Blueberry Crumb Cake
My capris are most definitely a tighter fit than they were when we arrived. I always think of Tofino as a healthy place, where in summertime there’s fresh fish to be had, and produce, and lots of grainy things at the bakeries, and beaches to walk on in the early mornings. I forget that I tend to come out here with my sister, and that there’s fish and chips, and pancakes in the morning, ice cream, SoBo (we went again last night. Yes we did.), bread and scones from the 600 Degree Bakery, and Cheezies to eat while we play Blokus.
It’s not all unhealthy. Blueberries are local and cheap, and at the rate little people around here are plowing through them, we’ve been averaging a couple 2lb boxes per day. We’ve been eating them on pancakes, with granola (from Jupiter) and yogurt, and by the handful; today I thought I’d stretch them a bit, and turn some into a crumb cake.
A basic crumb cake is a great recipe to have in your back pocket during the summer; this same cake is fantastic made with raspberries, cherries, strawberries, blackberries, or thickly sliced peaches, apricots or plums. The cake batter would take on finely grated orange or lemon zest very well.
Blueberry Crumb Cake
Cake:
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp. canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose, whole wheat or some of each)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup buttermilk or thin plain yogurt
2-3 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) berries, or a few thickly sliced plums, peaches or apricotsCrumble:
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 Tbsp. canola oil
3/4 cup flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
pinch saltPreheat the oven to 350F. In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugar for 1-2 minutes, until fluffy; beat in the eggs and vanilla.
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add about a third of it to the butter mixture and stir by hand or on low speed with the mixer just until blended. Add half the buttermilk or yogurt, another third of the flour, the rest of the buttermilk and the rest of the flour. Stir just until blended, and spread into a 9″x9″ pan that has been buttered or sprayed with nonstick spray. Spread the berries overtop.
In a small bowl, blend the butter, oil, flour, sugars and salt and mix with a fork or rub between your fingers until evenly combined and crumbly. Sprinkle over the berries, squeezing the mixture in your hands as you go to create bigger chunks of crumble.
Bake for about an hour, until golden and springy to the touch. Serves 12-16.
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July 20 2009 | breakfast and cake and snacks | 14 Comments »
