Blueberry Cornmeal Muffin Cake
If you’ve ever wondered what a giant corn muffin studded with blueberries tastes like, here’s your chance to find out!
This Blueberry Cornmeal Muffin Cake combines everything you love about corn muffins—the buttery, tender but slightly textured crumb and that golden crunchy crust along with everything you love about blueberry muffins— the sweet, juicy, berry goodness into one special summery treat. Now you can have your cake...and muffin and eat it too!!
This would be perfection at any breakfast or brunch. And I’m pretty sure no one will turn it down if it happens to turn up as a little afternoon snack either!
Look at that layer of fresh berries!!! Don’t you wish you could sink your teeth into a square right now?!! I know I do! I’m sitting here waiting for my daughter’s hockey game to start and I wish, wish, wish I had a piece with a nice hot cup of tea! I’m so cold and hungry!!
Guys, summer is flying by and while I’m sure you could make this with frozen berries we all know that they can’t hold a candle to the fresh ones, so if you’re not already on your way to the store to pick up a pint or two, I think you know what needs to be done!!
Blueberry Cornmeal Muffin Cake
Makes one 9-inch square cake
Prep Time: 10-12 minutes: Bake Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Ingredients
15 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons) cut into small pieces at room temperature
¾ cup + 5 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 ½ kosher salt
2 eggs
4 ½ tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (200 grams) unbleached, all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (120 grams) cornmeal
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk plain yogurt
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon ricotta
1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
The Recipe
1. Make sure rack is centered in oven and preheat to 350º F. Spray a 9x9-inch square cake pan or a 10-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper and lightly spray the paper again. Set aside.
2. Use a electric mixer to beat together the butter and ¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons of the sugar and salt on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula and add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl well too again.
3. Turn the mixer to low and add in the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Then add in the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and soda, yogurt and ricotta and mix gently only until just incorporated. You don’t want to over mix or the cake will turn out heavy and dense.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out, scatter the blueberries evenly across the top and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 25-30 minutes. Insert a cake tester into the center and see if it comes out clean. If not, let it cook for another 10 minutes and test again. If the top looks like it’s getting too dark, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
5. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack in the pan. Then invert onto a plate and remove the parchment paper. Invert again onto a platter so that it is right side up. Cut into squares and serve.
6. Store cake at room temperature, well wrapped for 2 days and longer in the fridge. It’s best on the day it’s made but it’s also good cold and really lovely lightly reheated in the oven too.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Huckleberry by Zoe Nathan--I cook this in a square baking pan because I find it overflows in the round cake pan even though the original recipe calls for a 10" size which I used. I also use a lot more berries than the original recipe calls for.
