Stop what you are doing and make this cake. Right now.
This cake is sinfully good for breakfast, deliciously satisfying as an afternoon pick-me-up snack, and equally outrageous as a proper dessert with or without a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The secret is wild Canadian blueberries. Those teeny tiny blueberries that are a quarter the size of the conventional variety have four times the concentrated flavor. This cake can be made with fresh or frozen blueberries, but the frozen kind frankly produce a cake with bursting with more blueberry flavor.
Equipment: cutting board; chef's knife; dry and wet measuring cups; measuring spoons; large and small mixing bowls; wooden spoon; rubber spatula; springform pan; hand or standing mixer for the cake batter:
2¼ cups white flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamon 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
¾ cup granulated white sugar
¾ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg, lightly beaten 1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
for crumb topping: ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
for the blueberries:
1½ cups small frozen blueberries 1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons cold butter cut into small cubes
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with oil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Then add the brown sugar, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Stir until well blended. Remove ¾ cup of this mixture and place in a small bowl. Add to this small bowl the walnuts and additional cinnamon and stir. This mixture is now the crumb topping for the cake. Set aside.
"ILOC tip: shop and freeze now, use and eat later. Buy farm-fresh blueberries when they are in season so that you can freeze them when they are at their peak, and use them whenever you like."
3. In a small bowl, combine the baking soda, baking powder, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add, this mixture to the large bowl that contains the remaining cake batter. Beat by hand until smooth.
4. Pour the cake batter into the greased springform pan. Add the floured blueberries evenly over the top of the cake and dot with pieces of butter. Sprinkle on the reserved nut topping, pressing down gently with the back of teaspoon or small flat-bottom cup to press berry & nuts into batter a bit.
5. Bake four 45-50 minutes or until the cake is set.
"Frozen berries are actually better for this recipe than fresh berries. Once frozen, the berries break down more easily during the baking process, making them "juicier."
Makes 12 servings.
