sweets for every tooth.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

It's a Caaaake! (Of blueberries, that is)

A little homage to one of my favorite movies, My Big Fat Greek Wedding.  I cannot hear or say the word "cake" without thinking Bundt... Buuuundt... Bundt... Buuuundt... Bundt... oh, it's a khaaaake!  Why is there a hole in the khake?...I fix it! *enter bundt cake complete with potted plant in middle.*

But I digress.



What this really is about is a delicious blueberry cake.  One could call it a coffee cake, and thus eat it for breakfast with a lovely cup of coffee.  Or one could call it simply a cake, and thus eat it for dessert with a hearty scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.  Both are entirely acceptable and encouraged.

Let me let you in on a little secret before I share this recipe.  I didn't have enough brown sugar to bake this cake *Gasp* Caity out of her third favorite baking ingredient after vanilla and cinnamon???  Yes, it's true, sometimes when you're broke you run out of things.  But then you realize you ahve other random things in your cupboard, so you toss some molasses into the mix.  Success.  I am going to present this recipe to you sans molasses, but just know, I only put in about 1/4 Cup brown sugar, and a couple Tablespoons molasses to make up for the lack of caramelly goodness in the brown sugar.

Here's what you'll need:


2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
¾ cup Brown Sugar
(as aforementioned, I used 1/4 cup plus some molasses)
½ cup Granulated Sugar
3 Eggs
1 Cup Milk
(whatever you've got, I like to pretend I'm healthy and used skim)
1 ½ Cups Blueberries
(or more if you're game, preferably fresh, if frozen don't defrost prior to use)
Ample Cinnamon-Sugar for sprinkling on top


1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease and flour, or line with waxed paper, one 9x13 inch pan.


2. Cream butter and sugars in mixing bowl.  Add in eggs and mix until well combined.  Add flour, baking powder, salt and milk and mix until well combined.


3. Gently fold in 1 cup blueberries.


4. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup blueberries on top.  Sprinkle a bunch of cinnamon sugar on top as well.  The more the merrier, I always say.  A bit more sugar than cinnamon is recommended to achieve a crunchy top layer, but equal opportunity sprinkling is not frowned upon.


5. Bake 40-50 minutes on middle rack of oven, until knife or toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  Don't overbake this guy, it'll just turn dry and as far as I know nobody likes a dry cake.  

Slice n' serve.  For breakfast or dessert.  Or a snack.  Or a side dish.  Really the options are limitless.

This is a fantastic litle beauty of a cake.  The batter consistency is sort of like a pancake, which really lends itself to the whole "this is totally a breakfast dish" theory, but it bakes up into a spongy yet moist and dense cake bursting with blueberry flavor.  Give it a try.  Maybe even be daring and toss some lemon zest in the batter or on top.  Or add in a blackberry or two.  I repeat, the options are limitless.  And don't forget that ice cream on the side.

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