Blueberry Muffin Cake

Adapted from Zoë Bakes Cakes by Zoë François

The original recipe called for whole wheat flour but I used cornmeal as I love the sweet crunch of it with blueberries. If you wish to use whole wheat or all-purpose flour, use 1/4 cup (35g) in place of the cornmeal. I also used pecans in place of walnuts, but you can use either. For more info on almond flour, sometimes called almond meal, click here.

Zoë gave instructions for using a food processor but I didn't want to haul mine out so used my stand mixer. I've given instructions for both. If you don't have either appliance, you can mix the batter by hand in a large bowl with a spoon or spatula. Just expect to use a bit of vigor (or use a pastry blender) to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.

If using frozen blueberries, don't defrost them before baking but use them frozen. Tossing them with 1 tablespoon of flour before strewing them over the top will help keep them from being overly generous with their juices, and also keeps them from sinking to the bottom.

I didn't try it in a square cake pan, but if you do, most square pans are a little larger than their round counterparts so the cake will be thinner and will likely bake in less time. You can read more about variations in cake pan sizes here, here and here. If you're good at math (which I'm not), you could increase the batter proportionally for other pan sizes using some of those guidelines.

Course Breakfast

Servings servings

For the cake

1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200g) sugar
1/2 cup (60g) almond flour
1/4 cup (40g) cornmeal, or whole-wheat (or all-purpose)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (5 ounces, 140g) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (125ml) whole milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
2 cups (330g) fresh blueberries, (see headnote if using frozen)

For the topping

1/2 cup (60g) chopped walnuts or pecans, (untoasted)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons (1 ounce, 30g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
Butter an 8-inch (20cm) cake pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper about 16-inches (40cm) round. Smear it with softened butter, then line in the inside of the cake pan with it, buttered side up, so it covers the bottoms and up the sides of the pan, which you'll use later to help you lift out the cake. Press the paper up against the sides to flatten and smooth away any wrinkles.
To make the cake, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, sugar, almond flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and mix on medium speed until the butter is in small pieces, about the size of peas. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and mix just until the batter is smooth but avoid overmixing and overbeating it. (The batter can also be made in a food processor by mixing all the above ingredients together until smooth.)
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Cover the top with blueberries and use a butter knife to swirl the batter and blueberries together very slightly, just enough to distribute the blueberries and embed them a bit in the batter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes.
While the cake is baking, make the topping by mixing the chopped nuts, cinnamon, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the topping over the cake, place the pieces of butter in various places over the top of the cake, and continuing baking the cake until the cake feels just set in the center. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes. (The original recipe said 25 minutes but I found it baked faster so the time will vary.)
Let the muffin cake cool completely in the pan, then remove it to serve.

Notes

Serving: Serve the cake on its own, or with plain or slightly sweetened yogurt, ice cream, or whipped cream.