I have a little secret, I am pretty competitive. I enjoy entering competitions, especially if there is baking involved. I love participating in the local County Fair Open Class domestics, and I have done pretty well, but the “Best of Fair” has always eluded me, and I have decided this is the year I really try to grab a Best of Fair Rosette to hang in my kitchen. When I first made this Blackberry Coffee Cake I instantly thought it had best of fair potential. So I hit the ground running with this recipe which led to the baking of 2 more batches in one week. After 3 attempts at Blackberry coffee cake I got it to where I am very happy with it.
The first run through was devoured by my family before I could even think of taking any pictures. I took the immediate disappearance of my blackberry coffee, as a sign that this coffee cake was something special. The cake is moist and has a very nice vanilla flavor, and the big juicy blackberries are a lovely compliment to it. It is a great basic coffee cake, suitable for company, but can be mixed up easily enough for a quick Sunday Brunch.
Cake #2: FAIL
Blackberry coffee cake #2 was my first attempt at baking this in a spring-form pan. My first cake was made in a 9×13 pan which turned out great and is actually a size I prefer for my family, but presentation wise not so pretty when it would have to be baked in a disposable pan. I liked the springform pan because I could totally remove the cake, place it on a foil covered piece of cardboard with a doily on it, totally disposable and cheap too. I did also try to substitute butter flavored Crisco for the butter in the recipe. This substitution did not work for me! All the berries sunk to the bottom, I really do not know what caused this, but I am not planning on trying the Crisco substitution in this recipe again.
Third Times a Charm!
Cake #3 made with butter worked perfectly, just like the first cake in the 9×13 pan, but now in a spring-form pan. I did think this cake needed a little something else. My first thought was crumb topping, but this cake is already packing 1 cup of butter which is plenty. I decided on a simple lemon glaze. My daughter told me the lemon glaze with the blackberries was “so good”. I am trying to exercise self-control and no long eat 1/2 of what I bake all by myself, so I had a small piece. It was very good, the lemon really accented the cake very nicely.

Blackberry Coffee Cake with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
Blackberry Filling:
- 1 1/4 cups frozen thawed and well drained blackberries
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Coffee Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 container, 8 ounces sour cream
Lemon Glaze::
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 lemon, zest finely grated
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and side of 8-inch round spring-form pan with shortening; lightly flour.
- In small bowl, mix all Blackberry Filling ingredients; set aside.
- In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in flour mixture alternately with sour cream on low speed.
- Spread one-third of the batter in pan; sprinkle with half of the filling. Spoon another one-third of the batter by tablespoonfuls over filling; sprinkle with remaining filling. Spoon remaining batter over filling; spread evenly.
- Bake coffee cake 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir all Lemon Glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over cooled coffee cake.

Kathryn
Sunday 1st of June 2014
I would love to make this recipe. Where can I find the recipe? thanks Kathryn
Jennifer Morrisey
Sunday 1st of June 2014
Hi Kathryn, I am sorry the recipe was down, thank you for letting me know! I have fixed the problem and it should be working now. I hope you enjoy it, looking at it now makes me want to make, but I am out of blackberries, and we have a ways to go before the local ones are available :-( Make sure to come back and let me know what you think of it after you make it!
Rachel @{I love} my disorganized life
Friday 28th of June 2013
Coffee cakes are one of my {many} weaknesses! Yours looks and sounds absolutely delightful. I'm hopeful for you at the fair! Pinning, because I am definitely making this!
Jennifer Morrisey
Monday 15th of July 2013
Thank you so much Rachel!
Akaleistar
Sunday 23rd of June 2013
That looks really good. Good luck at the fair!
Jennifer Morrisey
Monday 24th of June 2013
Thank you so much! It is always fun even if we don't get a ribbon :-)
tanya
Thursday 20th of June 2013
I like how determined you were to get this right! I love blackberry desserts! The lemon glaze is perfect on top!