Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

I have a weakness for cakes, all sort of cakes - just love them all. Must be from growing up in Germany, all those "Kaffee und Kuchen" in the afternoon - mmm. Translated into English it simply means coffee and cake, a very traditional German afternoon routine.

I love spending time in my kitchen: cooking and baking - no matter when. I had both of my sister-in-law's, one of them is married and has two lovely girls and the other one is single, coming for supper today. It' s always fun to have family over, my little boys go crazy when they get to play with their cousins - it's really cute to see them get along - at least for now.

Whenever I have family members coming over, I like to cook and bake comfort food. Something simple - simple enough for me to enjoy the evening as well. For tonight, I decided to prepare my killer Pasta Bolognese Sauce by Mario Batali (don't worry, I will share this recipe with you as well - but later!) and as a finish I was craving blueberry crumb coffee cake by Ina Garten. Ina Garten is also known as the Barefoot Contessa. I love all of her recipes and shows, none of her recipes had ever failed me.

This coffee cake recipe is by far better than all the coffee cakes out there, even way better than the one's at Starbucks. Trust me, I know what I am talking about since I had worked before for Starbucks. The sour cream makes it so moist and the smell of cinnamon - mmm, can't wait to have some ? Well, what are you waiting for ? I made in a square pan as the streusel/crumb topping is always so much, what a waste for a little round cake pan. I served it with fresh whipping cream and fresh cut strawberries for our desert but this cake is also good for a breakfast treat.

Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake, adapted by Ina Garten

For the streusel:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

1. Step:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round or a 9 x 13 square baking pan.

2. Step:
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.

3. Step:
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.

4. Step:
Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream.

5. Step:
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.

6. Step:
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife.

7. Step:
With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter.

8. Step:
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

Enjoy !