Blueberry Crumb Cake

So, how's everyone doing with their New Year's Weight Loss Resolutions?  Me? I'm doing fine. You see, I play it safe. I don't make them.  Well, I do, but they are never food-related.   I make no secret that I have a wicked sweet tooth.   I love dessert. I just try to resist going back for seconds.

So, about that healthy eating thing that kicks into full gear in January...  how about blueberries? They're loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. They're terrific with some Greek Yogurt. Absolutely! But, that's not what I did with the blueberries I couldn't resist buying.   I wanted to bake something for breakfast.  I blame it on the Blue Bottle Coffee that I bought, while we were in San Francisco.  Wow, is that ever great coffee!  So, I decided to bake a crumb cake.  To be on the safe side, I chose a recipe from Ina Garten.  I trust her recipes. 

The streusel is easy to make-- flour, white and brown sugar, cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg. Now, we add one stick of unsalted butter that's been melted, and blend it all together.

The cake batter: anytime I see sour cream as an ingredient, I anticipate a really moist cake.  The batter begins with 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter and sugar. Be sure to cream it with a mixer for 4-5 minutes. We want lots of air and fluffy goodness.  Then, we add eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and then the rest of the dry ingredients-- flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda. (Don't worry, a printable recipe card is at the end of this post.)   I usually let my husband lick the beater blades. But, this time, I had to dip my fingers around the edges.  This batter tastes great!

Very gently, fold about a cup of blueberries (I added a bit more).

Evenly spread the batter into a prepared 9" cake pan. I used a Springform Pan with parchment paper on the bottom.

With your hands, mix up the streusel topping, and then evenly spread it on top of the cake batter.

Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes.  The aroma is so good, while it bakes!  I checked mine at 40 minutes with a toothpick, but the center needed about five more minutes.  Cool.  NOTE: I like to eat my coffee cakes on the warm side, so I let it cool for about 20 minutes.

I'll bet this cake would look pretty with a dusting of powdered sugar. I didn't want to do that, because I prefer to dust by the slice. 

VERDICT:  This is "bakery good".  The cake is really moist. It's not super sweet.  The crumb topping is just how it should be.  Need I say more?  Ina Garten has great quality control in any recipe she posts.  This is a coffee cake I would serve to any guest in my home.  I think this recipe would work as muffins, too.   

I justify fruit and cake for breakfast as perfectly acceptable.  I just have to swim a few extra laps. Next week. 

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