Monday, March 2, 2009

Blueberry Butter Cake

Blueberry Butter Cake baked in a measuring cupI'm not sure if this is what David Lebovitz had in mind when he twittered the following this past week:
"Another new idea for my next book: Desserts that can be
eaten right out of the measuring cups"
@davidlebovitz
I've been thinking about doing this for awhile…baking something in a measuring cup. Why? I'm not sure what purpose it holds, but it works. It might be fun to give as a gift to someone since they can use the measuring cups after enjoying the treats. As well, it could be part of a cooking themed kids' birthday party where they can decorate their measuring-cup-cupcakes and then eat them.

It's also good for portion control, similar to the idea of the S-XL Cake pan mold that lets each person choose the size of their cake slice. But by baking in a measuring cup, no knives are required. No asking what size slice everyone wants. Just pass the forks and make sure you have the same size measuring cup for all your kids or fights will break out.

Blueberry Butter Cake baked in a measuring cupThis recipe is from Bills Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,Blueberry Butter Cake baked in a measuring cupa cookbook I haven't used much but know I should since it's filled with wonderful recipes.

Recipe

(I halved the recipe, and it filled 2 ½-cup measuring cups, 2 1/3-cup measuring cups, 2 ¼-cup measuring cups and a partial 1 cup measuring cup.)

Ingredients for Blueberry Butter Cake
For the Topping:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
75 g (2 ½ oz) unsalted butter, cold

For the Cake:
2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
125g (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup caster (superfine) sugar [I used regular sugar.]
3 eggs, lightly beaten [I used 2 since I was halving the recipe.]
1 cup sour cream
2 cups blueberries


You can find the recipe here.

To bake them in stainless steel measuring cups, spray the bottom with cooking spray, line with parchment paper and spray again. Fill ¾ full. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Blueberry Butter Cake baked in a measuring cupTasting Notes
This is a nice, not-too-sweet cake to have for a snack or light dessert. The squish of the blueberry is like a burst of syrup that adds some sweetness to the vanilla-like cake base. Lingering on the coffee cake side of things, this cake would be delicious with other fruits as well. While good on their own, they're likely even better with crème anglaise or vanilla ice cream.
"There's something wrong with a mother who washes out a measuring cup with soap and water after she's only measured water in it."
— Erma Bombeck
Other Blueberry Butter Cakes
Foodbeam
The Scent of Green Bananas
Vicious Ange

Other Coffee Cakes
Sour Cream and Yogurt Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Streusel Coffee Cake with Cherries

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  • 30 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    Those cakes are so cute! The Bill's cookbook is great. I have a cold, so I'm craving his Corn & Ginger Soup or Chickem Noodle Soup with Lemon.

    Stef said...

    What a creative idea! I've never seen anything like it - and you're right, it would make a great gift!

    kimberly salem said...

    They look delicious!! That would be such a clever gift.

    natalia said...

    seeing your little cakes made me laugh ! They are nice if someone is on a diet !!

    Susan @ SGCC said...

    How clever! I love the idea of giving the measuring cups filled with cake as gifts! And that cake, looks soooo delicious!

    The Food Librarian said...

    You are soooo creative! You amaze me constantly! These are the perfect food gift.

    CookiePie said...

    What a yummy-looking cake, and I love the idea of baking it in the measuring cups -- adorable!

    Engineer Baker said...

    Oh that's fabulous! While I can't imagine it's quite what David Lebovitz meant, I'm sure he wouldn't be bothered by your take on it :)

    Maria said...

    I love that the cake is in measuring cups, the perfect portion control! TOO CUTE!

    Cathy said...

    Blueberries? Butter? Cake? I'm sold! And the adorable idea of serving them in measuring cups is an added bonus!

    Jennifer said...

    What a cute idea with the measuring cups!! they look amazing! I have a thing for a good blueberry muffin :)

    Anonymous said...

    Man, that really looks like my kind of treat. I am now craving a blueberry loaf or some blueberry cake. Mmm :)

    Elyse said...

    What a great looking treat! I love the measuring cup presentation; it's so perfect! And, what's not to love about blueberry butter cake? I'm pretty sure I could eat many a-measuring cup full of this awesome-looking cake!

    Anonymous said...

    Fantastic! I love it!
    ...and the cake looks amazingly sticky.mmmm

    PheMom said...

    I baked some chocolate cake in my measuring cups a while back and it didn't go so well... I may have to give it another shot sometime. It is really such a cute idea.

    Anonymous said...

    This is a really cool idea for making a couple of fresh baked muffin each morning. I'm sure the batter would last a couple of days and you can pop a couple "cups" full in the toaster oven while you get ready for work!

    Stephanie said...

    These look fantastic! Now I want measuring cups that I can put in my oven :)

    Anonymous said...

    Great idea. I suppose muffin tins aren't trendy anymore? =)

    Anonymous said...

    I love the polka dots that play on the blueberries. They are adorable and look delicious.

    Treehouse Chef said...

    I just made peanut butter cake but this looks so much better!

    Meeta K. Wolff said...

    shari these are looking real good. can't wait till the berry season gets going!

    Jan said...

    Oh wow they look so good - A fantastic idea of yours!!

    pigpigscorner said...

    They are so cute! What a great idea.

    Ingrid_3Bs said...

    How cool is that? You have some great ideas (I know it was yours initially but you acted on it) and of course your photos what's new to say, they're terrific?!
    ~ingrid

    Leslie said...

    That is so cute. and yummy too :)

    Jenny said...

    Oh I like it - now important question: where did you get your measuring cups? I have 3 1/2 sets, keep breaking my 1/4 cup measures and have yet to find one I'm totally happy with. The search continues!

    Julie said...

    That's so cute! I would have never thought of that :)

    Monica H said...

    These look so good. How very clever!

    Katie said...

    What a great way of serving cakes - people can then choose the size they want. One for daddy, one for mummy, one for baby - too cute!

    Anonymous said...

    Very clever...and David would love that you did him proud! The cake looks great...and those berries...I am thinking I might just request the berries in the cup and skip the cake, they look so good! Very stylish...like you!