Serve this delicious Raspberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake for breakfast, a snack, or just because you’re feeling indulgent.
Full of fresh raspberry jam and topped with a delicious buttery coconut crumb topping this cake will make your mouth water.
I grew up loving a Entenmann’s cake (a grocery store line of baked goods). My two favorites were their crumb cake (which influenced my coffee cake recipe) and their Raspberry Twist Cake which inspired for this amazing cake.
When I lived in England, I missed those cakes so much, but after years of home baking, when I finally got to have them again, they just weren’t as good as I remembered. What boxed cakes are? In comes this delicious cake which I have to say, I could eat every day of the week!!
Why This Recipe Works
- Buttermilk adds a subtle tang and fantastic moisture to the cake
- The vanilla extract works with the other ingredients to enhance the flavor of the cake.
- Shredded coconut in the crumb topping adds a texture and pairs perfectly with the raspberry jam.
Ingredient Notes
- Raspberry Jam – I used my homemade raspberry jam, but any good quality jam will do.
- Shredded Coconut – I used sweetened shredded coconut. If you use unsweetened, just increase the brown sugar by a quarter cup.
- Brown Sugar – I used light brown sugar, but dark brown would work too.
- Butter – I always bake with salted butter, but unsalted would be perfectly fine too.
- Buttermilk – Regular or low-fat buttermilk both work great in this recipe.
How To Make Your Own Buttermilk
To make your own buttermilk at home, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Full-fat milk is best, low-fat or skimmed milk will still work. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes. The mixture may look a little curdled, but that’s fine.
For this recipe: ¾ cup buttermilk = ¾ cup milk + 2 ¼ teaspoons vinegar. If you do use your own buttermilk, I would start with using half cup and add more to loosen the batter as needed. The batter needs to be quite thick to support the topping (see the step by step instructions for photos).
How To Make Raspberry Coffee Cake
- Make the cake batter.
- Assemble the crumb topping.
- Add the raspberry jam in rows.
- Crumble the crumb topping over the cake batter.
- Bake for around 25 minutes and cool.
- Drizzle with icing.
- Serve and enjoy!
Step By Step Instructions
Cream together the butter and sugar(for 3 minutes). Add the eggs and combine.
Pour in the buttermilk.
Add the flour.
Add the batter evenly into a square cake pan.
Drop the jam onto the batter in thick lines.
Make the crumb topping by adding flour, sugar, brown sugar, butter and coconut to a food processor.
Pulse until the ingredients resemble a fine crumb.
Don’t have a food processor? A pastry cutter could be used to do the job by hand.
Crumble the topping over the uncooked cake.
Bake for around 25 minutes.
Prepare the icing.
Drizzle the icing over the cake.
Serve and enjoy!
Erren’s Top Tips
- Don’t have a food processor? A pastry cutter could be used to make the topping by hand.
- The secret to a superb light cake is to cream the butter and sugar for at least 3 minutes.
- Not a fan of coconut, replace it with cinnamon instead for a more classic coffee cake.
- Enjoy the tang of cream cheese icing instead of vanilla? Try my cream cheese glaze recipe to switch things up.
- If you don’t have raspberry jam on hand, you can use any other fruit jam of your choice.
- Use cold butter in the topping for best results.
- Find yourself without buttermilk, don’t panic – just substitute using this handy formula: ¾ cup of buttermilk = ¾ cup milk with 2 ¼ teaspoons of lemon juice.
Note: I tested this recipe many times and on a couple of occasions, the jam sank into the cake during baking. When that happened, I added a little more over the hot cake after baking. It worked great giving a nice layer of jam from top to bottom (see the image above to see what it looks like when that happens).
Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Properly stored in an airtight container, the freshly baked coffee cake should stay fresh for up to 2 days at room temperature.
- To freeze the coffee cake (I suggest without icing) wrap tightly with foil or plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container or heavy duty freezer bag. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Make Your Own Jam
If you want to try making your own jam for this cake (it’s easier than you think), try my homemade raspberry jam or for something different, I have strawberry jam too!
Other Great Breakfast Recipes
FAQs
A coffee cake traditionally has a layer of cake and is topped with a delicious buttery streusel crumb topping. Best served with a cup of coffee or for breakfast. (Not to be confused with coffee cake in the UK which is flavored with coffee)
A coffee cake is similar to a crumb cake but a crumb cake would have a lot more topping than a coffee cake.
Did you make this?
Stay Updated
Receive new recipes & dinner ideas straight to your inbox!
Let’s Make Raspberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup raspberry jam
For The Topping
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 6 tbsp cold butter cubed
- 2 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Icing
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C and grease a 8 x 8 inch square pan.
For the crumb topping
- TO MAKE BY HAND Mix the flour, sugar, brown sugar, and coconut in a bow. Add the cold butter and using a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.
- IF USING A FOOD PROCESSOR: Add all of the ingredients to the bowl and pulse until the ingredients it resembles coarse bread crumbs.
- Set aside.
For the cake
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
- In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add the egg, then buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Mix the flour mixture into the wet in three batches scraping the bowl in between.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Add three rows of jam a third at a time evenly spaced over the surface of the cake.
- Crumble the crumb topping over the in between the rows of jam until evenly distributed.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with little to no crumbs. Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes while you prepare the icing.
For the Icing
- Add the powdered sugar in a medium bowl, add two tablespoons of milk and the vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined with no lumps. If the mixture is too thick, add one more tablespoon of milk.
- Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake before serving.
Tips + Notes
- Don’t have a food processor? A pastry cutter could be used to make the topping by hand.
- The secret to a superb light cake is to cream the butter and sugar for at least 3 minutes.
- To make your own buttermilk for this recipe: Use ¾ cup milk + 2 ¼ teaspoons vinegar. If you do use your own buttermilk, I would start with using half cup and add more to loosen the batter as needed. The batter needs to be quite thick to support the topping (see the step by step instructions for photos).
Alysa says
I have no clue what i did wrong. After 30 minutes of baking my cake was super runny in the middle and barely baked on the edges. The crumb also came out more like a runny butter spread. I’m more than sure it’s an error on my part. But the taste is still wonderful!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m sorry to hear that the texture didn’t turn out as expected, but I’m glad to hear the taste is still wonderful! Let’s troubleshoot the potential issues to help you achieve a better result next time:
Oven Temperature: Make sure your oven is preheated accurately to 350°F/176°C. An oven thermometer can help verify if your oven temperature is correct.
Ingredient Measurements: Double-check that you measured all the ingredients accurately, especially the flour. Too much flour can result in a denser and less moist cake.
Creaming Butter and Sugar: Creaming the butter and sugar for at least 3 minutes is crucial for a light cake. Ensure that the mixture is light and fluffy before proceeding to the next steps.
Buttermilk: If you made your own buttermilk using milk and vinegar, make sure it’s well mixed. The acidity in buttermilk can affect the leavening process, so ensure it’s evenly distributed in the batter.
Baking Time: Baking times can vary depending on the oven, so use the suggested time as a guide. Test the cake for doneness by inserting a cake tester or toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, it’s done.
Jam Placement: Ensure you’re spreading the jam evenly in three rows and not concentrating too much in one area. This can affect the cake’s consistency during baking.
Crumb Topping: The crumb topping should resemble coarse bread crumbs. If it turns into a runny butter spread, it might have been overmixed or had too much moisture. Double-check the measurements and consistency.
Pan Size: Make sure you used the recommended 8 x 8 inch square pan. Using a larger or smaller pan can affect the baking time and result in uneven cooking.
If you identify any discrepancies in the above points, adjusting them in your next attempt should help improve the texture of the cake. Please let us know how it turns out if you give it another try! 😊
K Grote says
nope, sorry but it wasn’t you. mine turned out the same way. after letting it bake an additional 15 or twenty minutes, and then sitting out for a few hours it was at least an edible mess.
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m sorry to hear you also had trouble with the baking time. It sounds like the cake needed more time to set properly. Oven temperatures can vary, so sometimes a bit of extra baking time is necessary. To help ensure the cake bakes evenly, you can try checking for doneness with a cake tester or toothpick starting at the 25-minute mark and then every 5 minutes after that until it comes out with little to no crumbs. I appreciate your feedback and hope your next attempt turns out better! Many readers have had success with this recipe, so I hope you give it another try.
Leah says
Can you double this to fit a 9×12 pan?
Erren Hart says
Hi, Leah. I would double the recipe for that big of a pan and adjust the baking time to 40 to 45 minutes.
Chun says
I can’t wait to make this!! Question, you mention the jam may sink… do you think i can intentionally add jam to the bottom of the pan to create a bottom layer of jam? I saw in your photos the jam at the top and bottom!
Erren Hart says
Hi Chun, You can add it to the bottom, but if the whole bottom is nothing but jam, you’ll probably have to scoop it out with a spoon instead of trying to slice it.
Erren Hart says
So happy to hear it! Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
Erren Hart says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by and sharing! 🙂
Tiffany Hill says
This a simple and delicious coffee cake. I love the jam and coconut crumb topping! My new favorite cake!
Erren Hart says
That’s so great! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
Christy Cook says
This is a terrific coffee cake. It’s moist and flavorful. Love the coconut! My jam sunk so thanks for the tip to add it after baking. It worked perfectly!
Erren Hart says
Yay! Love to hear that!
Bonnie says
I love this cake so much! I haven’t stopped dreaming about it since I made it! Well done, Erren!!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Bonnie 🙂
Erren Hart says
I am so happy to hear it! Thanks so much for the lovely feedback!
Marcy says
So much better than a store bought cake! Amazing!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so pleased you liked the recipe Marcy 🙂