Blackberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake

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, says “Its like a cheesecake, berry crumble and cake all mixed into one mouthful.”

Another reader, Dani, says “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.”

 

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.

No matter how I prepare it, it’s a constant and dependable recipe that makes any morning feel and taste like success!

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This Blackberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake Is 3 Layers:

1. 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. 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 (block of cream cheese, not the spread) with granulated sugar until combined and smooth. It’s pretty thick, so do your best to spread it over the cake batter. It certainly doesn’t have to look or be perfect.
3. Crumb Topping: The crumb topping is a scaled down version from what we usually use on New York style crumb cake. 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 any sense at all!) 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.

 

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Step by Step Photos

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 to cool before removing the sides of the springform pan. (Just so the warm cake doesn’t completely crack or fall apart!)

 

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!

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