This post's title may lead you to believe it's about fishing but believe me, it's not. I don't fish. Today's post is dedicated to the delicious blueberry cake recipe that my mom's good friend Minnow gave me. Minnow was my mother's catering partner for years and a wonderful influence on my life. She would let me come over to her beautiful farm where I would play with her daughter Joanna. We would ride horses, tease the cranky goat, play games and eat lots of yummy things that Minnow would make. Her husband Tony would entertain us with tractor rides and one particularly wet canoe adventure in a nearby creek. I have such wonderful memories of spending time at their farm. Minnow, by the way, is not her real name but a nickname given to her by a sister who couldn't pronounce her real name, Maryanna.
She gave me this recipe when I was home visiting and had stopped by her house to pick blueberries. The recipe's name is really "Melt In Your Mouth Blueberry Cake" but after reading it over a few times I realized that it's a lot like a recipe I'd seen floating around called "Blueberry Boy Bait". So what I made is kind of a hybrid of the two, although really they are both pretty basic recipes. I prefer the name "Boy Bait", because well, it's hilarious. To think you could get a boy interested in you by baking a cake is such a quaint 50s idea. Actually, when I think about it it's not so dated. What guy wouldn't be attracted to someone who could make a decent baked good? I know I would, which is why this recipe will probably also work just as well on girls.
Of course the first thing you need is some blueberries. These were picked at the Hand Melon Farm in Greenwich, NY. I love picking berries. Nothing is more satisfying and fun. Plus, it's cheap!
The only thing that would be considered tricky in this recipe for those who don't bake a lot is the separating and beating of the egg whites. The easiest and safest way I find to separate the yolks from the white is to crack the egg on a flat surface (this avoids puncturing the yolk on the corner of a bowl) and letting the whole thing slide into your hand. Let the white run out through your fingers into a bowl while cradling the yolk (this is a wonderful, jiggly sensation). Then slip the yolk into another bowl. Be careful because if you break the yolk and any gets in the white you will have a harder time beating the whites.
It really helps to have an electric mixer to beat your egg whites. If you don't then be prepared for a major upper body workout. You want to beat the eggs until they are just forming stiff peaks. You want to keep stopping the mixer to see how stiff the whites are. When you pull out the beater you will see a little peak form. If the peak flops over then you are in "soft peak" land. Once the whites stand up at attention you have reached "stiff peak". DO NOT get distracted and over beat your egg whites. You will end up with a watery mess and will have to cry into your mixing bowl.
Peaks!
I tried mixing the blueberries two different ways. The first time I mixed them into the batter before adding the egg whites. This worked fine except that most of the blueberries ended up sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Where'd they go??
The second time I tried sprinkling them on top of the cake after it was poured into the pan as I'd read in other recipes. This worked ok but they didn't sink into the cake as much as I wanted them to.
Too many on top!
I think the best way would be to mix half of them into the batter and then sprinkle the rest on the top. Then you should get good blueberry distribution. So I've made this cake twice now and it's been a big hit. It doesn't look like much but when you bite in it's moist, light and delicious. Bake one now while there are blueberries about! And thanks, Minnow... for everything.
Byeeee!
Blueberry Boy (or Girl) Bait
adapted from Minnow's recipe
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs, separated
2/3 cup milk
2 cups blueberries (if frozen keep frozen until ready to use)
1 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350˚. In a medium bowl, sift flour and baking powder together, set aside. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Add salt, vanilla and egg yolks and beat until creamy. Add flour and milk alternately and mix until combined. Pour into a large bowl. In clean mixing bowl beat egg whites until they just reach stiff peaks. Fold egg whites a third at a time into the batter. Fold in a half of the blueberries. Pour into a buttered and floured 9 x 13" pan. Sprinkle the rest of the blueberries on top. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan and serve warm or room temperature. Cake keeps sealed in an airtight container at room temperature for three days.
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