Blueberry cake

I usually opt for the simplest cake recipes, as I’ve said before (often) (TOO often, sigh regular readers – and if you’re not sighing, regular readers, you should be). The simpler, the better. My most favourite cake recipes are one-bowl affairs where fussy sifting and beating and careful folding and so on do not figure in the instructions.

But this time, in a dramatic departure from my usual modus operandi, the recipe involves fussy separating, AND beating, AND sifting, AND careful folding AND plenty of elbow grease. Sounds disgusting, doesn’t it, especially the elbow grease? If you usually make use of an electric egg beater, you can safely omit the elbow grease, but the rest of the dramatic departure method still holds good. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. And don't ask why I went for the dramatic departure. I still can't believe I chose a recipe where I had to whip the egg whites by hand... 

Anyway, after seeing the finished cake, I thought that the procedure had been fussy for no real reason… but on reflection (and after tasting), I think it resulted in a lighter, fluffier, higher rising cake – especially considering that the cake tin I’d used had seemed a bit too big for the amount of batter involved.

And what a delicious cake it was, too.

Recipe for: Blueberry cake

Ingredients:
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup + 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter/margarine, softened
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp flour to coat berries
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1-1/2 cup fresh blueberries
cinnamon sugar for topping

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Beat egg whites until it forms soft peaks.

Beat in 1/4 cup of sugar.

3. In another bowl, cream margarine/butter.

Add salt, vanilla, and remaining sugar gradually.

4. Add egg yolks and beat until creamy.

5. Mix flour with baking powder.
Add alternately to creamed mixture with milk.

6. Fold in beaten egg whites.

7. Turn out half the batter into an 8" round pan that has been sprayed with Pam.
8. Coat the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour,

then add half of the berries to the batter in the pan, as far as possible spacing them out evenly without letting them touch the edges of the pan.

9. Pour in the remaining batter over the berries, then sprinkle the rest of the berries over the top.
10. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top of the batter.

Bake in the oven for about an hour or so, or till a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.

11. Let the cake remain in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

Serve warm with a cup of coffee or tea.


RECIPE: BLUEBERRY CAKE

Ingredients:
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup + 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter/margarine, softened
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp flour to coat berries
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1-1/2 cup fresh blueberries
cinnamon sugar for topping

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Beat egg whites until it forms soft peaks.
Beat in 1/4 cup of sugar.
3. In another bowl, cream margarine/butter. Add salt, vanilla, and
remaining sugar gradually.
4. Add egg yolks and beat until creamy.
5. Mix flour with baking powder.
Add alternately to creamed mixture with milk.
6. Fold in beaten egg whites.
7. Turn out half the batter into an 8" round pan that has been sprayed with Pam.
8. Coat the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour, then add half of the berries to the batter in the pan, as far as possible spacing them out evenly without letting them touch the edges of the pan.
9. Pour in the remaining batter over the berries, then sprinkle the rest of the berries over the top.
10. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top of the batter. Bake in the oven for about an hour or so, or till a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.
11. Let the cake remain in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. Serve warm with a cup of coffee or tea.