I wanted to create a little drama here. I had some blueberries and I always like an easy loaf cake. I’ve created some great ones – blueberry cobbler, blueberry maple, blueberry ripple – but I really figured I needed to create something with a difference. So I turned the idea on its head. Tender, vanilla rich cake with a sweet, dusky, juicy blueberry cap. And I am in love with the results. It is a fantastic cake, beautiful and sweet and rich, with a stunning presentation. Such simple twist that makes such a big difference. Anyone you serve it to will be impressed.
The gorgeously tender cake is not overly sweet, so the blueberry topping carries the day. Spray your loaf pan really well with a baking spray like Bakers’ Joy, then coat the bottom with the melted butter and sugar. Really pack those berries in the bottom, they will of course, shrink down in the cooking. I love this richly scented with vanilla so I frequently use the seeds from a vanilla bean, but vanilla bean paste is excellent too, and extract works as well. You could add a dash of nutmeg or cardamom or cinnamon for a little difference. This makes a lovely snack or breakfast or an impressive dessert. You could even serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.
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Ingredients
- For the Berries
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 pint fresh blueberries
- For the Cake
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or the seeds of one large vanilla bean
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup whole buttermilk
Directions
- For the Berries
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with baking spray like Bakers’ Joy. Place a sheet of tinfoil on the rack underneath the baking rack to catch any butter-y overflow from making a mess.
- Melt the butter in a small mixing bowl, then whisk in the sugar until thoroughly combined. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the bottom of the loaf pan. Sprinkle the blueberries on top of the sugar and arrange them in as close to one layer as you can. There will be some on top, but try to cover as much of the bottom as possible.
- For the Cake
- Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer to break it up, then add the sugar and vanilla bean paste and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scarping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in half the flour, baking soda and salt until combined, scraping the bowl, then half of the buttermilk, then the remaining flour, then buttermilk, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Gently spoon some of the batter over the top of the blueberries in the loaf pan and gently spread it out to cover – try not to disturb the berries too much. Spoon over the rest of the batter and spread the top into an even layer. Drop the pan on the counter twice to settle the batter, then bake for 50 – 60 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean (the center of the cake should read 210 degrees on an instant thermometer). Cover the top loosely with foil if it starts to brown too much. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, run a thin knife around the edges, then invert the pan onto a serving plate. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then remove the pan. Cool the cake completely.
- The cake will keep for two days in an airtight container.
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