Berry White Cake
What else would you call a white cake, studded with berries, but Berry White? While this red, white and blue cake would be lovely for a 4th of July party, it would be great anytime. You can use fresh, or even frozen berries. They really make a simple white cake special.
I topped it off with a lemon butter cream frosting and since it was for the 4th of July I added a few star sprinkles.
To make the cake, start by making a white cake batter. I used homemade -recipe follows- but you could use a box mix if that is what you prefer. After you pour the batter into your pan, or pans, sprinkle with some blueberries and raspberries- or whatever berries you happen to have. Don’t fold the berries into the batter. Fresh or frozen berries could be used. I used about 2 cups of berries in all. Once cooled, frost the cake. I used a lemon butter cream- recipe follows.
Classic White Cake
2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
4 egg whites or whole eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 c. all-purpose flour
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 c. milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13×9-inch pan. In a medium
bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a
time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to
the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter
is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle berries
over the surface of the cake. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cake is done when it
springs back to the touch. Makes 1.
Note: I actually made 3 smaller cakes from this recipe- reduced baking time to 20- 25 minutes.
Lemon Butter Cream
½ cup butter
4 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
3 T. milk
1 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a bowl beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the
confectioners’ sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the milk, juice and
vanilla. Slowly beat in remaining sugar. Beat in additional milk, if
needed, to make of spreading consistency.
Ready for the oven
Freshly baked
Really Easy Blueberry Crumb Cake
Blueberry Crumb Cake
When local berries are in season I freeze plenty so I can enjoy them all year round. In a recent cleaning out of the freezer, I pulled out a package of blueberries and decided to make something with them. I love blueberries in pretty much anything. I cook with them all the time. This is one of my favorite blueberry recipes- and that is saying a lot. It is a classic and always a favorite when I make it for friends and family. The cake is moist, tender and delicate but the magic is that crumb topping. The cake isn’t too sweet, so you can enjoy it for dessert, or even for breakfast or brunch. I like it plain, but friends have been known to serve it with ice cream. There is something extra nice about a blueberry cake on a snowy day.
Blueberry Crumb Cake
For cake batter:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, softened
¾ c. sugar
1 egg
½ c. milk
1 pint blueberries, fresh or frozen
For topping:
½ c. sugar
¼ c. flour
½ t. cinnamon
½ stick (¼ c. butter, chilled and cut into bits)
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and milk. Add flour mixture gradually until just mixed in. Fold in blueberries. Grease and flour an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan and add prepared batter. Combine topping ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in pan and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. Use toothpick to test.
Note: I have used a 9-inch round pan and it worked fine.
Three Fruit Crumble
Three Fruit Crumble
This time of year I am always looking to empty my freezer out a little. I find it also helps me to be more creative. For a recent dinner with friends I needed a dessert. I decided to make some sort of fruit crumble/ cobbler thing. I thought it would go well with the meal we were having. Plus, when it’s cold outside fruit desserts always make me think about summer. I decided the first three fruits I found were the ones I would use. Turned out to be blackberries, blueberries and red grapes. Pretty nice mix. I thawed out the fruit and tossed them with some sugar and a little cornstarch and a squeeze of lemon juice. I had about 7 or 8 cups of fruit, but I knew they would cook down. I put them in a 9-inch glass baking dish and made the topping next. Baked it until the top was golden and the fruit was all bubbly. It was a big hit and if I hadn’t admitted that it was just a matter of what I found first I think my guests would have though I’d planned it from the beginning.
Three Fruit Crumble
The filling
7-8 cups mixed fruit- I used blueberries, blackberries and red grapes, too
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 T. cornstarch
2 T. lemon juice
The topping
2 c. rolled oats
1 c. flour
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 stick butter
Combine the fruit with the other filling ingredients and place in a baking dish. I used a 9×9 inch glass baking dish but use whatever casserole you like. Place all the topping ingredients, except the butter, in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle over the fruit mixture and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until topping is golden and fruit is bubbly. Serves 6.
Easy Blueberry Crumble
Easy Blueberry Crumble
If you are pressed for time and need a really easy dessert you might want to try this one. I started with a jar of homemade blueberry pie filling but you can use store bought. I topped it with an oatmeal crumble mixture and popped it in the oven to get all toasted and bubbly. It took longer for the oven to preheat than it did for me to assemble this dish. Great for dessert as is, or topped with ice cream. Not too sweet, it could easily work for a brunch, too. I used blueberry pie filling but you could use whatever fruit pie filling you prefer.
Easy Blueberry Crumble
1 can blueberry pie filling – I make my own so I used homemade*
1 c. rolled oats
2/3 c. flour
½ c. brown sugar
2 t. cinnamon
½ t. salt
¼ c. butter
3 T. half and half – you could also use milk or whipping cream
Place pie filling in a deep dish 9-inch pie pan. In mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cut in the butter. Drizzle the milk over the oat mixture and stir to blend. Place oat mixture over the blueberry pie filling. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 30-35 minutes- or until bubbly and the crumble topping has become golden. Serve warm or cold. Tastes great plain but also good topped with ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 4-6.
* You can also make the filling using fresh or frozen berries. In medium saucepan combine 3-4 cups of berries with ¾ cup of sugar, ¼ cup lemon juice and the zest of a lemon. Bring to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (or Clear Gel if you have it) mixed with 3 or 4 tablespoons of cold water. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Mixture should be nicely thickened. Depending on the berries I sometimes use a little more cornstarch.
Warm Blueberry Cake
Warm Blueberry Cake
If you need a quick dessert or even a nice addition for a brunch this cake is a great choice. It really is so easy to make. As the name implies it is meant to be served warm, but good at room temp, too.
Warm Blueberry Cake
2 c. biscuit mix*
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. milk
2 T. oil
1 egg
1 1/2 c. blueberries
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9×9-inch pan. Beat all ingredients together, except berries, for about 30 seconds. Fold in berries and pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 35 minutes. Cake should be golden brown on top and test clean with a toothpick. Serve warm.
*Like Bisquick or Jiffy mix. I make my own. Recipe follows.
Biscuit Mix
8 c. flour
1 c. powdered milk
1 c. powdered buttermilk (or 1 more cup powdered milk)
1/4 c. baking powder
1 T. salt
1 1/2 c. shortening*
Combine dry ingredients and cut in shortening until well mixed. Store in tightly covered container. Makes 10 cups.
* You can use butter instead, but keep mix in fridge and use in a couple of months. You can also use coconut oil- also best to keep this version in the fridge.
No Bake Blueberry Dessert
Blueberry No Bake Dessert
This dessert came about by accident and a tasty accident it was. I had finished my cooking camps with kids and had some supplies left over. I was also going to a dinner with friends and had offered to make the dessert. I used what I had on hand and this is the result. It started out with a couple of open boxes of vanilla wafers. I also had a mostly full can of blueberry pie filling, some fresh blueberries and a one quart container of vanilla yogurt. I knew the flavors would work together, I just needed to decide how to put them together. I got a 13×9 – inch glass baking dish and put a layer of the vanilla wafers on the bottom of the pan. Then I covered the wafers with half of the yogurt. I added another layer of wafers and topped them with the blueberry pie filling and the fresh berries. Added one more layer of the vanilla wafers and ended the dessert with the rest of the yogurt. I covered the pan and put it in the fridge for several hours. When we served it the dessert was easy to cut and serve. We topped it with whipped cream. It was really fast and easy. I could see using other fruits and even other flavors of yogurt. Great for a day when you just don’t feel like turning on the oven.
Blueberry Shortcake
Blueberry Shortcake
I made this over the weekend for dinner with friends. Thinking red white and blue theme and using berries I had at home. I was really pleased with how it turned out. I started by shaping the blueberry studded dough into a star shape. I actually had an old copper star shaped mold- but it could have shaped it by hand, if needed. Once baked I topped it with whipped cream and raspberries. It was a nice end to a lovely meal with friends.
Blueberry Shortcake
2 c. flour
¼ c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
¾ t. salt
½ c. chilled butter
2 c. blueberries
1 t. lemon zest
2 large eggs
1/3 c. heavy cream
Mix dry ingredients together in bowl and cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Toss in blueberries and zest. Beat together eggs and cream and stir into flour mixture. Mix very gently to avoid bruising berries. Place dough on a baking sheet and form into a star shape or a circle or oval shape. Flatten slightly. Brush with a little cream and sprinkle with a little extra sugar. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a rack. When ready to serve top with whipped cream and raspberries. Serves 6-8.
Cooling on the rack
Ready to serve
