Blueberry Cheesecake Crumb Cake Recipe for a Perfect Brunch

Blueberry Cheesecake Crumb Cake

This blueberry cheesecake crumb cake is two desserts in one pan. A single buttery crumb mixture works as both the crust and the streusel topping, so you mix one batch of dough instead of two. Fewer bowls, less cleanup, and a much simpler path to a showstopper slice.

Inside, a thick cheesecake layer hugs juicy blueberries, while the cake underneath stays moist and tender. The crumbs on top bake into a crisp, golden crust that gives way with a soft crackle when you cut into it.

Creamy, fruity, and crumbly at the same time, it is the kind of cake that looks impressive but stays friendly to a home baker.

Blueberries and cheesecake are a favorite pairing here, and this version leans into it with more filling than crust and topping. The recipe below is adapted from this blueberry cheesecake crumb cake recipe by Vera Z. If you love the same flavor combination, this Blueberry Crumb Cheesecake is worth baking next.

Blueberry Cheesecake

The cheesecake layer is the star of this cake, and it is generous. There is more filling than crust and more filling than topping, so each slice delivers a thick, creamy center instead of a thin stripe of cheesecake.

Two cheeses build the texture. Cream cheese brings the familiar tang, while mascarpone adds a softer, richer body. Caster sugar sweetens the mixture without weighing it down, cornstarch joins the filling, and vanilla rounds out the flavor.

The eggs go in last and are mixed in only until everything comes together. That last step matters, because a gently mixed filling bakes into a smoother, more even layer.

Blueberries are added in two stages. About 2/3 cup is scattered over the first half of the filling, and the rest goes on top just before the reserved crumbs are sprinkled over the cake.

As it bakes, the berries soften and their juice runs into the cheesecake, so the fruit flavor travels through the whole layer instead of staying in one spot.

The generous filling is what makes this version so satisfying, and it is the reason the cake slices like a cheesecake but eats like a coffee cake. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, which tells you the center has set.

If you enjoy cheesecake baked inside a cake, this Coffee Cake Cheesecake is a good next bake.

Crumb Cake

Crumb cakes and coffee cakes have a long standing reputation as breakfast food, and that reputation is worth keeping. A slice with coffee in the morning feels entirely reasonable, which makes this cake a natural choice for brunch, holiday mornings, or a slow weekend.

The crumb mixture does all of the structural work. Flour, baking powder, salt, light brown sugar, and sugar are stirred together, then cold cubed butter is worked in by hand, with a fork, or with a mixer until the texture turns grainy.

Eggs and vanilla go in next, and the mixture should look crumbly rather than smooth. If it feels too sandy, squeeze it with your fingers until pea size crumbs form.

About 2/3 of that mixture is pressed into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, roughly 1 and 1/2 inches high. The pan and the remaining crumbs both go into the fridge while you make the filling, which keeps the crust firm and the topping cold. That reserved third is what becomes the streusel layer on top.

Streusel and blueberries are a natural match, so if you want another take on the same idea, this easy blueberry crumb cake recipe is a good place to look.

If you like this Blueberry Cheesecake Crumb Cake, try also:

If this cake disappears quickly at your house, two more bakes follow the same happy logic of cake, cheesecake, and fruit.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake keeps the layered structure and swaps the fruit. It has a cake base, a cream cheese filling, raspberries, and a streusel topping, so you get the same contrast of creamy center, tart fruit, and buttery crumbs.

Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake is a fall baking favorite. Cinnamon and apples bring a warmer, spicier profile, and the crumb topping stays crisp on the surface. It pairs just as well with morning coffee as the blueberry version does.

Both are simple enough for a weekend bake and special enough to serve to guests. If you like building a cake around a cheesecake layer, the two recipes above are an easy place to start.

Ingredients

The ingredient list is divided into three parts: the crumb cake mixture, the blueberry cheesecake filling, and the glaze. Gather everything before you begin, because the crust needs to chill while you prepare the filling.

Crumb Cake

• 3 and 1/3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
• Grated zest of 1 lemon, optional
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Blueberry Cheesecake Filling

• 8 oz mascarpone
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 and 2/3 cups blueberries

Glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons milk

You will also need a 9 inch springform pan lined with parchment paper and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. The lemon zest is optional, but it adds a bright lift that plays nicely against the berries. For the filling, softened cream cheese blends more smoothly, so let it sit out briefly before you start mixing.

Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper, spray the bottom and sides with nonstick cooking spray, and set it aside.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, sugar, and the optional lemon zest.
3. Cut in the butter. Add the cold cubed butter to the dry mixture. You can work it in with your hands, press it with a fork, or use a mixer. Keep going until the mixture looks grainy.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix to combine. The mixture should be crumbly. If it looks too sandy, squeeze it with your fingers until pea size crumbs form.
5. Press the crust and chill. Press about 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan to about 1 and 1/2 inches high. Place the pan and the remaining crumbs in the fridge.
6. Make the filling. Mix the cream cheese, mascarpone, vanilla, sugar, and cornstarch just until combined. Add the eggs and mix just to combine, and do not overdo it.
7. Layer the filling and blueberries. Pour half of the cheesecake mixture into the chilled crust. Scatter about 2/3 cup of blueberries over the filling. Spread the remaining cheesecake mixture on top, then add the rest of the blueberries and the reserved crumbs.
8. Bake. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 65 to 75 minutes. If the top starts browning too much, tent it with aluminum foil.
9. Make the glaze. Stir together the powdered sugar and milk or cream. If the glaze is too thin, add powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add more milk.

Working the butter into the dry ingredients is the step that decides how the crust and the topping turn out. Stop as soon as the mixture is grainy, because the crumbs should still feel cool and a little loose.

Cold butter and chilled crumbs keep the base firm and help the topping stay on the surface instead of melting into the filling.

Chilling the crust and the reserved crumbs is what keeps the base firm and the topping crisp rather than sunken.

The filling comes together quickly, so mix it just until the ingredients are combined and the mixture looks smooth. Pour half of it over the chilled crust, add the first round of blueberries, then spread the rest on top and finish with the remaining berries and the reserved crumbs. That layering is what puts fruit in every bite.

During baking, check the cake around the one hour mark. If the surface is browning faster than the center sets, lay a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top and continue baking until the toothpick test comes out clean. The glaze goes on at the end, and it takes only a minute to stir together.

Notes

Caster sugar has finer granules than regular granulated sugar, which is why it blends so smoothly into cheesecake fillings. If you do not have any on hand, you can make your own. Add granulated sugar to a food processor, blender, or coffee grinder and pulse until the grains are smaller. Stop before prolonged processing turns the sugar into powdered sugar.

A few more things that help:

• Keep the butter cold and cubed so it stays grainy when you work it into the dry ingredients.
• Mix the filling only until it comes together. Overmixing can change the texture of the baked cheesecake.
• If the top of the cake browns faster than the center sets, tent it loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean rather than relying on color alone.
• Let the cake cool completely in the pan before releasing the springform, then finish it with the glaze.

Serve slices with coffee or tea. This cake works as a brunch centerpiece and just as well as a dessert later in the day, and the combination of creamy cheesecake, juicy blueberries, and buttery crumbs is the reason it disappears so quickly.

Recipe details

This is a classic American style dessert that doubles as a brunch cake. Plan on the full bake window of about 65 to 75 minutes, and give the cake the time it needs in the oven rather than pulling it early.

With 8 servings, it suits a family breakfast or a small gathering, and each slice gives you cake, cheesecake, and crumb topping all at once.

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Blueberry Cheesecake Crumb Cake

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Blueberry Cheesecake Crumb Cake This blueberry cheesecake crumb cake is two desserts in one pan. A single buttery crumb mixture works as both the crust and the streusel topping, so you mix one batch of dough instead of two.

• Total Time: 90 min
• Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Crumb Cake
3 and 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, cold and cut in cubes
Grated zest from 1 lemon
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blueberry Cheesecake Filling
8 oz. mascarpone
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons caster sugar
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 and 2/3 cups blueberries

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2–3 teaspoons milk

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Instructions

1-Preheat the oven to 350 F: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of 9 inches springform pan with parchment paper, spray bottom and sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2-In a large bowl stir together flour,: In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, sugar and lemon zest.
3-Add butter in dry ingredients mixture: Add butter in dry ingredients mixture. Now, you can work it with hands, or press with a fork, or you can use the mixer. Work it until it’s grainy.
4-Add eggs and vanilla and mix to: Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine. The mixture should be crumbly. If it’s to sandy squeeze it with your fingers to make pea size crumbs.
5-Press about 2/3 of the mixture in: Press about 2/3 of the mixture in the bottom and side (about 1 1/2 inch height) of the pan. Place the pan and remaining crumbs in the fridge.
6-To make the filling mix together cream: To make the filling mix together cream cheese, mascarpone, vanilla, sugar and corn starch just to combine. Add eggs and mix just to combine, do not overdo it.
7-Pour half of the cheesecake mixture in: Pour half of the cheesecake mixture in chilled crust, scattered about 2/3 cup of blueberries over the filling. Spread remaining cheesecake mixture. Top with blueberries and remaining crumbs.
8-Bake at 350 F until golden brown: Bake at 350 F until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 65-75 minutes. If it starts browning too much tent the top with aluminum foil.
9-To make the glaze stir together powdered: To make the glaze stir together powdered sugar and milk or cream. If it’s too thin add powdered sugar, if it’s too thick add more milk.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 75 min
• Method: bake