Blueberry Crumb Cake

Woohoo! A non-chocolate post (for a change...)

Ever since I saw this appear on Smitten Kitchen's blog last week I've been thinking about it ever since. The Summer days are growing rapidly shorter and this morning when I walked to work I passed a tree with the green draining from it's curling leaves, turning that distinctive Autumn brown. Yes, Autumn is approaching and as much as I'm looking forward to it, with it being my new favourite season, it's also very depressing.

Where has my time gone?? 

I swear time passes so much quicker as you get older. Not long ago was it Easter and I was devouring a 1kg chocolate Lindt bunny. Soon the pumpkin and apples and cinnamon will appear and before you know it it'll be Christmas again.

So let's make the most of what we have of this Summer.

Blueberries are pretty much 'in season' all year round in the supermarkets but during these few months they are usually (sometimes scarily) larger and sweeter. Summer is all about light and refreshing food. And this Blueberry Crumb Cake was just that.

Light, fluffy and moist, with a hint of lemon and vanilla, studded with juicy blueberries and topped with the crumbliest, crunchy streusel. Which is a bonus because I love crumble. And custard. Preferably together. But that's another story.

I made a few tweaks to the original recipe; firstly I reduced the sugar, substituted the milk for sour cream to keep the cake lovely and moist, reduced the amount of blueberries (don't be too alarmed!) and threw in a handful of oats in the streusel for that extra oaty crunch. Altogether this turned out to be the perfect afternoon snack cake. Or lunch. As my brother would be able to recall. He ate half a cake in the space of a Friends episode.

Yeah. It's that good.

BLUEBERRY CRUMB CAKE
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Yields 1x 8" cake

Streusel Topping:

40g plain flour
80g caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
55g unsalted butter
A handful of rolled oats/ porridge oats
Pinch of salt

Cake:

240g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
55g unsalted butter, softened
125g caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
200-300g fresh blueberries, clean and dry
150g sour cream

1. Line a 8" cake tin with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, prepare your streusel topping: Rub the butter together with your fingertips  with the dry ingredients until they resemble bread crumbs. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. 
4. Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer) beat the butter, lemon zest and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
5. Add 1/3 of the sifted dry ingredients, mix until just incorporated, followed by 1/2 of the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Repeat the process, finishing with the remaining 1/3 of the dry ingredients.
6. Fold in the blueberries.
7. Spoon batter into the prepared baking tin and smooth the top. Sprinkle on top the streusel and bake for 50mins to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Cool in the tin for 20mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.