Blueberry Crumb Cake

Some people ask me how I can  bake when it's hot outside.

And really I don't have an answer for them.

It just happens.

Especially when you have 2 pints of blueberries and you just have to do something else other than shoveling them into your  mouth by the handfuls. 

So I decided to turn up the heat in my kitchen, which really is a death wish. Since it is summer in DC and the weather has been in the 90s lately and I do not have air conditioning throughout my house.

Never mind the weather though just thinking about how fun it was to make this crumb cake makes me happy.

It was delicious too. I love a big crumb on my crumb cake and this one had it.

Check it out before it was baked...I could have eaten it then.

But I didn't eat it then. I popped it into a hot oven and let that crumb crisp up.

It was worth the wait. Oh, was it worth the wait. 

I think I need to do more baking with the fresh fruit this summer. I usually don't incorporate enough fruit into my sweets. I think this summer I will change my tune. I really want to  make a pie. What is in season?

Hmmmmm....

I'll be thinking up something with fruit while you go pick up some blueberries and have a go at this crumb cake. I might even try to get some nice southern recipes while I'm in New Orleans next week.

Stayed tuned. Stay hungry. Stay beautiful.

Blueberry Crumb Cake
recipe by Dori Greenspan

For the crumbs:
5 Tbls unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For the cake:
1 pint (2 cups) fresh blueberries
2 cups plus 2 tsp all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 cup sugar
grated zest of 1/4 orange (or 1/2 lemon)
6 Tbls unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 and place the rack at the middle position in the oven. Butter an 8-inch square pan and put it on a baking sheet.

To make the crumbs: Put all the ingredients 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. Refrigerate until needed. (Covered well the crumb mix can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

To make the cake: Using your fingertips, toss the blueberries and 2 tsp of the 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.

Working in the bowl of a stand mixer or in another large bowl, rub the sugar and zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the butter and, with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the sugar with the butter at medium speed until light, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs one by one, beating for about 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla extract. Don’t be concerned if the batter looks curdled — it will soon smooth out. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture and the 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 fridge and, with your fingertips, break it into pieces. There’s no need to try to get even pieces — these are crumbs, they’re supposed to be lumpy and bumpy and every shape and size. 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 just until it is warm or until it reaches room temperature.