Blueberry cake.

This is Mark’s favorite dessert.   I adapted it from a recipe in Cook’s Illustrated; my version is just a bit more healthful and convenient.

• Prepare

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly oil or spray bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform cake pan.  Line the bottom with parchment paper round.  Lightly oil or spray the parchment.   Dust pan with flour (bottom and sides) and knock out excess.

• Make the streusel topping
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened; OR 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus pinch salt; OR 4 tablespoons coconut oil plus pinch salt

Combine dry ingredients.  Work fat into dry ingredients,  either with fingers or in a standing mixer on low speed, until no large butter pieces remain.   Transfer to small bowl and set aside.

• Then make the cake:
  • 1 & 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 10 tablespoons salted butter, softened; OR 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus 1/2 teaspoon salt  (I have not tried coconut oil inside the cake — let me know, anyone, if it works)
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 cups good quality (individually quick-frozen) frozen blueberries, not thawed

Combine flour and baking powder and set aside.  In standing mixer, cream fat, sugar, and (if you are using it) salt, until fluffy.  Scrape down bowl.  Beat in extracts and then eggs.  Gradually add flour and beat 20 seconds; then stir by hand until fully mixed.  The batter will have cookie-dough consistency.  Gently but quickly, so they don’t thaw, fold in the blueberries with clean hands. 

Scoop the batter out of the bowl and transfer it to the springform pan, pressing it evenly down into the pan.  (Wash those hands!  They’re purple!)  Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the batter.  Bake about 1 hour until toothpick comes out "clean" (of batter that is — it’s gonna be purple if it speared a blueberry).

Cool in pan on wire rack 20 minutes or so.  Then run a knife around the edges of the pan and release the springform sides (cake can remain on pan bottom) and allow to cool until just warm.  Cut and serve.

Enjoy.  Mark always does…