Blueberry Butter Cake

I'm not sure if this is what David Lebovitz had in mind when he tweeted the following this past week:

"Another new idea for my next book: Desserts that can be eaten right out of the measuring cups" @davidlebovitz

I've been thinking about doing this for a while…baking something in a measuring cup. Why? I'm not sure what purpose it holds, but it works. It might be fun to give as a gift to someone since they can use the measuring cups after enjoying the treats. It could also be part of a cooking-themed kids' birthday party where they can decorate their measuring cup cupcakes and then eat them.

It's also good for portion control, similar to the idea of the S-XL Cake pan mold that lets each person choose the size of their cake slice. But by baking in a measuring cup, no knives are required. No asking what size slice everyone wants. Just pass the forks and make sure you have the same size measuring cup for all your kids or fights will break out.

This recipe is from Bills Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,a cookbook I haven't used much but know I should since it's filled with wonderful recipes.

Recipe

(I halved the recipe, and it filled 2 ½-cup measuring cups, 2 1/3-cup measuring cups, 2 ¼-cup measuring cups and a partial 1 cup measuring cup.)

For the Topping:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
75 g (2 ½ oz) unsalted butter, cold

For the Cake:
2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
125g (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup caster (superfine) sugar [I used regular sugar.]
3 eggs, lightly beaten [I used 2 since I was halving the recipe.]
1 cup sour cream
2 cups blueberries

You can find the recipe here.

To bake them in stainless steel measuring cups, spray the bottom with cooking spray, line with parchment paper, and spray again. Fill ¾ full. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Tasting Notes
This is a nice, not-too-sweet cake to have for a snack or light dessert. The squish of the blueberry is like a burst of syrup that adds some sweetness to the vanilla-like cake base. Lingering on the coffee cake side of things, this cake would be delicious with other fruits as well. While good on their own, they're likely even better with crème anglaise or vanilla ice cream.

"There's something wrong with a mother who washes out a measuring cup with soap and water after she's only measured water in it." — Erma Bombeck

Other Blueberry Butter Cakes
• The Scent of Green Bananas
• Vicious Ange

Other Coffee Cakes
• Sour Cream and Yogurt Cinnamon Coffee Cake
• Streusel Coffee Cake with Cherries