Blueberry Streusel Cake

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I’ve had a really busy summer season this year and the past few months have just flown by. Hard for me to believe, but it is already September and the countdown has begun for our departure from Italy once again. I’ve spent lots of time in the kitchen trying out lots of new recipes but I do not always have time to take photos of the food I am preparing for guests so can’t get the recipes posted. I have made this coffee cake a couple of times for our farmhouse guests, as well as a couple of times for us, and I finally decided that this is one recipe I really needed to share.

I’ve said it many, many times, but I do prefer rustic cakes and desserts and am not interested in making fussy sweets that may look beautiful but take hours to perfect. Quite frankly, I just don’t have the time or patience for intricate, involved baking, though I do love throwing together a quick casual, home-style cake that I can enjoy anytime of the day.

The cakes I prefer making tend to include fruit or nuts, and are rarely frosted or glazed as I find that addition unnecessary. I like a cake that I can slice and enjoy with my morning cappuccino, but one that can also be served for dessert after dinner with a scoop of gelato, or a dollop of cream and perhaps some poached fruit.

This is yet another easy cake that can be assembled fairly quickly, resulting in a very moist, tasty treat. Here in Umbria, fresh blueberries are all but impossible for me to find, so I used frozen. I have also started to include more whole grains in my baking to improve the nutritional value as well.

I find in general for most cakes such as this one it is very easy to replace 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 cup of oat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. I’ve also discovered that farro flour adds a really nice nutty flavor to baked goods so I am including that in my substitution list as well.

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Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake

Blueberry Nut Cake

Yield: Serves 10 - 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, Softened
  • 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 1 1/4 Cups Plain Yogurt
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons Fiori di Sicilia Extract ( Or 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Extract)
  • 2 Teaspoons Grated Lemon Zest
  • 1 1/4 Cups All-purpose Flour
  • 1 1/4 Cups Oat Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Cups Fresh or Frozen Blueberries

Filling & Topping:

  • 3/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup All-purpose Flour
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Cut Into Dice
  • 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly grease a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.
  2. In one bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition, then add the yogurt, extract, and lemon zest.
  4. In another bowl, stir together the flours, baking powder and soda, and salt.
  5. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture beating on low just until combined.
  6. Gently stir in the frozen blueberries.
  7. For the filling and topping mix, dump the listed ingredients in a bowl, and then use your finger tips to rub the butter in until you get a crumbly texture.
  8. Sprinkle about 3/4 cup of the topping mixture over the bottom of the pan then cover with half the batter.
  9. Evenly sprinkle the rest of the topping over the batter, then spoon the remaining batter on top to cover, gently smoothing it with the back of a spoon or spatula.
  10. Bake the cake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center.
  11. Cool for 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and gently turn the cake out onto a platter to finish cooling.

Did you make this recipe?

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3 Comments

  1. Thank you for yet another tasty recipe. Can I ask, do you know if Fiori di Sicilia essence has much/anything in common with Millefiori essence?

    I have bought the latter but never found the former in my searches in the UK.

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