Blueberry Coffee Cake

Tender, buttery cake with a cinnamon-sugar swirl that runs though it? Yup!

Loads and loads of sweet juicy blueberries that get covered with an addictive, pecan-studded crumbly streusel topping? Yup!

Ready to make this wonderful Blueberry Coffee Cake as a last hurrah to July, 2021? Yup and yup again!!

Guys, this homey little cake is something that anyone who loves blueberries, coffee cake and pretty much summer in general, needs in their repertoire.

It’s perfect for breakfast and brunch, as an afternoon pick-me-up, or to serve as a simple little summer dessert!

Just the thing to whip up for the weekend. Here’s how:

After you’ve mixed up the cake batter, which is kept extra moist and light by the addition of buttermilk, you scrape half of it into a pan and sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon-sugar across the top.

Then you top with the rest of the batter (you’re gonna love that middle-of-the-cake swirl!)

And all of the lovely berries that get tossed with a little bit of panko to help them keep from sinking.

Now, you cover all of that with the buttery, brown sugar, pecan-y streusel mixture

And bake!

Your house will smell heavenly!

And the taste! So many wonderful textures and flavors! Make this once and I guarantee you’ll find yourself scheming as to just how soon you can make it again!! Have a wonderful weekend my friends! See you in August!!

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Blueberry Coffee Cake

Makes one 8x8-inch cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Bake Time: 55-65 minutes

Ingredients

For the streusel topping

• ½ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (packed)

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ cup toasted pecans, chopped

• 3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter cut into small cubes

For the cake

• 1 ½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon cornmeal

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup buttermilk, well-shaken

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 2 generous cups fresh blueberries

• 1 tablespoon panko

The Recipe

1. To make the steusel topping: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt. Add in the butter cubes and toss to coat. Then use your fingers to work the butter into the flour mixture until large moist clumps form. Set aside and keep chilled until ready to use. You could definitely even make this a day or two ahead and keep covered and chilled in the fridge until you’re ready.

2. To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray an 8x8-inch metal pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and soda and salt together and set aside.

4. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the ¾ cup of sugar with the butter until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom with a rubber spatula and beat in the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The mixture should look light and fluffy.

5. On low speed and in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions, add in the flour mixture, scraping down the bowl as needed. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

6. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture evenly across the batter. Scrape the remaining batter on top and smooth it out.

7. In a separate bowl, toss the berries with the panko and distribute them evenly across the top of the cake. Then, evenly sprinkle on the streusel mixture over the berries.

8. Bake the cake for about 55-56 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cake cool in the pan on a wire rack, then cut into squares and serve.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from an old issue of Bon Appétit Magazine.