This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This single serving blueberry coffee cake is oven-baked in a ramekin until soft and tender, packed with juicy blueberries and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze.
Featured Comment
“This was so simple to toss together and so moist and delicious. Definitely on my rotating breakfast menu!”
– Beth
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Equipment: 10-ounce ramekin
- Cook Method: Oven-baked
- Servings: 1 serving
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: The crumb is soft and buttery, lightly sweet with warm cinnamon running through it, and the blueberries bake down into juicy pockets that burst with sweet blueberry flavor.
This small blueberry coffee cake bakes up as one single serving, the right size when you want something sweet without a whole cake to finish.
Why You’ll Love This Single Serving Coffee Cake Recipe
I love coffee cake, but baking a whole pan just for myself means eating it all week or throwing half of it out. So I make it in a single ramekin instead.
This small blueberry coffee cake gives me the soft, buttery treat I want with my morning coffee, in just the right size.
And it’s a true coffee cake, baked in the oven the way it should be. It rises tall in the ramekin, with a tender crumb packed with blueberries.
I melt the butter so it stirs easily into the sugar, no mixer needed, and it keeps the cake moist. The egg yolk adds richness and structure, and using just the yolk leaves you an egg white to save for one of my egg white recipes. Warm cinnamon goes into the batter, and a vanilla glaze finishes the top.
I let it cool just long enough for the glaze to set, then eat it warm straight from the ramekin, the blueberries still juicy from the oven.
If you bake for one and love blueberries, try my blueberry muffin for one, mini blueberry cake, and small batch blueberry scones next.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what goes into this small coffee cake recipe and what each ingredient does. If you have anything left over, my Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder will help you use it up.
Salted butter: Melted butter keeps the cake moist and gives it a tender crumb, and melting it is what lets you stir everything together by hand. I use salted butter; if you only have unsalted, add an extra pinch of salt.
Granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens the cake and keeps the crumb soft, since it holds on to moisture as the cake bakes.
Egg yolk: Just the yolk goes in. It adds richness and binds the batter, and keeping it to the yolk lets the small cake stay tender, since a whole egg would add more liquid than this little bit of flour can take. You’ll have a white left over for one of my egg white recipes, like a small white cake or small batch meringue cookies.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla rounds out the flavor in both the batter and the glaze.
All-purpose flour: Flour gives the cake its structure and holds the crumb together.
Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon is what makes this read as coffee cake. It warms the batter and echoes the vanilla in the glaze.
Baking powder: Baking powder is the lift that helps the cake rise in the ramekin. There’s only a little doing the work, so make sure yours is fresh.
Salt: A little salt balances the sweetness.
Milk: Milk loosens the batter to the right consistency. Any kind works, whether it’s whole, 2%, skim, or a plant milk like almond.
Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are best here. You can use frozen if you thaw and dry them well so they don’t bleed into the batter, and I walk through the full method in the FAQs. Leftover berries are good in my lemon blueberry muffin for one or blueberry cobbler for one.
Glaze (optional): The glaze is powdered sugar whisked with a little milk or cream and vanilla, just enough to drizzle over the top. Skip it if you’d rather keep it simple.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few easy ways to change up your single serve coffee cake:
Add a streusel topping: Mix 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon softened salted butter until crumbly, then sprinkle it over the batter before baking. Use it in place of the glaze, or keep both for a sweeter top.
Make it lemon blueberry: Add ¼ teaspoon fresh lemon zest to the batter, or swap the vanilla for lemon juice, for a lemon-blueberry flavor.
Use other berries: Swap the blueberries for the same amount of raspberries, blackberries, or a mix.
Add nuts: Fold 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter for crunch.
Classic cinnamon coffee cake: Leave out the blueberries for a classic coffee cake. Everything else stays the same.
How To Make A Blueberry Coffee Cake For One
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make a small blueberry coffee cake. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly grease a 10-ounce ramekin with butter.
- In a small bowl, stir the melted butter and sugar together until smooth.
- Stir in the egg yolk and vanilla until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the butter mixture and stir just until combined.
- Stir in the milk, then gently fold in the blueberries until they’re evenly spread through the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the greased ramekin and smooth the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- For the optional glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth, then drizzle over the cake once it has cooled slightly.
Expert Tips
Use a 10-ounce ramekin: This cake is built for a 10-ounce ramekin, about 4 inches wide. The size gives it the right height and matches the bake time below. A larger dish bakes faster, a smaller one slower.
Level your flour: With only 5 tablespoons of flour, a heaped or packed spoon throws the ratio off more than it would in a full-size cake. Spoon the flour loosely into the tablespoon and sweep the top level with a knife so the cake doesn’t bake up dry or heavy.
Don’t overmix the batter: Stir the wet and dry together just until the flour disappears. Overmixing builds gluten and makes the cake tough, so a few lumps are fine.
Check it at 30 minutes: Ovens vary, so start checking at the 30-minute mark. It’s done when the top is golden and a knife in the center comes out clean.
Troubleshooting
If your coffee cake isn’t turning out quite right, here is how to fix common issues like a dense cake, a dry crumb, or a glaze that’s too thick or thin.
Why is my coffee cake flat or dense?
The most common reason is old baking powder. Only ⅛ teaspoon does the lifting in this small cake, so if it has lost its strength, the cake bakes up flat instead of tall. To test it, stir ¼ teaspoon of baking powder into ½ cup of hot water; if it bubbles right away, it’s still good. Overmixing can also make the cake dense, so stir just until the flour disappears.
Why did my cake turn out dry?
A dry cake usually means it baked too long. Ovens vary, so start checking at 30 minutes and pull the cake as soon as a knife in the center comes out clean. Too much flour can also dry it out, so spoon it loosely into the measuring spoon and level the top.
Why is my glaze too thick or too thin?
If the glaze is too thick, stir in a few drops of milk or cream; if it is too thin, add more powdered sugar. Adjust a little at a time until it drizzles off the spoon and holds on the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Fresh blueberries are best, but frozen work if you prep them. Thaw and rinse them several times until the water runs noticeably lighter, dry them well between layers of paper towels on the top and bottom, then stir them into the batter gently and quickly. A few streaks of blue are fine; if the batter starts turning blue all over, stop stirring.
Yes. The glaze is optional and the cake is good on its own. Leave it off for a less sweet treat, or add a streusel topping instead.
Yes. Double all the ingredients and bake in two 10-ounce ramekins or one 5×5-inch baking dish to make two mini coffee cakes.
Keep leftover coffee cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days.
No. Use just the egg yolk. A whole egg adds more liquid than this small amount of flour can take, which makes the cake heavy.
Yes. Let the cake cool completely, wrap it well in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw it at room temperature and add the glaze after thawing.
RELATED: 15 Easy Single Serving Dessert Recipes
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this blueberry coffee cake recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
Made this blueberry coffee cake for one? Tell me how it went with a star rating and a comment below. And if you snap a picture, tag (@onedishkitchen) on Instagram so I can take a look.
Blueberry Coffee Cake For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter – melted, plus more for greasing the ramekin
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ⅓ cup blueberries
For the glaze (optional)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk or heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Lightly grease a 10-ounce ramekin with butter.
- In a small bowl, stir the melted butter and sugar together until smooth.
- Stir in the egg yolk and vanilla until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir just until combined.
- Stir in the milk.
- Gently fold in the blueberries until evenly distributed.
- Spoon the batter into the greased ramekin and smooth the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- For the optional glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cake once it has cooled slightly.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I have made this several times- it is sooo delicious and easy to make
hi! can it be done in an airfyer?
We have not tested this recipe in an air fryer.
What would happen if you used all of the egg? Would it not be the same result? Thank you
We do not recommend using the entire egg as it will alter the texture of the cake.
I am not much of a baker but I happened to have all the ingredients. It came out fantastic! So delicious and moist. I added some turbinado sugar to the top for extra crunch. I shared it with 2 other people and it was just the right amount of sweetness we needed. I love this website!
Thank you, Erika. I’m so happy you all enjoyed the coffee cake.
Turbinado sugar is next level delicious.
If making two ramekins, can one whole egg be successfully used, instead of two yolks?
I haven’t used the entire egg when doubling the recipe but it should work fine.
I thought I had blueberries in the freezer but my search turned up empty. I did find some diced peaches cups in my pantry that I give to my grandchildren when they visit, so I drained one and used the peaches in the cake. It turned out great!
I made this one afternoon with raspberries for me. It was incredible. My husband, who does not like raspberries, tried a bite and loved it so I make his with blueberries or strawberries. It doesn’t even need the icing. Thank you so much for sharing.