Sometimes I get the urge to bake. Sometimes I get the urge to bake something specific. That happened last weekend. I was just going about my normal weekend cleaning routine and poof! There it was--the need to bake with blueberries. Random, right? Just five minutes before, no blueberry baking was planned. But there it was. The need. To bake with blueberries.
Luckily, I always keep frozen berries in the refrigerator. I buy them in large quantities when they are on sale, then bring them home, clean and dry them, and put them in freezer bags. I use them most often for smoothies and to put in oatmeal during the winter months. Sometimes I even grab a handful of frozen berries as a snack. But on this particular day, those frozen berries came in very, very handy.
Blueberry Crumb Cake
adapted from from Ina Garten via foodnetwork.com
Ingredients:
For the streusel:
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
For the cake:
6 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
2/3 c. sour cream or plain yogurt
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 c. fresh blueberries
confectioners' sugar for dusting
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round or 9x9 square baking pan.
2. To make the streusel, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.
3. For the cake, cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an
electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5
minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a
time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream.
4. While butter and sugar are creaming, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda,
and salt in a medium bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the
batter until just combined.
5. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a
spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers,
crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 45 to 50
minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve
sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. Serves 8 as a round or 9 as a square.