As we near the end of August, and berries are still in full supply, I thought I’d finally post my often-used recipe for Blueberry Breakfast Cake, ready for your Labour Day summer wrap up events. Make now and freeze, it can thaw on your way camping, or overnight ready for the last guests of summer. Of course, you can just make it and eat it, like we most often do.
Sometime a few decades ago I started making Bundt cakes. I never really understood the appeal until this cake. It started with making a simple lemon blueberry cake with a streusel mix going in the pan first, so when it was removed from the pan there would be a crispy topping built in. But never being one to leave good enough alone, I thought the streusel could simply go in the middle, making the cake come clean from the pan, not leaving chunks of streusel littering the counter. Having it in the middle gives the cake a wonderfully buttery crunch in the center of each slice.
I can honestly say that I’ve made hundreds of these cakes. Over the years it became my most asked for item in mixed baking for breakfasts & brunches. It’s perfect for adding to lunches for work or school, so timely that I should think to post this today, as there are only a couple of weeks left until school starts.
1 – 10 cup Bundt Pan
Ingredients
½ c butter (room temperature, softened)
1 c brown sugar
½ c flour
1 c oatmeal
½ c chopped walnuts (optional)
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2¼ c flour
1 c sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
zest of a lemon
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2 eggs
1 c milk
2 T lemon juice
¾ c canola
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2 c blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°, checking that the rack position will accommodate the Bundt pan in the center of the oven.
Lightly grease the Bundt pan, and dust with flour.
In a medium bowl, cut the butter into the next three ingredients, until well combined.
Stir in the walnuts if using.
In a large bowl whisk together the next four ingredients.
Toss in the lemon zest with your fingers until well incorporated.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs.
Add in the milk, lemon juice and canola oil, whisking thoroughly.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing well with a sturdy wooden spoon.
Gently stir in the blueberries.
Pour one half of the blueberry batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
Spoon the streusel mix evenly over the batter in the pan.
Top with the remaining batter, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center, comes clean. It may take an extra 5 minutes if you’ve used frozen blueberries.
The cake should be a lovely golden colour, and will have slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan.
Let it cool for 15 – 20 minutes, and invert on to a cooling rack.
Let cool completely and serve.
To freeze: wrap well in foil, and over wrap with a plastic bag. Freeze. Thaw while still completely covered, 6 – 8 hours.
Remove all the wrappings, plate the cake and dust with icing sugar if desired.
farmhouse cook 