Heather’s Blueberry Cake – Guest Post from the Bluenose Baker

Heathers Blueberry Cake - Guest Post from the Bluenose Baker

Hi Folks, this week we have a guest post! There’s a big wedding in the family and I knew this week would be a blur, so I asked my good friend Laura from The Bluenose Baker if she could whip up something amazing, and she definitely did! Enjoy! – Cristina 

Hi everyone! I’m Laura, and I blog over at The Bluenose Baker. I make mostly sweet treats, with some healthy meals thrown in too. Most of my recipes are allergy-friendly, and like Cristina, I love to feature traditional Nova Scotia recipes. I’ve got one here for you today!

Late summer in Nova Scotia means blueberry season! If you know where to look, you might even find a patch of wild berries. When I was a kid we always picked them by the side of the road! We also had generous neighbours who would bring us berries they’d picked at their cottages. I have fond memories of the berry treats, not so much of the hours spent cleaning them! If you’re not so lucky, you can certainly find fresh blueberries at farm stands and grocery stores. Frozen will work here too.

Like many of my recipes, this one comes from a special person in my life, a neighbour and friend of my mom’s. Today we’re making Heather’s Blueberry Cake!

Blueberry Cake close up

A moist white cake, studded with blueberries and finished with a crumbly topping, it’s a great summer treat. Here’s how it’s made!

Cake slice with cake

The most important ingredient – blueberries!

Blueberries good

You’ll want to give them a quick wash and remove any stems or leaves. Dry them and toss with a bit of flour to keep them from sinking in the cake. You can use frozen berries too; don’t thaw them.

The rest of your cake ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, shortening, an egg, and milk. Whole milk will make the most decadent cake, but we have successfully made it with soy and rice milk too.

Cake ingredients

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

Sifting dry ingredients

Cream the shortening and sugar and beat in the egg.

Adding egg to sugar

Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk and beating until smooth.

Adding milk

When it comes to the blueberries, you have options. The original recipe says to spread the batter in the pan, then sprinkle the blueberries on top. You can also fold the blueberries into the batter. I’ve made it and enjoyed it both ways, and you’ll see pictures of both versions throughout the post. Pick whichever sounds most appealing. You’ll want to scoop the berries out of the bowl rather than pouring them so you don’t get excess flour all over the cake.

Your topping ingredients: flour, brown sugar, allspice, nutmeg and shortening. You can throw some chopped nuts in too if you like. I’m all about options!

Topping ingredients bowl

Whisk everything together and them cut in the shortening with a pastry blender (two knives or your fingers work too!)

Sprinkle the topping over the cake. If you put all of the blueberries on top, make sure any flour-y bits are covered with topping.

Cake in pan with topping

Bake at 375° for 45 – 50 minutes, until the topping is browned.

Blueberry Cake in pan

This one had the blueberries sprinkled on top – I think it’s a little prettier but you get less blueberry distribution!

Bluenose Baker Blueberry Cake

Let the cake cool to room temperature before cutting.

Blueberry Cake on plate

See how long you can resist taking a bite!

Blueberry cake fork

A great late summer dessert! Thanks, Cristina, for letting me share it! Click over to my blog and check out some other great summer treats.

Blueberry Cake bite

Blueberry Cake
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 
A moist white cake, studded with blueberries and finished with a crumbly topping, it’s a great summer treat.
Servings: 9 -12
Author: Bluenose Baker
Ingredients
Cake:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour , divided
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • cup shortening
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ cup milk (dairy, soy or rice)
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Topping:
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ cup chopped nuts (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons shortening
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Spray an 8 x 8 inch or 9 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray.
  2. For the cake:
  3. In a medium bowl, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of the flour and set aside. Sift the remaining 1 ¾ cups of flour, the baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
  4. Cream the shortening and sugar together. Add egg and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the blueberries over the top, leaving any excess flour in the bowl. You may also fold the berries into the batter before pouring into the pan.
  6. For the topping:
  7. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, allspice and nutmeg. Cut the shortening in with a pastry blender until crumbly. Add the nuts, if using. Sprinkle the topping over the top of the cake, covering any exposed blueberries.
  8. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes.

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About the author

Cristina

An avid lover of all things East Coast and delicious, Cristina blogs at I Say Nomato, a site dedicated to exploring and inventing allergy-friendly food. When she's not experimenting in the kitchen, she can be found curled up with a good book or planning her next adventure.