Blueberry Crumb Cake

You've got to put this recipe into your "to try" file. You have one of those, right? This cake is absolutely delicious! It is perfection on a plate. And it's easy to make. I'm going to try it again today with raspberries. I hope it lasts longer than the blueberry, but I doubt it.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

from Maida Heatter's Cakes

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping:

1/3 cup sifted flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 ounces butter

Cake:

2 cups sifted flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 ounces butter

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

zest of one lemon

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Butter or spray a 9-inch square baking pan. Coat it well with fine dry bread crumbs.

For the topping:

In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

For the cake:

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Place the blueberries in a large bowl. Sprinkle the blueberries with about 1 1/2 T of the flour mixture. Set aside the flour mixture and the blueberries.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Beat in the vanilla and sugar and beat for one minute. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and the milk alternately in two or three additions, scraping the bowl when necessary.

Stir in the lemon zest and pour the mixture over the floured blueberries and gently fold the blueberries into the batter.

Fill the prepared pan with the batter and even out the top. Sprinkle walnuts over the top, then the reserved topping.

Bake 50 minutes or until top is well browned. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes before serving.