Once you’ve had today’s Hobee’s Blueberry Coffee Cake, you’re going to keep reaching for just one more bite. This classic Blueberry Coffee Cake is studded with fresh blueberries and topped with cinnamon streusel for a luscious crunch in every bite. It is the thing dreams are made of.
Because today is Memorial Day in the U.S. I added red raspberries and some white chocolate for a red, white, and blue baked treat! I hope you love the additions and have a beautiful holiday. Save this recipe to make again at the Fourth of July too!
This is my take on Hobee’s coffeecake – if you want a simple blueberry coffee cake, feel free to leave out the raspberries and white chocolate.
This is the perfect time of the year to make this coffee cake when the berries are plentiful in the grocery stores. If berries are not in season, you can use frozen blueberries. No need to thaw them, just put them in frozen and add a few minutes to the total bake time.
If you grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially on the Peninsula, you more than likely ate at Hobee’s Café. And if you went there, you saved room for a slice of their infamous coffee cake! We all knew that it was the ultimate ending to any meal.
Whether you were making a stop before heading over to the beach on a weekend or out for a fun brunch with friends, Hobee’s was the place to go. Fun and a little funky, everyone had a great time there.
There used to be Hobee’s restaurants scattered all over the Peninsula and the South Bay but many of them have closed over the years. Luckily a few have survived so we can still get our fix with a little driving to find them. And if you’re not in the area, you can buy the coffee cake from Goldbelly online!
I made mine with gluten-free flour but you could use regular all-purpose flour. Just use the same weight measurement listed in the recipe.
While you can make this with frozen berries, fresh are preferred if they are in season. If you do use frozen berries, do not thaw them first, they will come out beautifully from frozen.
My berries were especially juicy and there was a lot of liquid bubbling up to the surface while it was baking. It took longer to fully bake in the center. Look for dark golden brown edges that pull away from the pan and the center will be solid. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out with a few moist crumbs.
Today’s recipe for Hobee’s Blueberry Coffee Cake will bring back very happy memories to all of us who grew up going there and can be the beginning of new memories for you and your family. I hope you give it a try and treat your family to a wonderful way to begin any day!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Hobee’s Blueberry Coffee Cake:
- Cake: Blueberries, raspberries, flour, xanthan gum (if needed),
- Baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, sour cream,
- Vanilla, granulated sugar, white chocolate chips
- Topping: Brown sugar, unsalted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt
PRO Tip:
Coating the berries with flour and scattering them across the top of the batter helps keep them more suspended in the cake as it bakes since they tend to sink.
PRO Tip:
When shaking the excess flour off the berries and into a large bowl, do it in the sink in case you have flour that falls outside the bowl. It will save you a bunch of clean-up!
How to make Hobee’s Blueberry Coffee Cake:
- Make the Brown Sugar Topping: In a bowl using a fork or pastry cutter or using a food processor, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until blended. Add the butter and work it in until you have a coarse cornmeal-like texture with a few larger pieces. Set aside
- Prep the Berries: Rinse the blueberries and pat dry, then combine them with the raspberries and white chocolate chips. Toss them with 1 cup of the flour until evenly coated. Pour into a sieve or colander set over a large bowl and shake off the excess flour; set the berries aside.
- Make the Cake: Add remaining 3 cups of flour to the bowl with the excess flour from the berries, along with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the xanthan gum** if using. Whisk to blend.
- In the bowl of your mixer or a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and sugar until well combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until you have a smooth batter.
- Pour half the batter into a buttered 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan and scatter 2/3 of the mixed berries over the top. Sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture. Pour in the remaining batter, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining berries. Top with remaining brown sugar mixture.
- Bake the Cake: Bake in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool to warm room temperature in the baking pan before cutting into squares and serving. Top each piece with a dollop of soft butter if desired.
PRO Tip:
Instead of folding the berries into the batter, you pour half the batter into the prepared pan and top that with 2/3 of the berries. Then pour in the remaining batter and sprinkle with the last berries. This helps the berries stay suspended in the cake better.
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Gluten-Free Tips:
* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
** If you are baking gluten-free and your blend does not contain xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan to the dry ingredients.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Hobee's Blueberry Coffee Cake (Gluten Free)
Because today is Memorial Day in the U.S. I added red raspberries and some white chocolate to the blueberry coffee cake for a red, white, and blue breakfast treat! I hope you love the additions; feel free to leave them out if you want the classic blueberry coffee cake. Have a fun holiday!!
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Topping
- 1 cup (213g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick; 57g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg or cardamom, optional
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Coffee Cake
- 2 cups (280g to 340g) fresh blueberries, rinsed and stems removed
- 1 cup (120g) raspberries, optional (or more blueberries)
- 4 cups (480g*) gluten-free all-purpose flour*, divided (or regular wheat all-purpose flour if not gluten-free)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum, only if your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t already contain it **
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4 large eggs (200g)
- 2 cups (454g) sour cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (396g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (85g) white chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Butter a nonstick 9-by-13-inch (23x33 cm) baking pan. Also, if the pan is not nonstick, flour it (with GF flour if needed). Set aside.
- Make the Brown Sugar Topping: In a bowl and using a fork, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until blended. Add the butter and work it in using a pastry cutter or fork until you have a coarse cornmeal texture with a few larger pieces. Set aside.
- Prepare the Berries: Set a sieve in a large bowl. Rinse the blueberries in cold water, pat dry with paper towels, and combine them with the raspberries (if using). Then toss them all in 1 cup (120g*) of the flour. Pour the berries into the sieve set over a large bowl, set the bowl into the sink (to catch any flying flour) and shake the excess flour into the bowl. Set the berries aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Set a rack in the center of the oven.
- Make the Cake: Add the remaining 3 cups flour (360g*) to the bowl with the excess flour from the berries in it, along with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the xanthan gum** if using. Whisk to blend.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, beat together the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and granulated sugar until well combined. Scrape the bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until a smooth batter forms. Mix in the white chocolate chips. Scrape the bowl again.
- Assemble: Pour half the batter in the prepared pan and scatter 2/3 of the flour-coated berries over. Sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture. Pour in the rest of the batter, smooth the top, and scatter the rest of the berries on top. Sprinkle the top with the remaining brown sugar mixture.
- Bake the Cake: Place the cake in the hot oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is uniformly brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean, with just a few moist crumbs. The sides will pull away from the pan. Mine took a bit longer to fully bake in the center – there was a lot of liquid from the fresh berries. Tent some foil over the top if it is getting too brown.
- Let it cool to warm room temperature before cutting into squares and serving. You can top each piece with a dollop of soft butter if you want an authentic Hobee’s experience.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill
1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
** If you are baking gluten-free and your blend does not contain xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan to the dry ingredients. Do not use if you are baking with regular wheat flour.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 343Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 498mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 2gSugar: 13gProtein: 9g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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