Recipe: Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake

Update: I enjoyed another slice of this coffee cake this morning… refreshing was the word that immediately came to mind. I usually associate “refreshing” with iced tea, citrus fruits or key lime pie, but between the exquisite flavor of blueberry; the light, airy, moistness of the cake; and the subtle, crunchy sweetness of the streusel topping, I was pleasantly surprised by how refreshing it actually was. What a great way to begin the day!

Whenever I run across a delicious recipe, I can’t help but think of the story behind it: where it came from, who created it, how it might have changed as it’s been passed around over the years. Sometimes a curious cook never finds the answers to these types of questions, and other times, the answers come from the most unlikely of places.

While browsing through a snappy little cookbook I recently discovered entitled Breakfast in Bed by Carol Frieberg, I ran across a tempting bread & coffee cake entry with the same title of this post. And while there are numerous variations on Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake throughout the world, something about this particular recipe, which appears in Breakfast in Bed courtesy Amy’s Manor Inn of Pateros, Washington, seemed familiar to me. Where had I seen this recipe before? In one of my cookbooks? On one of my many recipe cards? In a clipping I’ve saved from a magazine or newspaper?

Then the eureka moment hit… Land O’Lakes butter! I’ve seen this recipe (or one EXTREMELY similar) on the Land O’Lakes web site. (Don’t ask. Inspiration comes from all sorts of places.)

I Googled Land O’Lakes, compared apples to apples (or recipe to recipe as it were), and bingo! We have a match! (Actually, there are a few minor differences between recipes, but the ingredients and ingredient amounts differ so little, any changes in flavor or consistency would be limited and negligible.)

Regardless of the true origins of this particular recipe, this Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake produces a consistently good, moist, light and flavorful coffee cake with a streusel topping worth breaking out the baking dish. But don’t take my word for it. If you fancy coffee cake at all, I urge you to try this recipe and decide for yourself. It really is THAT good and it’s easy to make. Besides, who among us wouldn’t enjoying soaking up all the compliments and requests for seconds this coffee cake is sure to garner.

Recipe: Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake

(recipe adapted from the Land O’Lakes recipe collection and Amy’s Manor Inn of Pateros, Washington–as featured in Breakfast in Bed, circa 2007, authored by Carol Frieberg and published by Sasquatch Books, Seattle, WA)

For the cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup milk or half & half
• 1 egg
• 2 cups fresh or frozen, unthawed blueberries
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

For the streusel topping

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F for baking

Assembly

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, butter, milk (or half & half) and egg, blending with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl if necessary.

Editor’s Note: Words cannot express how phenomenal this batter smells. It has literally been years since any batter enraptured me the way this one did. Rich, earthy and slightly sweet…its scent is sure to intoxicate you as well. Go ahead, take a few moments when you make this coffee cake and breath it in. This is the scent of all things good.

Gently fold in blueberries and lemon zest by hand, transferring batter to a well-greased and floured 8 or 9 inch square baking dish, or 9 inch springform pan.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in softened butter with fingers and mix until topping resembles coarse meal. Crumble topping over batter and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted near center comes out clean.

This recipe will produce approximately 8-10 servings.

Enjoy!

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