Blueberry Coffee Cake

I was recently asked to make a coffee cake for a wedding shower. I was surprised to realize I have never made anything like this, so I was excited to find this recipe online and see that it had excellent reviews. The recipe was a success; it disappeared so quickly at the wedding shower that I wished I had doubled it.

Ingredients: 

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Zest from 1 whole lemon

7/8 cup sugar*

1 egg

1 t vanilla

2 cups flour

2 t baking powder

1 t salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

½ cup buttermilk

* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons

Before starting, allow butter and eggs to come to room temperature. Tip - if you want to speed up the butter warming from frozen or refrigerated temperatures, slice it into a bowl and it will thaw/soften faster. Putting it in the microwave is not the best idea, as this will effect the texture and fluffiness of your final product.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss blueberries with 1/4 cup flour and set aside. Combine remaining flour (1 3/4 cups) with baking powder and salt and mix well with a wire whisk.

Combine butter, lemon zest and sugar and beat until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well until mixed. Add flour and buttermilk slowly, alternating between the two ingredients and mixing well. Add blueberries last, folding into dough with a large spatula or spoon.

Grease a 9x9 pan or similar size pan with butter. Spread dough into pan and sprinkle sugar over the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing.

I am also thinking this recipe would make great blueberry muffins too... maybe next time I will try that.

References:
http://www.alexandracooks.com/2011/06/29/buttermilk-blueberry-breakfast-cake/