Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake

As much as I love a good dessert, I can usually take it or leave it at the end of a meal. Another glass of wine is dessert for me! But breakfast is an entirely different matter. First thing in the morning, I need something sweet with my coffee. Until I've satiated this craving, I can't even look at eggs, bacon, or anything savory. Usually toast and jam does the trick, but sometimes I get a hankering for something homemade...a muffin, a scone, or best of all, a warm piece of coffee cake.

There's nothing quite like a cinnamon-scented coffee cake (with plenty of crumbly topping) to get your morning off to a good start. Preferably one with blueberries and walnuts. With some sour cream to give it tang. And maybe a little lemon zest for good measure. (Well that's at least how I like it!)

I got a new bundt pan as a wedding gift, so I decided to use it to make a coffee cake for a brunch I was hosting. I love Barefoot Contessa's streusel-swirled sour cream coffee cake, but I really wanted to make one with blueberries and a bit of lemon zest. So I adapted her recipe a bit to add the aforementioned ingredients and the result was terrific. Post-brunch, I blissfully enjoyed a slice (or two) every morning (and afternoon) for a few days until I finally had to remove the cake from my sight (and into the trash) lest I polish the rest off! A dangerous prospect.

BLUEBERRY STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE

Serves 12

Cake
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon flour
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries (fresh not frozen)


Streusel
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch bundt (or tube) pan.

Toss the blueberries in one tablespoon of flour; set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer for 4 to 5 minutes, until pale yellow. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, then add the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest.

In a separate bowl sift together the remaining flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture gradually to the batter until just combined. Stir in the flour-coated blueberries gently with a spatula, scraping the sides to incorporate all the batter.

For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.

Evenly sprinkle about 3/4 cup streusel mixture over the bottom of the pan. Spoon half the batter into the pan over the streusel; smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle another 3/4 cup of streusel over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter into the pan, spreading it out with a spatula. (You may have leftover streusel--I did. Just put it in an airtight plastic container and keep in the refrigerator for future baking projects! It keeps for a week to 10 days.)

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Using a long thin spatula, carefully remove the cake from the pan and place streusel-side up on a serving platter. Just be careful not to trip and drop the cake on the table, like I did. It will make quite a mess, but will still taste just as good :)

Enjoy!