Medium
12 to 16
Published 2014
This is a blueberry version of my all-time best coffee cake, reconfigured to bake in a larger rectangular cake pan for easy serving to feed a crowd. It is an ideal summer holiday dessert.
VOLUME | WEIGHT | ||
walnut halves | |||
light brown Muscovado sugar, or dark brown sugar | |||
granulated sugar | |||
ground cinnamon | . | ||
bleached all-purpose flour | |||
unsalted butter, melted | |||
pure vanilla extract | . | . |
VOLUME | WEIGHT | ||
sour cream | |||
pure vanilla extract | . | . | |
bleached all-purpose flour | |||
superfine sugar | |||
baking powder | . | ||
baking soda | . | ||
fine sea salt | . | ||
unsalted butter (65° to 75°F/19° to 23°C) | |||
blueberries, small fresh or frozen (if frozen, unthawed) |
One 13 by 9 by 2 inch high pan (16 cups), wrapped with cake strips (see Note), bottom coated with shortening, topped with parchment, then coated with baking spray with flour. (If the sides of the pan are sloped, coat them with shortening and line them with parchment extending about 1 inch up from the top to compensate for the smaller volume)
In a food processor, pulse the walnuts, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon until the walnuts are coarsely chopped. Remove and set aside
To the remainder, add the flour, butter, and vanilla and pulse briefly to form a coarse, crumbly mixture for the topping. Scrape it into a medium bowl and refrigerate for about 20 minutes to firm up the butter to make it easier to crumble.
Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs,
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining sour cream and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1½ minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Using a silicone spatula, scrape about half of the batter (
Meanwhile, use your fingertips to pinch together the crumb topping, breaking up the larger pieces so that about one-third of the mixture is formed into
Remove the pan from the oven and gently place it on a wire rack. Scatter the blueberries onto the surface of the cake. Using the parchment as a funnel, quickly and evenly strew the crumb topping over the blueberries, which will sink slightly during baking. Continue baking for 15 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The crumb topping can make it difficult to test for doneness, so using an instant-read thermometer offers added assurance. The thermometer should read about 208°F/98°C.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Loosen the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula. Place a piece of plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray on top of the cake and then a small folded dish towel. (The towel should come up to the rim of the pan to prevent the cake from splitting when inverting it.) Invert the cake onto a sheet pan. Reinvert it onto a cake board or baking sheet and cool completely, about 1½ hours.
Airtight: room temperature, 3 days; refrigerated, 10 days; frozen, 2 months.
Copyright © 2014 by Cordon Rose, LLC. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.