Blueberry Wrinkle

I love fruit - especially blueberries, so imagine my delight when my fabulous husband found several pints of organic blueberries in the discounted produce bin of our local co-op. (I might have jumped up and down a few times in my excitement.) Although I have enjoyed eating my hoard by the fistful, it seemed like perhaps I should also add them to my baking. I chose to add my blueberries to this trusty cake recipe that comes from Nancy O'Connor's “Rolling Prairie Cookbook.” I use my copy of this cookbook quite often, and it shows. Among the many wrinkled and splattered pages, I can always find a great recipe for whatever produce I have on hand. The original recipe calls for raspberries but you can, of course, use any type of berry you like. Also, I increased the amount of cinnamon. As for the name of the cake, the crumb topping bakes into a “wrinkly” and delicious crust.


Topping Ingredients:

¼ cup butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour (unbleached white, whole wheat pastry flour, or a combination of the two)
¾ teaspoon cinnamon

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.)
¾ teaspoon lemon zest (Rather than measuring exactly, I just zest one medium lemon)
2 cups flour (unbleached white, whole wheat pastry flour, or a combination of the two)
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup oil (olive, coconut, etc.)
½ cup honey
½ cup milk
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the butter is melting, combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix in the melted butter and set aside. Lightly oil or butter the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8 inch pan and set aside. Rinse your berries, put them in a small bowl, then zest one lemon directly onto the berries and set aside. In a large bowl stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Measure the oil, honey, and milk, all together in a 2 cup or larger liquid measuring cup. Add the egg and emulsify this mixture with a small whisk. Add to the dry ingredients and blend lightly, then fold in the berries. Pour the thick batter into the prepared pan and smooth out to the edges. Using small amounts at a time, flatten a piece of the crumb topping between your fingers and then lay it on top of the cake. Repeat until the top of the cake is covered and all of the topping has been used. (It is fine to have small areas that aren't covered completely.) Bake for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, until the cake is firm to the touch and lightly brown.



This recipe can be found on page 27.

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