Blueberry Crumb Cake
Yield: 9 squares
Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours
Crumb Ingredients:
5 tablespoons butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup pecans, chopped
Cake Ingredients:
1 pint (2 cups) blueberries (preferably fresh, or frozen, not thawed)
2 cups + 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 8-inch square pan and put it on a baking sheet; set aside.
Put all crumb ingredients, except the nuts, in a food processor and pulse just until the mixture forms clumps and curds and holds together when pressed. Scrape the topping into a bowl, stir in the nuts and press a piece of plastic against the surface. Refrigerate until needed.
Using your fingertips, toss the blueberries and 2 teaspoons of flour together in a small bowl, just to coat the berries; set aside.
Whisk together the remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the sugar and butter and beat on medium speed until light, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one and beat for about 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, the flour in 3 parts and the buttermilk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients). You will have a thick creamy batter. With a rubber spatula, gently stir in the berries.
Scrape the batter into the buttered pan and smooth the top gently with the spatula. Pull the crumb mix from the refrigerator and break it into pieces. Scatter the crumbs over the batter, pressing them down ever so slightly.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool until it is warm or reaches room temperature.