BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE

A summer experience that I’d been looking forward to while living in Maine was eating fresh wild blueberries, and I’m ecstatic to report that I was finally able to this week. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I absolutely love blueberries and literally eat them every single day for breakfast, whether it’s peak blueberry season or in the dead of winter. Before moving to Maine, I had always heard how the state boasted the best wild blueberries in America, and apparently is responsible for 99% of the country’s supply. Whether that statistic is accurate or not, the bottom line is that as a lover of blueberries, I’m in good company here in Maine.

Although grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods sell frozen wild blueberries year round, which I’ve tried before in smoothies and such, I knew nothing would compare to the real deal straight from local farms here in Maine. So when I saw on social media that Portland’s farmers market was going to be selling the first wild blueberries of the season, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a quart of the precious berries. On Wednesday (aka farmers market day), I woke up early like a kid on Christmas morning, got to the market right when it opened, and beelined for the Lost and Found Farm stall, a flower and wild blueberry farm located only 20 miles away from Portland. After paying far more than I ever would for fruit (it was well worth it though), I took my quart of wild blueberries home, gave them a good rinse and ate them like candy. Compared to regular blueberries, the wild ones are smaller and therefore have more flavor and antioxidants packed in each one… they’re amazing. I can now say that I’ve consumed the country’s best wild blueberries.

Of course, before picking up the berries from the farmers market on Wednesday, I already had a recipe picked out that would not only be something new to the blog, but one that would highlight the berries. I ultimately settled on doing a blueberry coffee cake and I'm so, so happy with the results.

Coffee cake is meant to be eaten for breakfast and is best enjoyed with your morning cup of coffee or tea (hence the name). The cake itself isn’t too sweet, which is why it’s acceptable to eat first thing in the morning, but the addition of the crumb/streusel topping not only gives you that addicting crunchiness, but also a healthy dose of sugar and spice. In my crumb topping, I added ground cinnamon as well as ground cardamom, the latter being optional mostly because not everyone has it in their pantry and I don’t want to send anyone out to buy it just for this recipe - cardamom is actually pretty expensive compared to nutmeg or cinnamon. I added it because I’ve been on a cardamom kick ever since I got a cardamom bun at Belleville, one of my favorite bakeries here in Portland. I personally think it makes the coffee cake better, but by all means, you don’t need to add it.

In addition to the streusel topping, coffee cakes also tend to have a layer of streusel found in the middle of the cake. I chose to skip this and focus on making the cake component more blueberry and lemon focused, by adding 2 whole cups of wild blueberries and the zest of 1 lemon. In my opinion, the streusel on top is more than enough needed for the cake overall, and it still will give you the perfect bite each time.

As for the blueberries, I’m going to assume that not everyone will be able to find fresh wild blueberries in their hometown, which is fine! If this is the case for you, the next best thing would be plain old blueberries, which are always great in my opinion, or you could use frozen wild blueberries (do not defrost them, and know that you run the risk of “staining” the batter blue). Personally, I would settle on regular blueberries before buying frozen just since it’s easier and always available at any grocery store. I’m aware that there will come a time when I make this again without wild blueberries, but I know that this recipe will still be delicious.

P.S. I want to dedicate this post to my mom, Tania, since her birthday is on Sunday AND because her love for coffee cake knows no bounds. She was supposed to be visiting me in Maine this weekend, but due to Covid-19, we decided it was best to push the trip back. I miss her like crazy and I’m so bummed that I can’t be with her on her birthday, but we’ll have to celebrate with cake and (many) margaritas in a few months.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Yields (1) 9-inch springform cake

Recipe adapted from Barbara Bakes

Ingredients

For the crumb topping:

• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup brown sugar (any kind will work)

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom (optional, but recommended)

• Pinch of salt

• 1/4 cup (2 oz. or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes (cold or softened works)

For the cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp. lemon zest

• 1/2 cup (4 oz., 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 cup milk (whole, 2%, or 1%)

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 cups fresh blueberries (for notes on frozen, read above)

Directions

1. Make the crumb topping: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, sugars, cinnamon, cardamom (if using) and salt together. Add the cubes of butter and, using your fingers or a fork, work the butter into the mixture until there’s a crumbly texture. Set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 9-inch springform pan with either butter or cooking spray.

3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) whisk the sugar and lemon zest together until fragrant (this helps release the oils in the zest). Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer base fitted with the paddle attachment, add in the butter, and cream together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add in the eggs, milk and vanilla extract and mix until somewhat incorporated (the batter will be very liquid-y, which is fine). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. All at once, add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix until no more pockets of flour remains. Using a spatula, gently stir in the blueberries. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the crumb topping mixture all over the top of the cake batter.

6. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for about 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and remove the springform pan attachment. Let the cake cool a bit more before cutting into it, since it’s easier to cut at room temperature. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY BUTTERMILK SHEET CAKE

Alex and I have been living in Maine for over a month now and it’s pretty easy to see why people stick around regardless of the harsh winters. Although the humidity is something we’re not accustomed to, Maine has so much to offer during the summer months and we’ve been taking full advantage of any free time we have. There are tons of hiking trails to conquer, rivers to swim in and other various activities that I assume would normally be swarmed with tourists but are relatively empty due to Maine’s quarantine rules - anyone who visits Maine from out of state has to self-quarantine for two weeks… aka it’s pointless for people to visit at this time. Although this is bad news for friends and family who wish to visit us, it’s great in terms of allowing us to explore the state without the crowds.

Another activity that is available to us at this time is berry picking and it is why I’m giving you this beautiful strawberry cake recipe today. I discovered Maxwell’s Farm, a strawberry farm located in Cape Elizabeth (a very short drive from Portland) via Instagram and the moment I saw that they were open for self-picking, I knew Alex and I had to go. Before visiting Maxwell’s Farm, I had never gone fruit picking before but always had every intention to; it was just something that was always put off. Back in California, apple picking was pretty popular during autumn months but I always felt discouraged because either the drive was too long, the crowds were insane since everyone in Southern California had the same idea, or there were barely any apples to pick because of a drought. Although it’s crazy that it took 30 years for me to finally pick some fruit, I just think the odds of it actually happening in CA were against me.

We ended up picking 7.5 pounds of strawberries at Maxwell’s Farm, which was nothing compared to those around us, with most people filling their trays so high that they looked like strawberry mountains. The experience was everything I wanted and more and I couldn’t wait to make something for the blog with the fruit that I picked with my own two hands. Although most of the berries were cleaned, hulled and stored in the freezer for future frozen strawberry margaritas and strawberry jam, I set aside 1.5 pounds for today’s recipe: a buttermilk sheet cake that has the berries on full display. I’ve made something similar to this cake before, my Simple Summer Plum Cake, but not only is today’s cake much larger, the batter is made with buttermilk and vegetable oil instead. Those two ingredients always mean that your finished product will be very moist and light.

As for the strawberries, they’re not folded into the batter but actually placed on top very close to one another, so that you get a bit of strawberry with every single bite. And with the berries sitting on top of the batter, they cook much more than if they were mixed in, so the end result will smell and taste like fresh strawberry jam. I can’t think of anything more delicious than that.

With the Fourth of July right around the corner, I definitely think this cake is perfect for the holiday whether you plan on being with only a few family members or friends, or if you’re heading to a bigger party or BBQ (but please don’t do the latter, since we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, ok?). Making a sheet cake for 5 people is still acceptable because the leftovers for this cake are still just as good as the day you pull it out of the oven. And you can trust me on this one… Alex and I are still working on eating it and it’s been 4 days.

When serving the cake, I definitely think fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream is the way to go, but if you’re bringing the cake with you to a picnic or outdoor area, confectioners’ sugar will suffice and make it a bit more presentable. At the end of the day, the strawberries are the most important aspect of the cake, so as long as your berries are fresh and perfectly sweet, nothing else needs to be added.

Strawberry Buttermilk Sheet Cake

Yields (1) 9”x13” cake

Recipe adapted from Jessie Sheehan Bakes

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 2 tbsp. lemon zest

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

• 2 large eggs

• 2 large egg yolks

• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

• 3 tbsp. turbinado sugar

• Whipped cream, confectioners’ sugar or ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9”x13” cake pan with either cooking spray or butter. Optional: if you wish to pull the entire cake out of the pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper with enough overhang.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using your hands or a whisk, massage/mix the sugar and lemon zest together until fragrant (this helps release the oils in the zest). Add the vegetable oil and whisk well to combine (about 30 seconds). Add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Whisk in the vanilla extract and then finally the buttermilk.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three portions, carefully folding in with a spatula after each addition. Stop mixing when no more streaks of flour remains. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Add the strawberries to the top of the batter in a similar fashion as you see in my picture above. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar all over the top.

5. Bake in then oven for about 55-70 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Depending on what kind of pan you use (glass vs. metal) the bake time will vary. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with only a few crumbs (try not to stick the toothpick through a strawberry),

6. Allow the cake to cool a bit before slicing in, or allow it to cool completely if you wish to remove the cake from the pan. Serve with fresh whipped cream, confectioners’ sugar or vanilla ice cream.

GLAZED RASPBERRY LEMON BUNDT CAKE

Although I’ve been trying to be “good”, aka healthy, throughout this never-ending quarantine, cake has been calling to me. As much as I genuinely love drinking green smoothies and eating big salads filled with whatever I have leftover in the fridge, there will always be that little voice in my head saying “You know what will cheer you up today? A piece of cake”. And after a long day of figuring out plans to execute a move across the country in the middle of a pandemic, a voice inside my head telling me to eat cake doesn’t sound crazy. Or does it?

Like I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been meaning to do a new bundt cake recipe, and I knew I wanted it to be raspberry-lemon. This flavor profile isn’t anything new or exciting in the recipe world, but one that is revisited time and time again because it just works. I’ve done a blueberry lemon recipe in the form of the best muffins, so I figured I’d give raspberries a bit of love. When you pair equally tart and sweet raspberries with fresh lemon zest, not only will your kitchen smell amazing. but whichever baked good you choose to embed those flavors into, will yield an amazing product. What I mean to say is that this cake is amazing.

The cake’s texture is anything but dense, but more akin to a pound cake with its moist consistency and perfect crumb. This is one of those cakes that can easily pass as a breakfast cake because it’s not too filling or heavy, and if you leave the glaze off, there isn’t that much sugar. Personally, I prefer to eat my sweets earlier in the day since I try to avoid sugar at night due to sleeping issues, and this cake has been the perfect afternoon snack.

Bundt cakes are seriously simple to bake and depending on what kind of bundt cake pan you own, whether plain or intricately shaped like the one I own, it’ll still come out of the oven looking impressive. The best part is that you don’t have to worry about assembling it as if it were a layer cake: you simply unmold the cake and can be done there. But if you want to add a little bit more sweetness, you have the option to either top the cake with a healthy dose of confectioners’ sugar or follow my lead and drizzle with a simple lemon glaze. The glaze gives the cake a more finished look and adds more lemon flavor to really brighten it up.

P.S. I made this cake for my mom for Mother’s Day and she claimed that it was the best cake she’s had in a long time. If you don’t know my mom, that’s a huge deal because the lady loves her sweets and eats them all the time.

Glazed Raspberry Lemon Bundt Cake

Yields 1 Bundt cake

Recipe Adapted by Well Plated

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt

• 1/2 cup (4 oz. / 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek nonfat yogurt, room temperature

• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup lemon zest

• 4 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

• 8 oz. fresh raspberries plus 2 tbsp. all- purpose flour

For the glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted if lumpy

• 2-3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1 tbsp. milk

Directions

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and thoroughly grease a 10-12 cup bundt cake pan with cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer) cream the butter and sour cream together until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and lemon zest and mix again for another 30 seconds.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing completely before adding each one. Pour the vanilla extract in and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. Add a 1/3 of the flour mixture to the bowl and then slowly pour a 1/3 of the buttermilk in as well. Continue this pattern until everything is added (two more rounds). When the last of the buttermilk is poured in and the batter is just about finished mixing, turn off the mixer.

6. Combine the raspberries and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour together in a small bowl (this prevents the berries from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Carefully, fold the berries into the batter.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

8. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for about 5 minutes before carefully inverting the cake onto a cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely before adding the glaze.

Make the glaze:

1. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and milk together in a medium bowl. Depending on how thick or thin you want the glaze, add either 2 or 3 tbsp. of lemon juice.

2. Drizzle the glaze all over the cake (it doesn’t have to look perfect!) and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.