Blueberry Gingerbread Cake
A few years ago, Cooking Light ran a big spread on wild Maine blueberries. As a lover of the state and of the fruit, I ripped out the section and kept it in my sloppy, dog-eared folder that’s bursting with ripped-out recipes. I return to the blueberry recipes time and again when I’m looking for something different to do with them this time of year. If you like gingerbread, you’ll love this light, sweet, moist cake.
I made a few amendments to the original recipe. I’ve added an additional cup of blueberries (New Jersey ones are not as small as wild Maine ones) and upped the amount of ginger ever so slightly. This recipe calls for melted vegetable shortening, something I don’t often use but usually have on hand, however I’d be curious to hear feedback from those of you who opt to do this with melted butter.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (one cup if you’re using wild Maine blueberries)
2 cups plus two tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
7 tbsp. melted vegetable shortening
3 tbsp. molasses
1 large egg
1 cup fat-free buttermilk (Note: I used 2 percent milk, which is what I had on hand, which undoubtedly added more calories and a bit more fat. Buttermilk would also make this more tangy.)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine blueberries and 2 tbsp. of flour, tossing gently to coat.
3. Lightly spoon remaining 2 cups of flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Add the baking soda, cinnamon, salt and ginger; combine with a wire whisk. Set bowl aside.
4. Put sugar, molasses, shortening and egg in a large bowl of a standing mixer and beat well at medium speed until blended. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Gently fold in the blueberry mixture.
5. Pour batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coating with cooking spray or well greased with butter and a bit of flour. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a wooden skewer or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
This cake is super easy and does not take long to assemble. I’d also recommend a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar over the top, once it’s cooled. Like all gingerbread, it’s better the next day and seems to be even better on the third day. Keep it tightly covered; my pan has a plastic lid and it kept for at least four or five days.
