This blackberry crumb cake features a blackberry-studded buttery breakfast cake, smooth cream cheese layer, and cinnamon brown sugar crumble topping. Lemon or vanilla icing finishes it off to make an impressive (and sweet!) breakfast coffee cake.
One reader, Soph, commented: “It’s like a cheesecake, berry crumble and cake all mixed into one mouthful. ★★★★★”
Blackberry cream cheese crumb cake is, simply put, an unforgettable breakfast treat. That’s why for the past few years since I first published the recipe, I’ve made it more often than any other indulgent breakfast cake. (And I love a good crumb cake!) In the winter, I swap blackberries for cranberries. Sometimes I use raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries instead. You can skip the fruit, add chocolate chips, nuts, or raisins or leave plain (it will be like my classic coffee cake but with a luscious cream cheese swirl inside!).
No matter how I prepare it, it’s a constant and dependable recipe that makes any morning feel and taste like success!
One reader, Dani, commented: “Made this for Mother’s Day! I love how the blackberries stayed so juicy and changed into a beautiful deep red. The cream cheese layer adds the perfect richness to this cake. ★★★★★“
This Blackberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake Is 3 Layers:
- Buttery Blackberry Cake: The batter is the same as our sour cream crumb cake, which we usually bake in a square baking dish. Since we’re adding big blackberries and a substantial cream cheese layer, we need to ensure we have a pan that can fit all these layers. A 9-inch springform pan is ideal. If you need a recommendation, I use and love this one. Sour cream is a key ingredient in this breakfast cake because it promises a tender, rich, and exceptionally moist crumb.
- 2 Ingredient Cream Cheese Layer: Some of the sugar goes into the cake batter and some goes into the cream cheese layer. Beat softened cream cheese (brick of cream cheese, not the spread) with granulated sugar until combined and smooth. It’s pretty thick, so do your best to spread it. It certainly doesn’t have to look or be perfect.
- Crumb Topping: The crumb topping is a scaled down version from what we usually use on New York-style crumb cake. I use the same amount for cranberry cake, too. For crumb toppings, I go back and forth between cold butter and melted butter. Melted butter creates a cake-like crumb topping, while cold butter creates a more crumbly crumb, if that makes sense. What I love most about this topping, though, is that it stays moist (doesn’t dry out) because it settles into the cream cheese layer.
Plus a 4th layer if you add the optional icing. Does a big overloaded cake like this really need icing? No. Are you going to turn down the opportunity for creamy icing melting into warm crumb cake? Hope not.
How to Make Blackberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake
Pictured on the left below: Expect a thick cake batter. I never chop the blackberries, but you absolutely can if you’d like.
Pictured on the right: Thick cream cheese mixture.
Below is the crumb topping. It’s best if you use a pastry cutter to work the cold butter into the brown sugar/flour mixture. However if you don’t have one, just use a fork and take your time. (Can also use a food processor.) Sprinkle it all over the cream cheese layer before baking.
Unlike cheesecake, this does not need to cool or chill completely in the springform pan. In fact, it’s best served slightly warm when the blackberries are extra juicy. Still, give it about 30 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan. (Just so the warm cake doesn’t completely crack or fall apart!)
Can I Make This with Other Berries?
Yes, absolutely! You can replace the blackberries with cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, halved and pitted dark sweet cherries, chopped strawberries, or even peeled and chopped peaches. Use 1 heaping cup of fruit. If using frozen fruit, do not thaw. Feel free to replace with other add-ins such as 1 cup chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped nuts.
Here it is with strawberries:
You’ll have no problem waking up in the morning if this blackberry cream cheese crumb cake recipe is on the breakfast menu. Your sweet tooth might also need a break for the day! I love making this cake for Father’s Day brunch, but it’s pretty perfect any time of year especially because you can use frozen blackberries.
More Favorite Breakfast Recipes:
- Homemade Crepes
- Zucchini Cream Cheese Muffins
- Raspberry Twist Bread
- Crumb Cake Muffins
- Easy Breakfast Casserole & Everything Bagel Breakfast Casserole
- Blueberry Muffins & Banana Muffins
- Berries & Cream French Toast
Blackberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
- Yield: serves 10
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This blackberry crumb cake features a blackberry-studded buttery breakfast cake, smooth cream cheese layer, and cinnamon brown sugar crumble topping. The icing is optional. Feel free to replace the blackberries with other add-ins detailed in the recipe notes.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, divided
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/3 cups (166g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 heaping cup (125g) fresh or frozen blackberries (do not thaw)
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed dark or light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Optional Icing
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (22ml) milk, heavy cream, or lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (skip if using lemon juice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan.
- Make the cake: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar together on high speed until creamy and combined, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) On medium speed, add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Turn the mixer on low speed and beat until completely combined. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the blackberries. Batter is thick.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar together until creamy and combined. Spoon and spread over cake batter. It’s a thick cream cheese topping, so do your best to spread around—doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Make the crumb topping: Combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or a fork (or even with your hands) until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over cream cheese layer.
- Bake the cake for 60-65 minutes or until it no longer jiggles in the center. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out *mostly* clean. (A few moist crumbs are fine.) Halfway during bake time (about 30 minutes), tent a piece of aluminum foil over the cake to help prevent over-browning around the edges.
- Cool cake for at least 30 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan and slicing and serving. During this time, you can make the icing by whisking the icing ingredients together until smooth. Add more milk/cream/lemon juice to thin out if needed. Drizzle icing over cake while it’s still warm.
- Cover and store leftover cake at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Bake the cake as directed, cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months (with or without the icing). Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature to serve or you can slightly warm by baking at 300°F (149°C) for 15 minutes. Drizzle icing on cake, if it’s plain, before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Springform Pan or 10-inch Springform Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Pastry Cutter/Blender
- Sour Cream: If you don’t have sour cream, you can use plain regular or Greek yogurt instead.
- Other Berries or Add-Ins: You can skip the blackberries to leave this cake plain. You can also replace the blackberries with cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, halved and pitted dark sweet cherries, chopped strawberries, or even peeled and chopped peaches. Use 1 heaping cup of fruit. If using frozen fruit, do not thaw. Feel free to replace with other add-ins such as 1 cup chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped nuts.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi all, just wanted to say I made this with King Arthur’s gluten free measure for Measure flour and it turned out perfect. I’ve actually made many of these recipes gluten free, even the scones, and there is no difference in how they look or taste. Love having a place to get new recipes knowing they will be delicious!!
I hope you are well! I love the blackberry cream cheese crumb cake, but would love to switch it up to either blueberry and peach or blackberry and peach. Wanted to know if you think this would work and if so would I need to use frozen peaches? I also would like to use brown butter rather than soften butter. Would this make for a denser cake?
Thank you!
Hi Alexandra, we haven’t tried those combinations, but that sounds delicious! We would recommend using fresh peaches if possible. Frozen would let off a lot of moisture. If use browned butter, you’ll want to let it solidify again so that it can be brought to room temperature and creamed with the sugars. Let us know if you try it!
Hi, I’ve made this recipe while combining it with the raspberry almond crumb cake many times, and it’s been delicious! I love how the raspberry and almond flavors merge with the cream cheese in this cake. I was wondering if anyone has any advice as to how I should bake these in a cupcake form? I was hoping to give them out as convenient little gifts.
Hi Delilah, we haven’t tested these in a cupcake pan, but we’d bake them at 350 degrees. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but keep a close eye on them.
How do you stop the cream cheese filling from coming over the crumble?
Hi Ruth, that can be normal—you’ll see patches of the cream cheese layer showing through in the photos. Did you crumb seem to melt too much? Make sure your butter is cold and that the crumb mixture hasn’t been overworked, otherwise it could melt too much in the oven and look less like a crumb. Hope you enjoyed the cake!
I never make comments on the internet, but I have to say that this recipe is fantastic! So delicious. Thank you!
I’ve made this 3 times now and it’s always perfect, going to make it for Christmas morning with cranberries like suggested!
I loved this recipe! I did not add the berries or the icing, and it was just wonderful. Perfect for a weekend breakfast or dessert. Thank you, love your website and recipes.
I made this recipe exactly how it says and it turned out delicious. Will definitely make again, the cream cheese layer is so good!
the taste is amazing. I don’t know what happened but midway I had to acoop batter into a second pan because of overflow. I thought I read a 9inch pan. Must have been for a spring form??
I also made a couple other adustments.
The two cakes came out differently but both delicious.
I plan on making this again in an 8*8, which was my initial thought.
Hi AW, this recipe is for a springform pan – see step 1: Grease a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan.
Sally ALL your recipes seem to be fool proof. I am so grateful that I have found such a helpful baking mentor (and friend), one that is just a quick click of the mouse away! Helpful tips and great videos! When others tell me they love my recipes I say thank my baking friend Sally. She is phenominal! Those that “know” I am referring to your blog and recipes give me a wink. Those that don’t think I know what I am doing. 🙂 Thank you so much for all your help on all the recipes I have used through the years You are simply the BEST.
Janice, this comment made my week last week. Thank you so, so much for taking the time to leave it. It really means the world to me! You are so kind, and it’s my pleasure to share what I have learned and tested with other bakers around the world!!
An I use cake flour if so what is the amount please
Hi Frankie, While we were tempted to use cake flour in this recipe to achieve an ultra soft crumb, we found that all-purpose gave a more ideal texture for a breakfast cake. Fluffy, yet tight crumbs throughout!
Can this be made in a Bundt pan?
Hi Lin, we haven’t tried it in a Bundt pan but that should work. It will be a small Bundt because there isn’t a ton of batter (just a lot of cream cheese and crumb topping). We’re unsure of the best bake time, but will likely be shorter than the springform pan. Let us know how it turns out!
I jumped this recipe because it had the icing on it. That another recipe discluded just for it to say You did not need the icing! My real question is where is the recipe for this magical icing I keep seeing. But they just keep saying this is optional.
Hi Jasmine, the recipe for the optional icing can be found in the gray recipe card along with the other ingredients.
Made this for company and unfortunately the bottom burnt so much I had to cut it off and throw away. So I ended up with a coffee cake that is only one inch high without fruit since the cherries sank to the bottom. I’m an experienced baker, so no idea what happened. I used frozen cherries, but that shouldn’t have made a difference. Looking back, I don’t see any instructions for moving the rack to the middle of the oven. I baked for 55 min. Thoughts?
Hi Suzanne, I wonder if the frozen cherries let out so much moisture and juice that it easily over-cooked on the bottom? Is the springform pan you are using particularly dark? Sorry you experienced so much trouble.
Beyond exquisite!!! Best coffee cake on the planet.
Hi Sally, all your recipes are fabulous. I’m a fan! Would you recommend removing the cream cheese layer for someone with dairy allergies?
Hi SB, yes, you can omit the cream cheese layer if needed. The cake will be just a bit thinner. Enjoy!
Great hit every time I make this recipe! Thanks so much!
This cake is incredibly light and moist! The spring foam pan makes it so easy! It is absolutely delicious with the icing on top!
I’m about to make this cake. I’m so excited – your recipes are always perfection! I see that the blackberries are not coated in flour. Will the blackberries not sink to the bottom of the cake? thanks!
Hi Eileen, we haven’t had any problems with the blackberries sinking, but you can give them a light toss in flour if you wish. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Hi Sally, Planning on making this cake in a 9X13 pan for a dinner party. Previous suggestions indicate 1.5X the recipe, however, would the baking time remain around 60 mins?
Hi MJ! Bake time will be a little longer, we’re unsure of the exact baking time.
I want to make this in a 9 x 13 pan for ease in serving a crowd. I see you pan conversion page says a 9” springform is 10 cups – a 10” spring form is 12 cups and a 9 x 13 is 14 cups. Do you think it will be too thin? If so, I scale it up – maybe 25%? Your thoughts are appreciated!
Hi Louise! Increasing the recipe by 25% or 50% should both work just fine for a 9×13 pan. Let us know what you try!
This was absolutely delicious. Followed the recipe exactly and watched the video before making this cake. It was a big hit with everyone. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you Sally for another great recipe.
Baked it in a pie plate instead of a spring pan. Bomb!!!
I love this recipe so much, I’ve made it a few times, and the last time I decided to see if it would work in cupcake form. I ended up using blueberries instead of blackberries to better fit in the liners. But the only other difference is I cut the bake time in half. It worked out great, so this ‘Fruit’ Cream Cheese Crumb Cake can work in cupcake form!
Ooh I’m going to try this!
Can the cream cheese layer be in the middle of the cake? Also do you have high altitude adjustments? I’m at 5280.
Hi Jeannine, we recommend sticking with the cream cheese on the top of the cake here. We have no experience baking at high altitude, but some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Such a nice cake! I used a mix of blackberries, raspberries & blueberries, and added some lemon zest to the batter. It was delicious!
Delicious! I’m not versed in making crub cakes, so it was a bit more involved than I originally thought, but soooo worth it. Such a light cake with the perfect flavors. I used the spreadable cream cheese because it was what I had. Turned out great in my opinion!
Yum! I tried this recipe because I had some soft blackberries in the fridge that no one was eating along with some cream cheese and sour cream that were going to expire soon. It turned out so moist and absolutely delicious! I will definitely make it again and also try it with blueberries.
I had bookmarked your Strawberries ‘n’ Cream Crumb Cake, and when I went to bake it just now, I instead get redirected to this recipe. What happened to the strawberry cake recipe? Thank you!
Hi Katrina! This recipe is very similar – feel free to use chopped strawberries instead of blackberries here. Or, you can email us for a copy of the original recipe: sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com
Same! I was hoping to make the strawberries n cream cake but now it links to this one. This recipe isn’t exactly the same. I’ll email for the original as well.
Thank you for a kind response! I ended up following this updated recipe but used blueberries and strawberries for a ‘Fourth of July’ twist, and the cake turned out absolutely delicious.
Also, I’m at 6,000 ft elevation, so if anyone else out there is at high altitude, here are the adjustments I made to keep the cake from falling that worked out perfectly:
1) Reduced the granulated sugar in the cake by 2 tablespoons (so the cake batter had 3/4 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar; I kept the 1/4 cup sugar in the cream cheese layer the same)
2) Reduced baking powder by 1/4 teaspoon (so from 1 teaspoon down to 3/4 teaspoon)
3) Added an extra 2 tablespoons of sour cream to the cake batter (so total was 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream)
4) Baked at 400 degrees for 50 minutes (and added a foil tent at 25 minutes)
I used a 9″ round springform and it really did turn out perfect — thick, flat with no falling, evenly cooked, and extremely moist and delicious. It was a big hit at our family’s Fourth of July cookout. Thank you for a fun recipe!
Love at first bite! A buttery breakfast cake dotted with tangy blackberries, topped with a layer of smooth cream cheese and a crunchy cinnamon crumb topping. This is a delicious treat. Perfection! Left off the optional icing, and didn’t miss it. Sally, you’ve outdone yourself! Thank you!
I made this for our Easter brunch, and it was stupendous! I set my oven timer for 59 mins. which was probably 4-5 minutes too long as the outside crust was dry and crunchy. I followed the recipe exactly and used a 10″ springform pan.
Next time, and there’ll be a next time, I’ll use a 9″ springform pan and watch the time a bit more closely!
If I wanted to do cupcakes, would I still do 350 on my oven? Baking time… Would you suggest starting being 18-20 mins?
Hi Nicole, we haven’t tested these in a cupcake pan, but we’d bake them at 350 degrees. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but keep a close eye on them. Bake time will be a bit shorter!
Thank you! I did them at 350 degrees for about 21-22 mins until they hit 200 degrees. They are SO good, can’t wait to take them to my work event tomorrow. Thanks for another amazing recipe, this site is now my ultimate go-to for anything baking related. I’ve made several recipes and have not once been close to being disappointed or felt misled/lost in the instructions.
Is the internal temp supposed to be around 200 F?
Hi Blake, Yes if you have an instant read thermometer the internal temperature of a cake is usually between 200 and 210 F.