Shenandoah Valley Blueberry Cake 蓝莓蛋糕

I bought a punnet of blueberries from the supermarket in my neighborhood when they were on sales. I paid SGD2.99 for 125g.

This is the first time I bought blueberries. I bought them specially for baking purpose. As I didn't have any recipe in mind, I browsed through a recipe book borrowed from the library and chanced upon this recipe.

The recipe uses a cup of blueberries, either fresh or frozen, and that means this cake is full of blueberries.

I was very excited as this was the first time I baked with blueberries, FRESH one.

With only basic ingredients used, not even vanilla was added, this cake tasted rather "plain" at first bite but I started to get addicted to it after second, third bites. I was able to taste the real taste of the cake, mild buttery and milky taste paired with slight tangy and very juicy blueberries, a perfect match.

Enjoy this simple, delicious cake for breakfast, a hi-tea or midnight snack.

The recipe is from The Best of the Bushel, a delicious volume of recipes from the Junior League of Charlotteville, Virginia.

Ingredients:
1-2/3 cups plain flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter (75g), softened (I used 90g)

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar (I used ¾ cup only, 90% filled)
1 egg
1/3 cup milk (80ml)(I added extra 1 tbsp)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)

Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 190C and generously grease a 9" square or round pan. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and stir to mix well.
2) Beat butter and sugar with a mixer at high speed until well combined.
3) Add egg and beat well for 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl, until the mixture is smooth and light.
4) Stir in half the flour mixture then half the milk, mixing just enough to keep the batter fairly smooth and well combined. Add the remaining flour mixture, then the rest of milk, mixing gently. Stir in blueberries.
5) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 190C for 30 minutes or until the cake is golden, springs back when touched gently in the center and is pulling away from the site of the pan.
6) Serve a square cake right from the pan, warm at room temperature, cut into small squares. If it's round, let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack or folded kitchen towel for 10 minutes, and then turn it out to cool on wire rack, top side down.

Note:
It's not necessary to flour the berries as the batter is rather thick, it would be able to hold the berries from sinking to the bottom.

(Recipe source: Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott)