This blueberry muffin cake is loaded with blueberries, lemon zest, and will remind you of your favorite blueberry muffins.
Think of this as the perfect excuse for having cake for breakfast.
This blueberry muffin cake is supposed to be baked in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, which makes a beautiful presentation. I don't have the skillet, but I do have an enameled cast iron 9-inch square pan, which worked perfectly. If you don't have cast iron, a 9-inch square cake pan will work just fine.
This cake is super moist with a crispy sugary crust on top. The combination of the lemon zest and almond extract in the cake goes so well with the blueberries.
Blueberry Muffin Cake Ingredients:
This is a simple cake to make and you can make it almost as quickly as it takes to make muffins. You will need an electric mixer to beat some of the ingredients, but you can fold in the flour mixture until just combined.
Granulated Sugar: Both for the batter and for sprinkling on top. I used sanding/sparkling sugar for the final sprinkle but granulated is just fine.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Butter: I love that the recipe calls for both.
Eggs: You will need three.
Whole milk.
Almond Extract.
Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt.
Blueberries: Either fresh or frozen. Right now is the perfect time for fresh blueberries.
Lemon Zest: You will need a lot of lemon zest, from two to four lemons depending on the size. Fortunately, we have a very old lemon tree that produces both "normal" looking lemons, and lemons that are huge (about the size of a large grapefruit), have a super thick and bumpy skin, and very little juice.
Evidently this can happen to older citrus trees that were originally grafted. We probably should have hired an arborist over the years to trim the tree in all the right places to prevent this, but who knew?
The good news is that the zest is awesome and we don't have to buy a bunch of lemons when all we need is the zest!
P.S. The zest is great for "twists" in cocktails.
If you haven't tried combining granulated sugar and lemon zest before adding the rest of the ingredients, you are in for a treat. In this recipe, you beat them together in a mixer, but you can also try rubbing them together with your fingers to really infuse the sugar with the fragrance and flavor of the zest.
In fact, I recommend trying the technique the next time you are trying a recipe that includes both ingredients rather than adding the zest separately. It really enhances the lemon oil in the zest.
The blueberries I used were pretty huge so they tended to sink a bit as the cake was baking. If you have access to smaller blueberries (which are getting harder to find), you might want to use them. Regardless, even if they sink a little, you will still love this cake.
I've also heard that coating fruit in cakes with flour helps but I haven't tried it.
Recipe Variations and Serving Suggestions:
The original author of this recipe, Rebecca Firth, author of The Cake Book, suggests that you can use orange or lime zest instead of lemon zest in the batter. In the winter, we have a ton of tangelos from our other citrus tree, so I'm definitely going to try it.
She also suggests that you can drizzle this cake with maple syrup for breakfast. I haven't tried it yet, but I definitely will.
You can store this cake, covered, at room temperature for about three or four days. You can also store it in the refrigerator and re-warm pieces in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds.
More Blueberry Cakes You May Also Enjoy:
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake
Each month The Cake Slice Bakers are offered a selection of cakes from the current book we are baking through. This year it is The Cake Book: Beautiful Sweet Treats for Every Craving by Rebecca Firth.
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Blueberry Muffin Skillet Cake
- All That's Left Are The Crumbs
- Karen's Kitchen Stories
- A Day in the Life on the Farm
Blueberry Muffin Cake
Ingredients
- 216 grams (1 cup plus two tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 8 grams (1/4 cup) lemon zest
- 175 grams (3/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 56 grams (4 tablespoons/1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 300 grams (1 1/4 cups) whole milk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 360 grams (2 2/3 cup) unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 grams (1 teaspoon) sea salt
- 248 grams (2 cups) blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 63 grams (1/3 cup) granulated or sanding sugar, for topping the cake before baking
Instructions
- Butter a 10 inch cast iron or stainless steel oven safe skillet or a 9 inch square cake pan. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and zest on low for about 1 minute.
- Slowly stream in the olive oil and then add the butter. Mix on medium for three minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time until each is fully incorporated.
- Return the mixer to low and stream in the milk and almond extract and mix for one minute. Remove the bowl from the mixer and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the stand mixer bowl and fold with rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the other half of the flour mixture until just combined. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the center.
- Pour half of the batter into the pan and then add 3/4 of the blueberries. Add the rest of the batter and top with the rest of the blueberries. Sprinkle the top with 1/3 cup sugar.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
388Fat (grams)
21 gSat. Fat (grams)
5 gCarbs (grams)
51 gFiber (grams)
1 gNet carbs
49 gSugar (grams)
21 gProtein (grams)
6 gCholesterol (grams)
60 mgHow to stay up to date with Karen's Kitchen Stories?
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I thought this cake was delicious. I served mine up in the skillet but using a baking pan is a great idea, especially if you are taking it with you to a potluck or picnic.
ReplyDeleteI love my cast iron baking pan. Now I need a skillet, lol!
DeleteLove the bumpy lemon! :) I didn't make one because I don't have a skillet either, so appreciate your comments on the different pans it can be made in.
ReplyDelete