Blueberry Streusel Cake

OMG, this cake!!! I dream of it, I really do. Soft, moist and so flavourful with butter, blueberries and a crumbly streusel topping. I mean, yum. Seriously, this is one of the best cakes I’ve eaten, EVER.

I found the recipe in the The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and it intrigued me because it uses cornmeal. It’s not prominent, but adds a little extra texture and flavour, particularly in the streusel topping. The awesomest part though, are the blueberries. They are INCREDIBLE in this cake. I used frozen ones and they worked like a charm.

I swapped the sour cream for yoghurt in the batter, reduced the baking powder just a little but it still rose beautifully. The cake has a fair bit of butter and liquid, so it is slightly dense, but still very moist and light somehow! I reduced the sugar in both the batter and the streusel and it was perfect for me, though you can increase it if you like. I also added flaked almonds to the topping for a little extra crunch. Yum!

The blueberry juices seep through the batter a little, so take care not to mix too much once you’ve added them. But they break down into soft, juicy, jammy perfection when the cake is done. SO GOOD! Just the best combination with that streusel which is packed with cinnamon for more flavour. I normally wouldn’t insist on more butter and flour on a cake than needed, but this streusel is absolutely unmissable!

The textures are incredible because there’s so many of them! Soft and crunchy in every bite makes this cake ridiculously irresistible. You should absolutely make it today!

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Blueberry Streusel Cake

A buttery, moist blueberry cake made with cornmeal and a crunchy streusel topping!

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Makes: 8 " square cake

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Ingredients

  

For the cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 gms)
• 1/2 cup cornmeal (makai atta; 80 gms; see notes)
• 1 and 1/2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temp (115 gms)
• Zest of 1 small lemon
• 2 eggs, at room temp (I have not tried substitutes)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup plain yoghurt (75 gms)
• 200 gms frozen blueberries, do not thaw (see notes)

For the streusel topping

• 6 tbsps all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsps cornmeal
• 1/4 cup caster sugar (45 gms)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed (55 gms)
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds (30 gms)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 175 C. Lightly grease an 8" square baking pan and line it with baking paper leaving a little overhang for easy removal. Grease the paper well. Set aside.
• Make the batter. Sift the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Add the lemon zest, eggs and vanilla and beat again till smooth.
• Add a third of the flour mixture, then all the yoghurt, then again a third of the flour mixture and mix gently. This way, the batter doesn't curdle because of the yoghurt.
• Into the remaining flour mixture, fold in the blueberries, then add to the batter and mix very gently so that juices don't run everywhere. Coating the blueberries in flour prevents them from sinking all the way to the bottom of the batter.
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top.
• To make the streusel topping, mix all the dry ingredients together in a small bowl, then rub the butter in to make a crumbly mixture (see notes). Sprinkle all over the cake batter, then top with almonds.
• Bake for 30 to 35 mins or until the topping is lightly browned and a toothpick poked in the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then lift using the overhang of the paper and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice into squares and dig in! It is best to store this cake in the fridge especially in warm environments. Happy baking!

Notes

*I used frozen blueberries by Delish, available at Food Hall, Nature's Basket and Big Basket. Fresh blueberries are fine too.

*You can increase the baking powder to 2 tsps for more lift, but I didn't find it necessary.

*If you don't have cornmeal or makai atta, use the same amount of additional all-purpose flour instead.

*The streusel topping would also be great with brown sugar! It is a good idea to mix the topping together at the beginning and keep it in the fridge till you're ready to sprinkle it on the cake. If you begin mixing it only after the batter is ready, the batter will sit out too long.

*Adapted from the The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook 

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