Thursday, July 24, 2008

In Season: Blueberry Crumb Cake

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Like many bakers, I draw my baking inspiration from what looks good at the market. At the moment, the limelight falls on blueberries.It is the peak season for blueberries now, and the best time to devour this antioxidant rich superfood. In Georgia, it has been a good year for the local blueberries farms. Excellent crops have been reported, unlike last year, when the Easter freeze had wiped out 86% of the georgia state's blueberries. The good crop has translated into fresh fruits with an endearing price tag to the consumers. Always a welcoming sight when prices of everything else rockets up.

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The blueberries are sweet to eat out of hand, so some have found their ways into my morning bowl of granola and soy milk. Some have been dispatched to decorate a birthday cheesecake, while the rest of the cohorts are turned into this blueberry crumb cake.

The recipe I use for the crumb cake comes from one of my favorite food network host-Ina Garten. Although not a fan of the show itself, I love how simple and tasty her recipes always turn out. The blueberry crumb cake is no exception. It is fitting for a weekend brunch, or as a dessert after dinner, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. I added in another 1/2 cup of blueberries to the recipe, following a suggestion made by a reviewer on the site.

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My initial intention has been a thin slice for sampling and photo shoot before sending the rest to OCT's lab. But I like it so much that I succumb to the temptation and sneak another slice onto my plate once my first one is polished! Total lack of abstinance, as OCT would say.



Blueberry Crumb Cake
adopted from Barefoot Contessa via Food Network.com

For the streusel:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
For the cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh blueberries (I used 1.5 cups)
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For 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.

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. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined.

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 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

36 comments:

Mom24 said...

I love the Barefoot Contessa. I love all of her cookbooks, and I can't wait to make this. Why, must her show be so BORING? I don't get it. I'll stick to downloading her recipes and buying the books--she has a new one out this fall, yeah!

Snooky doodle said...

nice cake yummy

Susan @ My Wholefood Family Essentials said...

Looks delicious. Would it work just as well with frozen blueberries? The fresh ones are ridiculously expensive here!

Y said...

That looks like a very good cake indeed. I think I would have been hard pressed to stop at just one small slice too!

Cookie baker Lynn said...

I'm a total sucker for blueberries. I would've inhaled half of this cake for sure!

Yuri said...

Hi Mandy, I've been reading your blog rather silently for a while. Is this cake sweet, in your opinion? Most of my tasters do not have sweet tooth :) Thanks!

Sophie said...

I'm actually not a huge fan of the show either :)....but I do love anything blueberry, especially if it's a crumb cake. You really captured the crumbliness very well -- blueberries and carbs were meant to go together :D.

test it comm said...

That blueberry crumb cake looks so good!

Anonymous said...

this looks really great. blueberries are awesome here right now. next time I am at the market I will have to snatch some up to make this. unless my daughter eats them all.

Manggy said...

Pfft, let OCT talk... You're entitled to the fruits of your own labor! Especially when they're so delicious! :)

Helene said...

I have got a freezer full of blueberries...Mandy, I think I am in love with this recipe!!

Anonymous said...

this is one great looking cake! I love berries of all kinds, also I tend to come raspberries more than blueberries:) this is a great recipe! Thank you for sharing with us. BTW, great pics too!

daphne said...

That looks wonderful! I was wondering the same question regarding frozen blueberries too. I can't wait till summer to try this recipe.. haha. it looks too good!

Dita said...

oohhhhhhhh....this looksssssss really sweet!!!!

CookiePie said...

Gorgeous cake! I love Ina Garten - her recipes are always so easy to follow and they come out so delicious. Lovely pics too!

Bonbon Oiseau said...

i would kill for a piece right now...your photos are beautiful as usual!

Sarah said...

This looks too good! I'm almost sad I opened this page, because I can't eat any of that delicious cake for breakfast! Not too sad though, because I can look forward to making it some time. :) Looks so pretty!

Mandy said...

food.baby, Daphne,
frozen blueberries work too!

grace said...

the streusel topping on this cake is ridiculous (in a good way, of course). that's my favorite part of a crumb cake, even when those luscious blueberries are involved. nicely done!

crunchLin said...

man oh man this looks good.! its perfect! Ive been craving a coffee crumb cake && i have tons of blueberries in the fridge! im making this tonight! thanks!!

Anonymous said...

Mmmm, anything with blueberry is in is great for me. This looks really good.

Katie said...

I love Streusel and this cake looks so good. Perfect Crumb layer and nice blueberry color.

Anonymous said...

That looks really good! Love using blueberries in cakes, muffins, etc! :)

Brilynn said...

That cake is just lovely, excellent use of blueberries!

Shelby said...

Your crumbcake looks delicious. I just went berry picking last weekend and have a freezer full of blueberries! I will be saving this recipe for one to try with some of my blueberries!

Thip said...

Hi Mandy,

I'm passing along this award to you, feel free to check the info on my blog on July 26. Thank you.

ganache-ganache said...

OMG, berries again ! Mandy, u make me so jealous of all those purple gems, I'll try this recipe out, halve though, the blueberries in my freezer running low........

Anonymous said...

It's early morning and I'm hungry and all I have with me is a nutrition bar and this blueberry cake sure looks good.... Unfair, I say!

Just picked up some berries at the market, and I think you've convinced me of how I'll use them!

Deborah said...

You can't go wrong with Ina - this looks amazing!

Patricia Scarpin said...

This looks so good. Fresh blueberries cost a fortune here, do you think I could make this with frozen blueberries? (I'm sorry if it sounds like a dumb question). :)

Mandy said...

patricia,
yes,I think you can use frozen blueberries too. And no, that's not a dumb question at all!

The City Sage said...

Ooh, this looks divine! Leave it to Ina to come up with another gorgeous vehicle for streusel topping!

I'll bet this recipe would be a hit at a brunch gathering...

Kajal@aapplemint said...

oh yum ! this looks super tempting ans so delicious. Think i'll also like a scoop of vanilla ice cream with it.

Aaron Burkhalter said...

I tried this out after finding you on Food Gawker. This was a great recipe! Especially at the top of blueberry season. Loved it! Thanks!

ring-a-ding-a-ling said...

Hiya! Gave it a shot, great recipe! cheers Ling

Anonymous said...

amazing recipe! My family's not into sweets at all, so this was perfect. Not extremely sweet but also not bland. I love the hint of lemon from the zest as well. Thanks!

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