Blueberry Crumb Cake

Spring is finally here and while I can't get in the gardens yet (it's a muddy mess) I can celebrate warmer temps by baking up a spring treat. I recently purchased a few Meyer lemons. Sweeter than traditional lemons, Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. They're available for a limited time (at least on Ohio) so I always try to grab a bag when they're in season.

I still have a few summer blueberries in the freezer. Each spring I inventory the freezer and try to use up last year's meat and produce in preparation for the summer and fall harvest. Lemons and blueberries pair well and I browsed several recipes that incorporated both. And then I came across Ina Garten's Blueberry Crumb Cake.

I modified the recipe slightly, substituting Meyer lemon zest for regular lemon zest and used my frozen, rather than fresh berries. This was the first time I made the cake and it turned out well. Sweet, tangy and tender with a nice crumb topping.

A Meyer lemon (left) is a cross between a lemon and mandarin
orange. It's sweeter than a regular lemon (right).

Blueberries freeze beautifully. No need to thaw before adding to the batter.

Finishing touch: powdered sugar atop the crumb.

Fine, tender crumb studded with blueberries and topped with a sweet craggy streusel 

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Adapted from Ina Garten

For the streusel:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated Meyer or regular lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries: If using frozen, do not thaw
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:
Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.