Skillet Blueberry Cornbread Coffee Cake

This Skillet Blueberry Cornbread Coffee Cake layers a moist, cornmeal-based cake with a sweet, crumbly topping. The cake batter, enriched with lemon zest and juice, incorporates the rustic texture of cornmeal with the lightness of all-purpose flour, and is studded with frozen blueberries for bursts of flavor. A simple brown sugar and butter crumb provides a contrasting texture and sweetness. Baked in a cast-iron skillet, this recipe yields a comforting, visually appealing cake that balances the savory notes of cornbread with the sweetness of a coffee cake, ideal for brunch or dessert.

Let’s Make It

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet. 

Make the crumb topping: In a medium-sized bowl, use a fork to combine the brown sugar, flour, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until no dry spots remain. Refrigerate until step 6.

Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.

Prepare the wet ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the milk and lemon juice until slightly thickened. (It’s ok if it curdles a bit – that’s supposed to happen!) Then add the melted butter, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk until well combined.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the blueberries (do not overmix).

Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and top with an even layer of the crumb topping. Bake for 55-65 minutes until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature.

While cake cools, make the lemon glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons lemon juice, adding more lemon juice if needed to make it pourable but not too thin.

If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and slice into 10 pieces. Enjoy immediately or store leftover cake under foil on the counter for up to 1 day before transferring to the refrigerator for another 4 days. If leftover cake gets dry, heat slices in the microwave for 15 seconds. 

Enjoy!