Blueberry Cinnamon Tea Cake

A few years ago I wanted to come up with a special something to take to the ladies Bible study group I attended. It was springtime so I wanted to utilize some fresh berries. Given the mid morning time of our get together, the special something needed to go with hot coffee and tea for the regulars and with water for the health conscious getting in their 100 ounces of water a day and with the soda drinking group who needed the caffeine and sugar to "just get through".

I thought about coffee cakes, but I've never been a big fan. I've always found them to be too dry for my taste. So I looked over some recipes and through trial and error came up with this one I call Blueberry Cinnamon Tea Cake. It's lighter than a traditional coffee cake and more moist than most breakfast cakes with a nice cinnamon crunch on top. I hope you enjoy it!

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

Topping Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.

In a large bowl combine the first four cake ingredients and mix well. Push the dry ingredients to the side leaving a hole in the middle. Pour the milk, oil, and egg into the hole. Mix well incorporating the dry ingredients.

Gently fold in the blueberries. Spread cake into the pan.

In a small bowl combine the first three topping ingredients and mix well.

Cut the butter into the dry topping ingredients until mixture crumbles. Sprinkle this mixture the cake.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

St. Patty's Day Cupcakes

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day I made these St. Patty's Day cupcakes last night for our party at ESL tonight. Growing up we always celebrated St. Patrick's Day because it is also my brother's birthday.

I've had this recipe for a long time. I have no idea where it came from but they're always a big green hit. They use instant pistachio pudding which makes the cake green.

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 small box instant pistachio pudding mix
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. In separate mixing bowl beat eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla on high. Slowing add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in thirds beating well after each addition. Line muffin pan with foil muffin cups. Fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 375°F for about 20 minutes. Makes about one dozen cupcakes.

Frost with your favorite green frosting. For these I used a basic vanilla buttercream frosting.

Ready by January 22

Fruitcake

I should have made my fruitcake a month ago or at least a couple of weeks ago so it would have had time to mature by Christmas. Some consider this to be an important aspect of a good fruitcake. I baked mine tonight. I considered many different recipes and designed my own. If you want a cake that is more nuts than fruit, that incorporates all candied fruit and no dried fruit or raisins and adds a touch of orange and molasses, then mine might be for you. I hope you will consider your favorite flavors and experiment to design a new favorite for your family.

• 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 2 cups fruitcake fruit mix
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup softened butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 eggs
• 2 Tablespoons molasses
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 3/4 all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease and flour a large tube pan. Combine walnuts, pecans, and fruit mix. Sprinkle with 3 Tablespoons flour.

Stir gently until nuts and fruit are coated in flour. Set aside. In an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time beating well with each addition.

Add molasses, vanilla, and orange juice. Mix together. Add flour, baking soda, and salt all at once.  Beat, scrapping sides with spatula until all is combined.  Stir in nuts and fruit.

Spoon carefully into pan taking care to spread batter evenly.

Bake for 2 hours until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean and cake pulls away from sides of pan. Run a knife along the edges to help loosen cake if needed. Allow cake to rest in pan on cooling rack for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from pan onto glass cake plate.

  Cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap followed by foil wrap.    

Blueberry Morning Cake

Last weekend I made this cake for the women’s retreat.  Several people asked about the recipe so I am including it here.

This is a great cake to make especially as blueberries come into season, but frozen blueberries also work quite well.  It is pretty easy to make and works equally for a brunch or lunch dish as well as for dessert.  To make this for a 9x12 inch pan, I use 1 ½ times the ingredients.  You could also bake this in a loaf pan or in a round cake pan and cut wedges.  It is a very versatile recipe.  I hope you all enjoy it.

Blueberry Morning Cake

Cake: 

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups blueberries

Topping:

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white sugar
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup margarine

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, oil, and egg.  Mix well.  Stir in the blueberries.  Pour into prepared pan.

For the topping combine ⅓ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.  Cut in the margarine until crumbly.  Sprinkle over cake.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool.  Enjoy.

This cake slices nicely if allowed to cool thoroughly first.

Jewish Apple Cake

Apples are still in season here in North Carolina for a little while longer.  One of my favorite cakes to make when apples are in season is this one, Jewish Apple Cake or as it's called in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Style Apple Cake.  It serves up a lot of large slices for a family get-together or a church supper or just anytime you're having friends over for a meal.  You could also make it ahead of time and freeze it until later for a special event or you could make it and freeze individual slices just for yourself.

Jewish Apple Cake

(or Philadelphia Style Apple Cake)

·         6 cups peeled and thinly sliced Granny Smith apples (about 3 large)

·         1 ½ cups plus 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

·         4 teaspoons cinnamon

·         3 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 tablespoon baking powder

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         4 eggs

·         ½ cup light brown sugar

·         1 cup vegetable oil

·         ½ cup orange juice

·         2 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Grease, sugar, and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Combine apple slices with 5 tablespoons granulated sugar and cinnamon.  Stir well but gently.  Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  Set aside.

Beat eggs with remaining granulated sugar and brown sugar.  Add vegetable oil, orange juice, and vanilla.  Beat well.  Gradually blend the flour mixture into the egg/sugar mixture.  Mix until well blended, about one minute.

Pour one third of the batter into the prepared tube pan.  Top with half the apple slices, draining off any liquid.  Pour in another third of the batter and top with remaining apple slices.  Top with remaining batter, making sure the apples are covered.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until the top turns golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let cool 10 minutes in pan.  Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.  Serves 16.  Remember, this cake freezes well.