Yes, you read it right...Breakfast CAKE. And boy is it GOOD. Not too sweet which I really like because I can't eat really sweet foods first thing in the morning. Very moist and loaded with blueberries. It also works well as leftovers (I know because we just scarfed down a couple of pieces after being nuked for about 15 seconds). Made in a 9x9 baking dish, this could easily be doubled to accommodate guests.
A couple of suggestions from experience: I added more buttermilk - probably 3 tablespoons or so. This batter is SO thick. Do NOT expect to pour it into your baking dish but rather plop spoonfuls into the dish and then spread it. Even after the addition of the buttermilk I still had to do this. Thick...as in turn the bowl upside down and the batter stays put. Second - if you have Turbinado (raw sugar), use this on top prior to baking. It would give it a MUCH better mouth feel/crunch. You can purchase this from Fresh & Easy in a box of packets for like $2. SO worth it!
Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake
(Adapted from Alexandra's Kitchen)
Serves 6-8
1/2 cup butter, room temp
2 tsp. lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar + 1 tbsp raw sugar
1 egg, room temp
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour (setting aside 1/4 cup to mix with the blueberries)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen can also be used - do not thaw first)
1/2 cup buttermilk*** + more as needed
*** To make homemade buttermilk, place 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Fill cup with milk until it reaches the 1-cup line. Let stand for five minutes.
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 3/4 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour. In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries. The batter will be EXTREMELY thick. If its too thick to allow folding in of the blueberries and additional flour, add more buttermilk, 2 tablespoons at a time. It should still be very thick, not pourable.
4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into pan and then spread evenly. Sprinkle batter with tablespoon of sugar in the raw (regular sugar will work as well). Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) DO NOT OVERBAKE. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
