This Vegan Blackberry Coffee Cake is quick, easy and delicious light cake that is perfect with tea or coffee for a sweet treat. Ready in under an hour, it’s a sweet, moist, and fluffy cinnamon cake with bursts of tangy blackberries, topped with a golden brown sugar streusel.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Vegan friendly
- Quick and easy – ready in under an hour!
- Juicy blackberries make this cake extra moist and give it a little hint of tartness to complement the sweet cinnamon flavor. Fresh blackberries are best but you can also use frozen if they are not in season.
- Light, sweet and moist – the perfect simple cake that’s not too heavy to be eaten during the daytime (or even for breakfast) with a cup of tea or coffee.
Ingredients
This cake is made from mostly pantry staples, so you should be able to find everything easily at your local supermarket. If fresh blackberries are not available, you can substitute them for frozen ones.
You’ll find the specific quantities for each ingredient listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but for your convenience, here’s a shopping list of everything you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Salt
- Neutral oil
- Oat milk
- Light brown sugar
- Unsweetened apple sauce
- Vanilla extract
- Fresh blackberries (or substitute with frozen if fresh blackberries unavailable)
Instructions
Step One: Make the streusel topping by combining the ingredients until crumbly.
Step Two: Mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl.
Step Three: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until smooth.
Step Four: Fold the blackberries into the batter until evenly distributed.
Step Five: Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and level it out.
Step Six: Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the batter.
Step Seven: Bake until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when inserted.
Did You Know?
Coffee cake doesn’t have to taste like coffee; it’s simply a cake traditionally enjoyed with coffee, originating in America.
Substitutions
Here are some tried and tested substitutions and variations for swapping ingredients in this recipe!
- Blackberries: Omit, use frozen, or substitute with raspberries.
- Nutmeg: Optional, can be omitted.
- Plant-based milk: Any variety can be used, such as soy, almond, or oat milk.
- Brown sugar: Replace with granulated sugar if needed. Oh and if you’re a baking nerd like myself – check out this cool guide from the Kitchn on all things sugar so you know which ones to use for your baking adventures.
Storage
Store the coffee cake in an airtight container or tightly covered for up to 3 days, but it’s best enjoyed fresh. For longer storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw at room temperature for 3 hours if frozen, then warm in the oven if desired.
Expert Tip
Want your blackberries to stay at the top of the cake, not the bottom? Portion out about 1/4 of the batter into your cake tin, then fold the blackberries into the remaining mixture and add to the cake tin. This ensures even distribution of blackberries throughout the cake, with none sinking to the bottom.
FAQ
Streusel is a crumbly topping made from a mixture of flour, sugar, and fat, often butter, used to add texture and flavor to baked goods.
Coffee cake typically consists of a moist cake batter flavored with spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, often with fruit or nuts, and topped with streusel. Despite its name, it’s not necessarily made with coffee but is enjoyed alongside it.
The main distinction lies in their toppings. American coffee cake usually features a streusel topping, while British versions often have a glaze or icing.
Yes, coffee cake is commonly linked with American baking traditions.
Yes, you can modify this recipe to make muffins by adjusting the baking time accordingly and portioning the batter into muffin tins.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this cake with a hot pot of tea (my personal favorite would be Earl Grey or English Breakfast) or a cup of coffee. If you’re feeling extra indulgent, cozy up with my Maple Cinnamon Latte to really go all-out on those fall spices!
Or if you’re Looking for more vegan cake recipes, or sweet baked treats, some of my other favorites include Easy Vegan Vanilla Cake – its soft, fluffy, and perfect for any occasion; my Chocolate Banana Bread is rich, moist, and great with coffee, Ginger & Lime Cupcakes are bright and lightly spiced, Rhubarb Apple Crumble is cozy with a golden topping, and Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake so warm, with seasonal flavor!
This Vegan Blackberry Coffee Cake is delicious as a cozy morning breakfast or an afternoon tea gathering with friends. Its simplicity, sweet light flavors of cinnamon and tangy blackberries have the perfect flavor balance.
I hope you love this cake! If you enjoy it, I would LOVE if you could leave a star rating and review — it really helps Google show my recipes to more people! You can also tag me on Instagram @glowdiaries___, and I will reshare your posts 🙂
Vegan Coffee Cake With Cinnamon Streusel and Blackberries
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Light brown sugar packed, (150g)
- ¼ cup Neutral oil (60ml)
- 1/3 cup Unsweetened apple sauce (78ml)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract (5ml)
- 3/4 cup Oat milk (180ml)
- 2 cups All-purpose flour (240g)
- 1 tablespoon Baking powder (13g)
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon (1g)
- ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg (½ g)
- ½ teaspoon Salt (3g)
- 2 cups Fresh blackberries (250g) washed and dried
Streusel:
- ¼ cup Light brown sugar packed, (50g)
- 6 tablespoon All-purpose flour (45g)
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon (1g)
- 2 tablespoon Neutral oil (30ml)
- 2 teaspoon Water (10ml)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch (20cm) square baking pan or line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add the oil and stir until the mixture resembles damp sand. Add the water a little at a time and mix or crumble with your fingers until small clumps form. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and oat milk until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir until just combined. Gently fold in the blackberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Crumble the streusel mixture evenly over the top, pressing it lightly so it sticks to the batter.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Tine says
the streusel topping was my fave part, its so crunchy and sweet!!