Blueberry Crumb Cake

Sweet and old-fashioned, Blueberry Crumb Cake is always a delicious and comforting addition to your breakfast or brunch menu.

Today is the anniversary of the day I married my man. We are being completely spontaneous this year but it’s my hope that soon after this post is published we’ll be on the road to an undisclosed location. I’m not being private, we just really don’t know where we’re heading yet and to be honest, the location is unimportant.

My only requirement is that we are together and away. Easy. Well, maybe not so easy. There’s always the planning, taking time off work, figuring out what the household will eat in our absence, etc. But it shall happen! I hope.

Wherever we end up, there will definitely be a nice breakfast happening for us while we are there. Here at home, there’s a little place we frequent quite often that serves a special house blueberry crumb cake. It’s just the right amount of sweet to go with your eggs and bacon. Over time, I’ve done my best to create a version that is easy to whip up at home. It includes buttermilk and lemon zest which both do wondrous things to baked goods.

Crumb cake is not just for breakfast. Have it with a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. Wake up at 2:00am and sneak into the kitchen and warm a piece up in the microwave and eat it while you watch old reruns of Bewitched on TV. I’m not saying I’ve ever done this…

Let’s take advantage of all those beautiful fresh blueberries while we can and make some Blueberry Crumb Cake, shall we?

We’re going to start by mixing our dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. All-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream the butter with the sugar.

Add the egg, vanilla, and fresh lemon zest and beat till combined. Wrap the naked lemon you just zested in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for another use.

Add the flour mixture in small amounts…

…alternating with the buttermilk, until all of flour and buttermilk have been incorporated into the batter.

If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand there’s no need to make a trip to the store. You can make your own by adding either vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk and it will work just as well. The Kitchn has a great article and instructions HERE.

Use a wooden spoon to gently fold in the fresh blueberries.

Transfer the batter to a 9″ or 10″ pan that you’ve coated with non-stick cooking spray. Any shape pan will do. I’m using my Le Creuset braiser that I love with all of my heart and soul.

Use a fork or pastry blender to combine the crumb topping ingredients – butter, brown sugar, white sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Once it is pretty well combined, get in there with your hands and work the mixture until it begins to want to hold together.

Crumble it over the top of the batter and pop the pan in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Bake it for about 40 to 45 minutes or till the center seems set and the topping is nice and golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving warm.

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Blueberry Crumb Cake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 8

Change the number in the box above to adjust serving size. Please note that size of cookware and cook time may vary.

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Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 heaping teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

Crumb Topping

• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9" to 10" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

For the cake:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar for two or three minutes. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon zest. Beat another minute or two, or until well combined. Add flour, a little at a time, alternating with buttermilk, beating just until each addition is incorporated. Using a wooden spoon, gently fold in the blueberries. Batter will be thick. Transfer batter to prepared baking dish.

For the crumb topping:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl with a pastry blender or fork.. When it is well mixed, work the mixture between your hands until it begins to hold together. Crumble it up and sprinkle it over the top of cake batter.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 40  to 45 minutes. Remove from oven when center appears to be set and crumb topping is golden brown. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.