Blueberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake

I’ve been making this cake since 1995 when I worked at a bakery in Durham, North Carolina. It’s always been a crowd-pleaser.

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Filling

  • 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

  • 1⁄2 c sugar

  • 1 T lemon juice

  • 1 T kirsch

  • 2 T flour

  • 1 egg

Cake

  • 1 1⁄4 c cake flour, sifted

  • 1⁄2 c sugar

  • 1⁄4 t salt

  • 1⁄4 t baking soda

  • 6 T unsalted butter, softened (3 oz)

  • 2 t vanilla bean paste

  • 1⁄3 c milk

  • 2 eggs

Fruit

  • 2 c fresh or frozen blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries

Crumbs

  • 1 1⁄4 c flour

  • 1⁄2 c sugar

  • 2 T brown sugar

  • 1⁄4 t salt

  • 1⁄4 t cinnamon

  • 1 t powdered vanilla

  • 7 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled (3 1⁄2 oz)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour (or spray with cooking spray) an 8” springform pan.

Filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, on medium speed, cream together cream cheese and sugar until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, kirsch, flour, and egg. Beat at medium speed until combined, then transfer to a bowl and set aside. No need to wash the work bowl of the mixer.

Crumbs: In a large bowl, combine both sugars, salt, cinnamon, vanilla powder and mix well with a whisk until there are no lumps. Pour in melted butter and stir until smooth, then stir in flour. Use your fingers to squeeze clumps together, creating big crumbs. Set aside at room temperature to allow the gluten to relax while you make the cake.

Cake: In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. With the mixer on medium/low, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time mixing until each piece gets incorporated before adding the next. Continue mixing until sandy in texture. Add the vanilla, milk, and eggs. Mix on medium-high until the batter is smooth and thick, about 1 minute.

Spread the cake batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Place half the fruit over batter, then add cream cheese mixture over fruit, spreading it to the edges of the pan. Add the other half of the fruit over the cream cheese mixture. Break the crumbs into pieces the size of large pebbles or small stones. Spread crumbs around the outer edge of the pan first, then evenly fill in the center.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out mostly clean. Cool cake 20 minutes, then release spring and remove cake from the pan. Dust with confectioners sugar. This cake freezes well and can be kept 2 months frozen.

DessertCharlotte PlaBlueberry, Cream Cheese, Crumb Cake