Blueberry Breakfast Cakes
I made these a few years ago for the first time, hoping to find the perfect blueberry muffin recipe to add to my collection. When I took them out of the oven, I was sad. They hardly rose at all, I thought. Where are my muffin tops?
I thought I would have to continue my muffin search. Then Stewart ate one. Then another. I tried one. The batch was gone within hours. Don’t be fooled by their diminutive stature. These little lovelies are moist and fluffy. They’ve got everything I love in a muffin - a crunchy sugar top, a balance of blueberries to cake, and above all, consistent results. I realize it’s a risk to say that when I post a recipe, but they’ve always come out well for me, even in four different kitchens over three years.
I should say that they do lack a proper muffin top, but that’s not an issue for us. I suppose my search for a perfect muffin isn’t over, but I hardly think about that when I get to have these. They’re not muffins, they’re not cupcakes, they’re blueberry breakfast cakes. Or afternoon cakes. Or midnight snack cakes. Or gimme now cakes!
Blueberry Breakfast Cakes
Makes 12 cakes
1 1/2 Cups + 2 Tbs All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Baking Powder
Heavy pinch salt
1 Cup Sugar, and more for sanding
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil (like canola)
1 Ener-g Egg Replacer
1 Cup Vanilla Silk Yogurt (a little less than 2 small containers)
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Cup + 1/2 Cup Blueberries (frozen okay, see directions*)
Muffin liners
Preheat oven to 380º F, (will be increased to 400).
Line metal muffin trays with paper liners and set aside.
*If using frozen berries, keep frozen until the last second! I’ll tell you when to take them out of the freezer in the directions.
Mix all the dry ingredients (through sugar) in a large bowl. Use a whisk or a fork to incorporate everything very well. Remove 1 Tbs of this dry mix and place in a small bowl and set aside (this is for coating your blueberries).
In another bowl (or 2 cup liquid measure, I find that easier), mix your yogurt, oil, vanilla and prepared “egg”. Whisk well to incorporate.
Get your blueberries from the freezer, measure out 1 Cup and place in the small bowl with 1 Tbs of dry ingredients. Toss to coat. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, getting every bit (a rubber spatula helps). Using your rubber spatula or a wide wooden spoon, gently fold the wet ingredient into the dry. Once it is JUST incorporated, scatter blueberries on top.
You have 3 stirs to mix them in, so make them count. I’m not kidding.
See, here’s the deal. Frozen blueberries tend to turn everything, well, blue. You want your cake part to be yellow, not some weird purple-gray color. Any more than 3-4 stirs, and that protective coating of dry ingredients we tossed the berries in will start to come off and dye your batter. (Fresh blueberries aren’t this fussy.) The good news is that you really can stir them in in just 3 turns, even though you’ll really really want to stir more.
Once the berries are mixed in, distribute all the batter into your tins. You’ll feel like you’re over filling a bit, but that’s a-okay. These don’t really rise all that much so it’ll be fine. Add up to 1/2 cup more blueberries over the tops, pressing them into the batter gently but not submerging them.
Sand cakes with a (un)healthy amount of sugar, using a coarser sugar if you’ve got it, such as Sugar in the Raw. I’m weird and keep like three different kinds of sugar in my kitchen at all times. The sugar you used for the batter will work just fine.
Place them in the oven and increase the temperature to 400º. Bake for 20-25 minutes on the middle or top-middle rack of your oven, turning half-way to ensure even cooking. They’re done when a toothpick comes out clean and the tops are a rich golden brown.
Let cool on a wire rack. They’re delicate when they’re hot so be careful when transferring them. These taste amazing at room temperature, so wait as long as you can to try one.
I know there are a lot of specific directions for these, but hey, it’s what I do and they come out great!
16 comments March 24th, 2007
