The transition to fall can be an interesting journey. The weather is still warm yet we’re ready to lean into the change of season. And though we often think of blueberries as a summer fruit, when paired with orange and spices of cinnamon, ginger and freshly grated nutmeg, you’ll find these plump berries make a delectable cake that is ideal for an autumn table.
Crumb cakes are a centuries old tradition, with German and Polish roots. Originally a yeast cake topped with a streusel, later versions transitioned from yeast baking powder and baking soda for a tender light cake. And in this cake you’ll find two types of sugar, including dark brown sugar for a nice depth. Whole eggs blended with sour cream, milk and butter along with orange zest, pure vanilla extract and orange oil. Flour whisked with the baking powder and baking soda for a gorgeous crumb to envelope plump blueberries.
And if that’s not enough, a rich streusel made with sugars stirred into flour plus a touch of baking powder, a trio of spices – cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg – and a generous pour of melted butter.
Crumble the streusel over the cake, scatter more blueberries and bake until puffed and fragrant. Just because it’s fall, there’s no reason to shy away from those berries!
Blueberry Spice Crumb Cake
For the cake:
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
Zest of 1 large orange, about 1 teaspoon zest
1-½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon pure orange oil
½ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1-½ cups flour, plus ½ teaspoon, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup blueberries, rinsed, sorted, and divided
For the streusel topping:
1-1/3 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3-½ tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
½ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Lightly spray an 8” square baking pan with a baking spray, then line it with parchment paper. Lightly spray the parchment paper with a baking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and dark brown sugar, the eggs, sour cream, milk, orange zest, vanilla extract, orange oil, and melted butter. Blend, starting on low speed, until starting to combine, then on medium speed until well mixed.
Whisk together 1-½ cups of the flour, the kosher salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Using low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter, about ½ cup at a time.
Toss ⅔ cup of the blueberries with the remaining ½ teaspoon flour. With a spatula, fold the blueberries into the cake batter, taking care not to break up the berries.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
For the topping:
Blend the flour together with the baking powder, kosher salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and both sugars. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.
The mixture will be thick and crumbly.
To finish the cake:
Sprinkle the topping over the cake, spreading as evenly as possible.
Scatter the remaining ⅓ cup blueberries over the top, pressing gently into the streusel topping.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes, then cover loosely with foil. Continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Then using the parchment paper, carefully lift the cake out of the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serves 10 to 12.
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Blueberry Spice Crumb Cake
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- 8" square baking pan, lined with parchment paper
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- Zest of 1 large orange, about 1 teaspoon zest
- 1-½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure orange oil
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1-½ cups flour, plus ½ teaspoon, divided
- 1-½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup cup blueberries, rinsed, sorted, and divided
- For the streusel topping:
- 1-⅓ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 3-½ teaspoons sugar
- 6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
Instructions
- For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Lightly spray an 8” square baking pan with a baking spray, then line it with parchment paper. Lightly spray the parchment paper with a baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and dark brown sugar, the eggs, sour cream, milk, orange zest, vanilla extract, orange oil, and melted butter. Blend, starting on low speed, until starting to combine, then on medium speed until well mixed.
- Whisk together 1-½ cups of the flour, the kosher salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- Using low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter, about ½ cup at a time.
- Toss ⅔ cup of the blueberries with the remaining ½ teaspoon flour. With a spatula, fold the blueberries into the cake batter, taking care not to break up the berries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- For the topping:
- Blend the flour together with the baking powder, kosher salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and both sugars.
- Add the melted butter and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick and crumbly.
- To finish the cake:
- Sprinkle the topping over the cake, spreading as evenly as possible.
- Scatter the remaining ⅓ cup blueberries over the top, pressing gently into the streusel topping.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes, then cover loosely with foil. Continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Then using the parchment paper, carefully lift the cake out of the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
