Cake That's Anything But Crummy

Oh, the Barefoot Contessa...if only I could be one of those lucky friends of hers, feasting on Jeffrey's favorite roast chicken in that amazing house in the Hamptons! Guess I'll have to settle for the delicious recipes she creates.

Case in point: Blueberry Crumb Cake

I've made it four times in the past six weeks using my surplus of blueberries. Perfect with a cup of coffee, this little beauty is moist, and the crumbs are plentiful.

Crumb cake is popular in New York and, according to my good friend Ina (of course, the friend part is a figment of my imagination) and my native New Yorker relatives, including my husband, the key to a good crumb cake is in the mountain of crumbs on top. Pile 'em on!

Here is Ina Garten's recipe:

Streusel (The Crumb Part)
1/4 C granulated sugar
1/3 C light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 C all-purpose flour

Cake
6 T. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2/3 C sour cream
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 C fresh blueberries
confectioner's sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake, cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioner's sugar.