Glazed Blueberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake -- The Weight of a Conversation Worth Having

April and something shifted in me this week. I drove to Mobile on Saturday and I texted Crystal first to say I was coming, which I have not done before. She texted back immediately: I will be at the shelter until four, I can meet you after. We met at a coffee shop near the shelter, a small place with mismatched chairs and a chalkboard menu, and we sat across from each other for the first time outside a gas station convenience store.

She is forty-four years old. She has been clean for three years, she told me, in a matter-of-fact way that suggested she has said this many times and has stopped needing it to be a bigger statement than it is. She works at the Quick-Mart and does some peer support work at the shelter. She has been at the shelter longer than three years but she lives there by choice now because she helps run their morning meeting. She did not describe her life as successful. She described it as stable, which I respect as an honest word for where she is.

She asked me questions and I answered them, about my work and about Gloria and James and about Tyler. When I said Tyler she said you are in a relationship? I said yes. She said is he good. I said yes. She said good. Her voice had something in it I could not name.

We were there two hours. I drove home and sat in my parking lot for a few minutes after and thought: well. That happened. The sentence in my chest was not resolved or unresolved. It was just there, with weight to it, and I was carrying it, and I could do that.

We sat in that coffee shop for two hours over drinks I barely remember, and what I kept thinking about on the drive home was how ordinary it all felt —and how much that ordinariness meant. When I got back, I wanted something that matched that feeling: something warm and a little sweet, with enough substance to it that you know it’s real. I’ve made this Glazed Blueberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake a handful of times, but I made it again that evening because it belongs in coffee shops and quiet kitchens alike, and because some things just need to be marked.

Glazed Blueberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• For the glaze:
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2–3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or a 9-inch round springform pan and set aside.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
4. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
5. Alternate wet and dry. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk (beginning and ending with the flour). Mix just until combined —do not overmix.
6. Fold in blueberries. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter using a rubber spatula, taking care not to crush them.
7. Bake. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is lightly golden.
8. Cool. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before glazing.
9. Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Add milk one tablespoon at a time to reach your desired consistency.
10. Glaze and serve. Drizzle the glaze over the warm cake. Slice and serve directly from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 280 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 45g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 210mg