Raspberry Cottage Cheese Breakfast Cake Recipe

Enjoy cake for breakfast with this Raspberry Cottage Cheese Breakfast Cake — a satisfying, protein-rich start to your day. Each slice delivers about 9 g of protein by combining cottage cheese, protein powder and eggs into a tender cake finished with a crunchy streusel. It pairs perfectly with coffee or tea and holds up well for make-ahead breakfasts.

If you like something sweet in the morning but want to avoid a sugar crash, this breakfast cake delivers the flavor of a morning treat without leaving you heavy or sluggish. It’s made from three simple components — streusel, dry ingredients and wet ingredients — that are combined, baked, and then sliced for breakfasts all week long.

Top tips from the kitchen

1. Expect a thick batter: The batter resembles a thick pancake batter rather than a pourable cake batter. It should be stirrable but not runny.
2. Blend the cottage cheese: For the smoothest texture, blend the cottage cheese before adding it to the wet ingredients.
3. Protein powder affects flavor: Use a vanilla whey or other flavored protein if you want a sweeter, more dessert-like crumble. Plain or unflavored protein powders make the cake less sweet and more neutral.

Optional raspberry drizzle

The raspberry drizzle is optional but pretty and delicious. To make it, whisk together:

• 2 tablespoons raspberry jam
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Water, 1 tablespoon at a time, about 2–4 tablespoons total until you reach a pourable consistency

Combine the jam, powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Stir, then add additional water one tablespoon at a time until the drizzle is the consistency you like. Drizzle over the cooled cake before slicing.

Fresh vs. frozen raspberries

Either fresh or frozen raspberries work. Frozen berries offer consistent sweetness and are a great choice when raspberries are out of season. If you use fresh berries out of season, pick the sweetest ones available to avoid an overly tart cake.

Ingredient swaps and variations

• Swap the berries: Substitute blueberries or a mixed-berry combination for raspberries to create a different flavor profile.
• Add nuts: Stir in chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel or sprinkle them on top for extra crunch.
• Alternative toppings: Skip the streusel and finish the cake with a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and milk, a drizzle of melted dark chocolate, or a swirl of peanut butter.

Breakfast cake + coffee = heaven

A slice of this raspberry protein breakfast cake with coffee or tea makes an indulgent, energizing morning combination. Keep it simple with black coffee or try a flavored latte to complement the cake’s almond and vanilla notes.

Raspberry Cottage Cheese Breakfast Cake — Recipe

This high-protein breakfast cake is built from wholesome ingredients like blended cottage cheese, eggs, almond milk and protein powder, topped with a crunchy streusel and raspberries for a bright fruity layer.

Author: Lee Funke

Prep: 20 mins • Cook: 40 mins • Total: 1 hour • Servings: 8

Ingredients

Streusel Topping

• ½ cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Dry Ingredients

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups frozen raspberries

Wet Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup avocado oil or unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup blended cottage cheese (blend until smooth)
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (or any milk)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Make the streusel: combine the rolled oats, flour, protein powder, brown sugar, cold butter and almond extract in a bowl. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend until a crumbly texture forms. Set aside.
3. Mix the dry ingredients: whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Combine the wet ingredients: in a separate bowl, mix the almond extract, brown sugar, avocado oil (or applesauce), blended cottage cheese, eggs and almond milk until smooth.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Gently fold in the frozen raspberries.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and evenly sprinkle the streusel on top. Bake for 20 minutes, then tent loosely with foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift the cake from the dish using the parchment paper and cool fully on a wire rack. If using the optional drizzle, add it to the cooled cake before slicing.

Tips & Notes

• Optional drizzle: Combine 2 tbsp raspberry jam with 3 tbsp powdered sugar and add water 1 tbsp at a time until pourable. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
• Use frozen raspberries for consistent sweetness when fresh berries are out of season. If using fresh raspberries, choose ripe, sweet fruit to avoid tartness.
• If the batter seems too thick, add almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches a smooth, stirrable consistency. Too-thick batter will make the cake dense.

Nutrition (approx. per serving)

Calories: 276 kcal • Carbohydrates: 41 g • Protein: 9 g • Fat: 9 g • Fiber: 3 g • Sugar: 16 g

Nutrition values are estimates and should be used as a guideline.

Watch it

There is a video demonstration available for this recipe.