Slice into this delicious Mixed Berry Sour Cream Coffee Cake, perfect for a weekend brunch or a mid-day treat. Includes a printable recipe card for easy preparation, and sharing with friends, .

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This Mixed Berry Sour Cream Coffee Cake is going to be one of those recipes that you never want to lose track of. You know, the recipes that you come back to over and over again. Like my favorite coconut cake and buttermilk muffins, these are recipes you want to keep track of, make for special occasions, and share with everyone.
A version of this Mixed Berry Sour Cream Coffee Cake was always on the weekend menu at the bakery, and we sold out every time! Similar to my New Jersey crumb cake, but layered with ripe berries, it's light and fluffy and so delicious that you're going to want to print the recipe so you always have it nearby when you want something special to make for breakfast and brunch!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Pictured below are the ingredients you need to make this delicious coffee cake recipe. At first glance, it might look like a lot, but most of them are common ingredients you probably already have. Let's go over the major players and where you can make any changes if you need to:
- All-purpose flour - All purpose flour has just the right amount of protein to build good structure to hold up all of those delicious berries. If you have leftover self-rising flour from making my two ingredient biscuits or my quick and easy bagels, you can use that and leave out the baking powder and salt from the recipe.
- Sour cream - At the bakery we actually used fancy French crème fraîche to make our cakes, but sour cream is affordable and accessible to more people. You could also use Greek yogurt if you like and still make a delicious coffee cake.
- Butter - I always use unsalted butter because there is no standard for the amount of salt between brands of salted butter. If you only have salted butter at home, use it and just leave out the added salt from the recipe.
- Berries - I prefer to use fresh berries for this coffee cake, but sometimes they're not in season and I use the berries that I froze last summer. If you use frozen berries, do not thaw them,. Just add them to the batter frozen. See more about working with frozen berries in the next section.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Using Frozen Berries in baking
Berries are typically frozen at peak ripeness and work wonderfully in baking things like my raspberry muffins and my blueberry muffin tops, but they need a little extra attention. Here's what you need to know:
- Keep frozen: Don't thaw your berries before adding them to the batter. This will prevent them from bleeding too much color and turning the batter streaky.
- Add flour: Toss the frozen berries in a little flour before adding them to the cake. This helps them stay evenly distributed, prevents them from sinking to the bottom, and absorbs extra liquid that may be released as they thaw.
- Watch your time: Frozen berries can reduce the temperature of the cake batter, so baking time may need a slight adjustment—up to 5 to 10 minutes more, so keep an eye on your cake and test with a toothpick for doneness.
How to Line a Cake Pan
If you want to serve your sour cream coffee cake straight out of the pan, you absolutely can. For those of us who like to remove the cake from the pan, this is how to make sure it releases easily without losing any of the delightful streusel.
Lining a round cake pan
Step 1: Lightly spray the inside of your pan with nonstick spray, or coat with oil or butter. Take a square sheet of parchment paper and crumple it up in your hands. Flatten it out on the counter, and then crumple it again. Flatten it out one more time.
Step 2: Press the parchment paper into the bottom of the pan and press it into corners and the sides. Fold the corners over the edge of the pan to use as handles to remove your cake after baking. The weight of the batter will hold it in place against the walls of the pan.
Lining a square cake pan
Step 1: Lightly spray the inside of your pan with nonstick spray, or coat with oil or butter. Fold and cut a large sheet of parchment paper to fit your pan or cut two pieces of parchment paper about 8 inches x 16 inches.
Step 2: Fit one sheet in the pan, spray or oil the bottom lightly, then place the other sheet in the opposite direction, so that all four walls of your pan are covered. Fold the overhanging paper down to use as handles to remove your cake after baking. Secure with all metal binder clips, if desired.
Quick Recipe Video
Step-Instructions
Any recipe can seem a little overwhelming before you start. As always, I recommend that you read through all the instructions, look at the helpful pictures, and then gather your ingredients. You've got this! 👍
- Preheat oven to 350°F and if you want to fully remove your cake from the pan after baking, line with parchment paper (see note above for instructions)
Making the streusel
Step 1: Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl; add 6 tablespoons softened butter.
Step 2: Mix together with your fingers until mixture is crumbly. Set aside in the refrigerator until needed.
Making cake batter
Step 1: Place mixed berries in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: Add one tablespoon to the berries and toss. Set the remaining flour mixture aside.
Step 3: Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 4: Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream and vanilla extract.
Step 5: Add dry ingredients and switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
Step 6: Gently stir the flour mixture in by hand until just combined and there are no more visible dry ingredients.
Assembling the cake
Step 1: Place half of the batter into the bottom of your prepared pan and use a spatula to spread in an even layer to the edges. Top with half of your mixed berries.
Step 2: Dollop the rest of the batter over the top of the berries and use an offset spatula to spread it out gently over the top.
Step 3: Sprinkle the rest of the berries on top of this, including any loose flour from the bottom of the bowl (this will help absorb excess liquid from the fruit). Gently press the berries into the batter with the spatula.
Step 4: Cover the top with your streusel. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes back clean.
Step 5: Let the cake cool for 15 to 20 minutes on a wire rack, then remove from the pan, if desired. To make the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, a couple of tablespoons of milk, and the tiniest pinch of salt. Drizzle over your still warm cake. Slice and enjoy!
Doubling for a Crowd
Maybe you have a lot of people coming over. Maybe you just really like coffee cake. Both are amazing reasons to make twice the cake. You can easily double the recipe by clicking the 2X button on the recipe card. Here are some great tips for making sure that your cake comes out as delicious as expected:
- Distribute Berries Evenly With a larger surface area, don't try to divide the batter in two and make layers of fruit. Just scatter the berries evenly across the top and use your spatula to press them gently into the batter. Then top with the streusel, which you definitely also doubled!
- Adjust the Baking Time The cake will likely be thinner in a 9x13 pan, so it may bake faster than the original recipe. Start checking for doneness about 5–10 minutes earlier than the original baking time. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Watch for Browning Because the cake may bake more quickly, check on it halfway through. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil to prevent over-browning while the center finishes baking.
Recipe FAQs
You can also make this cake using the muffin method. Combine all of your dry ingredients, whisk together your wet ingredients, including melted and cooled butter, and then combine. Follow the recipe as written from there.
If your streusel is too warm, it might melt into the cake instead of forming crumbs. Make sure to use cold butter and cut it into the flour and sugar mixture until you get a sandy, crumbly texture. Then be sure to refrigerate it while you make the cake batter.
Absolutely! This cake stays moist for up to 2–3 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It also freezes well for up to 3 months; just remove from freezer and thaw overnight before serving.
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-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Mixed Berry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch cake pan or ⬇️
Ingredients
Streusel topping
- 1 cup (120 g) flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) butter cold and cubed
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cup (310 g) berries whole raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are best
Wet Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- 1 ¼ cups (270 g) sour cream room temperature
Drizzle
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- Tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and if you want to fully remove your cake from the pan after baking, line with parchment paper (see notes for instructions)
Make streusel
- Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl; add 6 tablespoons cold, cubed butter and mix together with your fingers or a fork until mixture is crumbly. Set aside in the refrigerator until needed.
Make cake batter
- Place mixed berries in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add one tablespoon to the berries and toss. Set the remaining flour mixture aside.
- Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream and vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients and gently stir in by hand until just combined and the last of the flour mixture is incorporated.
Assemble cake
- Place half of the batter into the bottom of your pan and use a spatula to spread to the edges. Top with half of your mixed berries.
- Dollop the rest of the batter over the top of the berries and use an offset spatula to spread it out gently over the top.
- Sprinkle the rest of the berries on top of this, including any loose flour from the bottom of the bowl. Gently press the berries into the batter.
- Cover the top with your streusel. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes back clean.
- Let the cake cool for 15 to 20 minutes on a wire rack, then remove from the pan, if desired.
- Whisk together powdered sugar, a couple of tablespoons of milk, and the tiniest pinch of salt. Drizzle over your still warm cake. Slice and enjoy!
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