Friday, May 27, 2011

Blueberry BOY Bait


In case you didn't guess by the title of this post, we are having a BOY!  We are so excited, and I've already done some serious baby boy clothes shopping, of course.  We've been telling Caroline that she's going to have a little brother, but she still maintains that I'm having a baby turtle.  Not sure where she got that one...

In any case, I wanted to bake something fun to share the news, so I thought that blueberry boy bait would be perfect.   Ever since I made this I haven't been able to resist slicing off little slivers, so apparently this baby boy loves blueberries as much as his sister.  I will admit that I had only heard of it in passing, but it is basically a buttery sheet cake that is studded with blueberries and sprinkled with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping.  Legend has it that this recipe was created by a teenage girl for a recipe contest, with the claim that it's so good that it's "bait for boys."

This is a super simple recipe that is in the oven in under 10 minutes.  Very low-maintenance and easy, and the result is a light and fluffy cake with little bursts of fresh berries and a spicy, crackly top. Even though I don't think it's necessary, I'm sure a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream would go nicely with this as well.  This is ideal for summer entertaining since it's so easy, and it can be transported to a potluck quite easily as well - no fussy frosting or glaze to worry about ruining. 

As you can see from the photo, the blueberries did sink to the bottom of the cake; however I think it was because I forgot to preheat the oven, so the cake sat at room temperature for 10 minutes while I waited for it to preheat.  I think that the berries must have begun sinking, so when I put the cake in the oven it was too late for them.  No worries though, it certainly didn't affect the taste!

Blueberry Boy Bait
yield:  one 9x13 inch sheet cake

  • 2 cups plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder 
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not defrost first as it tends to muddle in the batter)
 Topping:
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 and grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Whisk together 2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  One at a time, add the eggs, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Add the vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low and add one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk.  Beat in half the remaining flour mixture, the remaining buttermilk, and finishing with the remaining flour.  Mix until just incorporated after each addition.

Toss the blueberries with the remaining teaspoon of flour, then fold into the batter with a rubber spatula.  Scatter the top with the remaining blueberries, then sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon.  Spread the batter into the baking pan and bake 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Serve with the sugar topping side up.


Source:  adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Cook's Country


19 comments:

Jill said...

This looks delicious! Congratulations on the baby news!

Unknown said...

Congrats Josie! Great way to celebrate your news :) I've made this one too and absolutely loved it.

Jen said...

Congratulations on your impending baby boy!!

I make this cake every summer during blueberry season and it is fantastic. My husband calls it husband bait. LOL

The Poet Herself said...

Congratulations!!! Little boys are so much fun! (And this recipe is great--I've made it before. YUM!)

Nicole@HeatOvenTo350 said...

Congrats! This is the perfect cake to celebrate. Of course, if you were having a turtle, the celebratory cake would be pretty good in that case, too. :)

Unknown said...

Congratulations!! Little boys are just so much fun!

Amy (Sing For Your Supper) said...

YAY for a boy!! And that's hilarious that Caroline thinks you're having a turtle! I totally LOLed at that! She's adorable! Congratulations Josie!

Joanne said...

Aww mega congrats Josie! This looks like the perfect way to celebrate the good news!

#1SAHM said...

Congrats!

Unknown said...

Oh how exciting, congrats on your boy!

Anonymous said...

Congrats! Great way to celebrate :)

R. Dotson said...

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Blueberry boy bait is one of my favorite recipes! I've always had the blueberries sink..not sure why, but even if I cover them with flour they make their way to the bottom.

Shanon said...

Congrats, Josie! Little boys are so sweet!

Pam said...

Congratulations on the boy. They're so fun to raise. And thanks for this absolutely scrumptious recipe. I can almost taste it just through the great photo.

Michelle said...

I hope your boy is as sweet as mine. And I'm totally making this cake, too!

Julie from TheLittleKitchen.net said...

Josie, it was so nice to meet you at BlogHer Food. Congratulations again! This blueberry bait looks so good! I love baking with blueberries.

Nicole said...

Congratulations, Josie! My baby boy is almost a teenager, but he will always be my baby:) He is a blueberry lover as well!

Kate said...

YUM!! This cake was so delicious! I could have eaten the whole thing myself. Will definitely be making this again and again.

#1SAHM said...

congrats on your baby boy!

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