Healthier Blueberry Crumb Cake
Holiday Express recipe source: Gina Maries Kitchen. I made this yesterday to take up to Mom for a between meal snack for she and some of her new friends at the center. We had a piece after playing cards with them with coffee. It was very good. Had a nice crumb, and the flavor was very good and texture was nice.
Holiday Express recipe source: Gina Maries Kitchen. I made this yesterday to take up to Mom for a between meal snack for she and some of her new friends at the center. We had a piece after playing cards with them with coffee. It was very good. Had a nice crumb, and the flavor was very good and texture was nice.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar ( i reduced to packed, i reduced to 1/2 cup and didn't miss it
- 1/2 cup sugar i used 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup light agave nectar
- 6 tbs unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 cup lowfat sour cream i used 0% greek yogurt, works great
- 1 large egg i used two extra large egg whites, and turned out great
- Carbohydrate 21.8802016852586 g
- Cholesterol 49.6946486315647 mg
- Fat 13.0274367227692 g
- Fiber 1.9723277764199 g
- Protein 4.96191736699756 g
- Saturated Fat 7.89847784244722 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (82g)
- Sodium 2574.99080419316 mg
- Sugar 19.9078739088387 g
- Trans Fat 1.00619210370903 g
- Calories 221 calories
Step-by-step
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch square baking pan with baking spray.
- Pulse the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a food processor to combine. (You should be able to do all this with an electric mixer or stand mixer also but I have not tried it.) With the food processor running, add 5 tbs of the melted butter and process until the flour mixture looks sandy.
- Transfer 1/4 cup of the flour mixture to a medium bowl and set aside for the topping. Add the sour cream, egg, and vanilla to the flour mixture in the food processor and pulse until the mixture just comes together, about 8 pulses. (Do not overmix) If using a stand mixer, stir on low till just combined.
- Transfer the batter to a large bowl (or keep in the stand mixer bowl) and gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Stir the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and cinnamon into the reserved flour mixture. Add the remaining 1 tbs melted butter and toss gently with a fork until incorporated and some larger pea-sized crumbs have developed. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the batter.
- Bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out with just a few crumbs attached. 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
While a standard coffee cake relies on massive amounts of refined flour and heavy fats to achieve its structure, this modified version integrates whole-wheat flour and low-fat dairy without sacrificing the essential tenderness of the crumb. Adapting baked goods through ingredient substitutions often requires careful attention to mixing technique, as changing protein and fat ratios alters how gluten develops.
- Process the dry ingredients thoroughly in a food processor with five tablespoons of melted butter until the texture resembles coarse sand, ensuring the fat coats the flour particles to inhibit excessive gluten formation.
- Reserve one-fourth cup of this sandy mixture before adding the wet components, then toss that portion with cinnamon, brown sugar, and the remaining butter using a fork to create irregular, pea-sized crumbs for the topping.
- Determine doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the exact center of the cake, looking for just a few moist crumbs to cling to the wood rather than wet batter.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes total, rotating the eight-inch square baking pan precisely at the halfway point to guarantee even heat distribution.
Scaling this formulation up requires doubling pans rather than crowding a single vessel, which prevents the dense center from remaining raw while the edges overcook. Precise visual and tactile assessments remain far more reliable than rigid timers when evaluating baked goods containing fresh, moisture-releasing fruit.
