Sunday, June 20, 2010

Happy Father's Day and Blueberry Cake

It's Father's Day and I'm pleased to share this simple blueberry cake with you today. It comes from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott and was chosen by The Cake Slice Bakers for the month of June. It's a delicious, light and buttery snack cake studded with plump blueberries and perfect for Summer or that special Dad in your life.

I have to be honest and say that the cakes in this book have been hit or miss for me. Just about every other cake recipe from this book is a good one and it just so happens that this choice is a favorite. Yay! Here is a run down of the cakes that I've made from this book:

Back to this cake. As I mentioned this cake was a success, but that may be because I'm partial to blueberries. I always have blueberries on hand- either fresh in the fridge or marble-like bagfuls in the freezer. Luckily this cake calls for unthawed frozen berries so I was in luck. The only tip I have to offer when making this cake is that once you add the frozen berries to the bowl and fold them in, the batter will seize up a bit, will get cold, thick and stiff. It was almost impossible to spread the batter into the pan without mutilating the berries so I wet my hands and pressed the batter into the pan. This worked out very well.

This blueberry cake was buttery and tender, soft on the inside and a little crunchy on the top from the tablespoon of sugar I sprinkled on top. It baked in exactly 30 minutes and we had this along with bacon and eggs, orange juice and espresso for breakfast. I was tempted to add a little vanilla or orange/lemon zest to the batter but it didn't need it at all, in my opinion. It was like having a slice of blueberry muffin- go good. It was especially nice the next day warmed up a bit with a pat of butter melting into it. If blueberries aren't your thing, frozen raspberries, or blackberries or a combination of would be really nice.

Shenandoah Valley Blueberry Cake from Southern Cakes

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  • 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar* (see note)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)

Heat the oven to 375F and generously grease a 9 inch square or round pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and stir with a fork to mix well. In a medium bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat with a mixer at high speed until well combined. Add the egg and beat well for 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl until the mixture is smooth and light.

Stir in half the flour mixture then half the milk, mixing just enough to keep the batter fairly smooth and well combined. Add the remaining flour, then the rest of the milk, mixing gently. Stir in the blueberries.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread into corners (my batter was really thick so I wet my hands and pressed it into the pan). Bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until the cake is golden, springs back when touched gently in the centre and is pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Serve a square of cake right from the pan, warm or at room temperature. If its round, let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack or folded kitchen towel for 10 minutes and then turn it out to cool, top side up.

NOTE: I reserved 1 Tablespoon of sugar and sprinkled it on top of the cake prior to baking.

For more blueberry cakes, visit the other Cake Slice Bakers!_______________________________________________

On another note, on this day, June 20, 2004, Mr. h and I were engaged. You can read more about it HERE if you'd like. I wish you all a wonderfully lazy Sunday. Happy Father's Day!

18 comments:

  1. Wow, the texture looks really nice. I wish I had blueberries on hand right now, but I don't. Thanks for the recipe. I think I have a spatula just like yours. :) From pampered chef?

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  2. Hi Baking,

    My lavender spatula is from Williams-Sonoma. I've got about a dozen of them in different colors and sizes and I love 'em! Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. That cake looks wonderful...my blueberry bush is loaded with berries not yet rip...I now know what I am going to make when they ripen!! That is if the birds let me have some!!

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  4. Hi Monica, great job on your cake and it certainly moist and delicious. I had mine for tea instead of breakfast. I guess it's one of those unpretentious recipes but great in taste. One of the better recipes from Southern Cakes in my opinion.

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  5. I love that this cake goes great alongside a big breakfast. That is my kind of cake! I might steal your suggestion of sprinkling a little extra sugar on top next time. :)

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  6. Monica: I appreciate your honesty in cooking. I know I can always count on a recipe that you recommend.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  7. Happy engagement anniversary and Happy Father's Day to your beloved!
    Autumn is looking sweet there with her daddy in the hammock! And the cake... Sigh... It looks SO good!

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  8. Your cake looks great Monica. I like the little bit of extra sugar on top, it gives it a nice shine. Love the hammock

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  9. Wow looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Happy Father's day!

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  10. I am a huge blueberry fan as well and I think this is definitely one of the better cakes we made from this book. It was simple and delicious.

    My batter got a little thick as well so when I put it in the oven the batter had a little purpish tint. Oh well...it tasted great!

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  11. Seriously, everything you make looks so yummy...I'm think you could almost make liver look good to me. That said, great job as always on the challenge this month.

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  12. I made this tonight! Delicious and so simple! I took a picture and posted it on my Facebook page. I may be a good cook, but I am no food photographer! Thanks for the recipe!

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  13. I'm going to be whipping this baby up tonight. Though mine's going to be raspberry loaded with a hint of lime. :) Ooooo, just had a thought. Lime glaze? Or too much? LOL.

    Love this batch of photos!
    ~ingrid

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  14. I just made this for the guys in the Shipping/Receiving dept at work. (They helped me out with my move.) It smells awesome as it just came out of the oven. Hopefully, I can get a piece after I deliver it tomorrow morning!

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  15. Monica, this looks really wonderful. The texture of your cake is especially appealing and the cake has gone on my must-try list. I am new to your blog and have spent some time reading your earlier post. I really love your recipes and will be back often to see what else you've been making. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  16. Love the sprinkling of sugar on top! Gives it a little sparkle & crunch, I'm sure to do this the next time I bake this. :)

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  17. I've given you an award because you have an awesome blog. Please come by my blog and pick it up. :)

    http://angelfoodskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/06/blog-with-substance-award.html

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  18. My mother made this for my grandfather's birthday this morning. She was very pleased that it looks exactly like yours!

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Thank you for your supportive comments. I appreciate each and every one of them!