I have collected the Annual Southern Living recipes for some of the best recipes around and this one has stuck with me through the years. It’s one of those recipes that I continue to go back to time and time again. I used fresh blueberries for the cake but I also had a stash of blueberries packed and sealed away in the freezer that would make a very tasty blueberry sauce. Such a versatile cake, it’s perfect as a weekend treat for breakfast or brunch but can be also be served as a dessert.
You’ll need some flour, baking powder, baking soda, unsalted butter, sugar, eggs and blueberries. The original cake recipe was a little dense so I’ve added some cream cheese and milk for added moisture.
Add the butter and sugar to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
Cream until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time. Egg one . .
Egg two . . .
Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and baking soda) together. Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients beating well after each addition. Begin with about half of the dry ingredients.
Add about 1/2 cup of milk and mix on medium low. Scrape down the bowl after each addition.
Add the remaining flour mix and beat until combined.
Last step, add the last 1/2 cup of milk and all of the cream cheese. If the cream cheese is not softened, just microwave for 15 seconds and it will be good to go. Beat until the batter has a smooth consistency with the exception of a few small pieces of cream cheese.
The cream cheese pieces should be no bigger than pea size. It will give little chunks of cream cheese in the cake that will taste fantastic.
Rinse and dry 2 cups of blueberries, then add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
Drop into a strainer to shake off any excess sugar and cornstarch.
Fold in to the batter.
Pour into a buttered 9 or 10 inch springform pan. The Crumb topping is a simple 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 stick of chilled butter. Cut the butter into the flour and sugar until crumbly with butter no larger than pea size. Sprinkle over cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until toothpick tested and crumb topping is golden brown.
Let cake cool before releasing springform pan.
Serve cake with blueberry sauce.
Blueberry and Cream Cheese Crumb Cake with Blueberry Sauce (adapted from Southern Living 1988 Annual Recipes – Blueberry Coffee Cake)
For the Cake
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup Milk (2% or Whole)
2 cups Fresh Blueberries
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
1 (8 oz) package Cream Cheese, softened
For the Crumb Topping
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter
For the Blueberry Sauce
4 cups Frozen Blueberries, thawed
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Water
Zest of 1 Lemon
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
3 tablespoons Arrowroot or Cornstarch
For the Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 or 10 inch springform pan.
In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer combine butter and sugar and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add about half of the dry ingredients to the batter and beat until well blended. Alternate with 1/2 cup of milk, then add the remaining dry ingredients, and lastly add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and softened cream cheese. The batter should be smooth with a few pea size pieces of cream cheese scattered throughout.
Rinse and dry the fresh blueberries and add 1 tablespoon each of sugar and cornstarch. Toss blueberries and drop into a strainer to shake off any excess sugar and cornstarch. Fold blueberries into cake batter. Pour batter into prepared springform pan.
To make Crumb Topping:
Combine the flour and sugar. Cube the chilled butter and cut into the flour and sugar with a pastry cutter until butter pieces are no larger than pea size. Sprinkle crumb topping over the cake batter. Bake cake at 350 for 55 minutes or until crumb topping is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.
To make Blueberry Sauce:
Thaw frozen blueberries and drop into a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat and add 1/4 cup water, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice. Bring just to a low boil. Add remaining 1/4 cup water to arrowroot or cornstarch. Add to simmering blueberries. Stir while the sauce thickens, about 3 – 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool. Can be served warm or cool. Store any unused sauce in refrigerator.
Makes about 1 pint.
An Inspired Cook 