This is another childhood favorite which my mom happened to save! She made it for my dad on Tuesday and boy did he LOVE it. He left me a very effusive voice mail message about this blueberry cake of all things (my dad really only likes chocolate desserts or Drakes coffee cakes). So I got to work and made it yesterday for family and friends. It was delicious. Greg and Sylvie loved it and Andy did too (he who is not a blueberry fan). My friend Melissa said that she saw Jason hunched over the counter last night and couldn’t figure out what the heck he was doing. Turns out he was cutting and nibbling – cutting and nibbling. Another friend said the cake was so good and that she too couldn’t stop nibbling. Only problem was that the crumb topping constantly fell into her cleavage. Funny. Something for someone to enjoy later…back to baking…this couldn’t be easier to make. Really. Great for brunch, afternoon or after dinner with a little ice cream. It’s like a delicate blueberry muffin with crumb top everywhere. It is really packed with blueberries – and I’m sure it would be great with raspberries too. Enjoy!
blueberry cake with crumb topping:
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 cup) -softened
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup whole milk – pull to room temp if you think of it
2 cups blueberries (or raspberries or a mix)
topping-
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
scant 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons cold butter (1/4 cup)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 inch square baking pan.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and set aside.
Cream the sugar and butter until light at fluffy about 3-5 minutes. Add one egg, mix and scrape down and mix again to incorporate.
On lowest speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then half of the milk (about 1/4 cup), and repeat, ending with the flour. Mix until just incorporated. Scrape and fold by hand – then add the blueberries – (try not to crush them). The batter will seem very thick and bursting with berries.
Spread into prepared pan. Make the topping. Cut the butter into little pieces (pea size). Whisk the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and with your hands, mix the crumb to incorporate the butter by picking it up in handfuls and rubbing it together so that the butter (or some of it) becomes incorporated. Do this a few times.
Place crumb mixture evenly over batter and bake for about 42-46 minutes – as usual – check often and before. It is perfect warm out of the oven – although it might fall apart. Try to catch the crumbs. 🙂
