Saturday, January 25, 2014

Cooking according to supply - my Buttermilk Blueberry Cake!

When I went to the store yesterday, I browsed all of the aisles (not many in our little mercantile!), to see what was on sale, and look for inspiration for the week's menus. I always do this - no matter what store I am shopping at. By having a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer, I often have enough to cover, so all I have to buy in a given week is what is on sale!

As I entered the dairy aisle, I found buttermilk on clearance, as it was close to its date. Instantly I knew I had to have it, to treat my family to one of our favorite desserts, a buttermilk blueberry cake. I found the recipe years ago, and have made it over and over. And I knew I still had frozen blueberries from last summer, so I was set.

I don't bake a lot of cakes. Honestly, cookies are my specialty. But when I find a recipe like this, it is all worth the work!


Blueberry Buttermilk Cake
½ cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh or frozen (and thawed) blueberries
½ cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with an additional tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

I often double the recipe (which I did today) and bake it in a 10x15 pan, baking for about 43-45 minutes. I prefer baking this in glass pans, but you can experiment! Enjoy....

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