Sherry’s Blueberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake 💙🍰
A nostalgic, melt-in-your-mouth masterpiece with layers of love, creaminess, and sweet blueberry bliss.
📝 Introduction
There are cakes that you enjoy once, and then there are cakes that live forever in your memory—Sherry’s Blueberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake is the latter. This charming dessert combines a tender, buttery base, a creamy layer of tangy cream cheese, and the fresh burst of ripe blueberries—all topped with a sweet crumbly topping that melts on your tongue. It’s a favorite at Sunday brunches, family picnics, and cozy coffee mornings. This cake tastes like it came straight from grandma’s kitchen and carries the love of homemade baking in every bite.
🧾 Ingredients
For the Crumb Cake Base:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
For the Cream Cheese Layer:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Fruit:
- 1 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen, if out of season)
🥣 Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Crumb Mixture
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in the softened butter using a pastry cutter or your hands until the mixture resembles soft crumbs.
- Set ½ cup of this crumb mixture aside for topping later.
Step 2: Form the Cake Base
- Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a firm crust.
- Bake this crust layer for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven to cool slightly.
Step 3: Make the Cream Cheese Layer
- In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat again until fully combined and creamy.
Step 4: Assemble the Cake
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the partially baked crust.
- Gently sprinkle the blueberries over the cream cheese layer.
- Crumble the reserved ½ cup crumb mixture on top.
Step 5: Bake to Perfection
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center is set.
- Let the cake cool in the pan, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.
🧠 Methods & Pro Tips
- Cream cheese must be soft: Leave it out at room temperature to ensure smooth blending.
- Cold hands = better crumbs: When making the crumb topping, use cold butter if you’re mixing by hand.
- Don’t overbake: The top should be golden, but the middle still slightly soft—it will firm up as it cools.
- Add lemon zest: A little lemon zest added to the cream cheese layer makes the flavors pop!
📜 History & Formation
This recipe is inspired by vintage American crumb cakes and Danish-style cheese pastries. Sherry, a home baker from Vermont in the 1980s, first introduced this at her church bake sale—and it was love at first bite. Over time, variations of this treat spread across potlucks, handwritten recipe cards, and now into modern kitchens. The formation of this cake is a beautiful marriage of a biscuit-style crust, cheesecake-style filling, and a rustic, peasant-style crumble—a truly layered history in every sense.
💌 Conclusion
Sherry’s Blueberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake is more than just a dessert—it’s a memory in the making. It’s for lazy Sunday mornings, special occasions, and quiet moments with coffee. Every forkful delivers creaminess, fruitiness, and the delicate crunch of crumbs made with love. Whether you’re baking for your family or surprising someone special, this cake speaks the universal language of comfort and joy.
💕 For the Lovers of Cake & Cream
If you love:
- Cheesecake
- Blueberry muffins
- Coffee cake
- Or nostalgic desserts that warm the soul…
Then this cake is your forever favorite. Try serving it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or chilled with whipped cream and a drizzle of blueberry sauce for a fancier twist.
Let the crumbly, creamy magic begin. 💙🫐