!!