Name: Blueberry-Ginger Crumb Cake
Total time: 95 min
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; .67 cup granulated sugar; .25 teaspoon kosher salt; .5 cup cold butter, cubed; .5 cup chopped crystallized ginger; 1.5 teaspoons baking powder; .5 teaspoon kosher salt; .5 teaspoon ground cinnamon; .25 teaspoon baking soda; 2 cups plus ½ Tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for skillet; .75 cup butter, softened; .5 cup granulated sugar; .5 cup packed light brown sugar; 2 large eggs; 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract; .5 cup sour cream; 1 cup fresh blueberries (from 1 [6-oz.] container); Vegetable shortening, for greasing pan

This crumb cake is perfectly flavored with fresh blueberries.

Pam Lolley

Published on April 14, 2021

Blueberry-Ginger Crumb Cake — Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Active Time:

15 mins

Bake Time:

50 mins

Cool Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

1 hrs 35 mins

Servings:

Coffee cakes and sweet breads are undoubtedly our favorite way to start the morning, and with this Blueberry-Ginger Crumb Cake, you get the best of both worlds. This summer, Southern Living's baking expert Pam Lolley developed a collection of sweet recipes that all feature one of our favorite seasonal fruits: Blueberries.

This crumb cake is like sunshine in a slice—full of jammy burst blueberries and zingy pieces of ginger, it certainly does not fall short in the flavor department. Chopped crystallized ginger gives this cake a slightly spicy note that pairs wonderfully with a cup of coffee. The cake itself is tender and moist, but also dense enough to hold its own on the brunch spread. The real star of the show is the buttery, crisp, crunchy crumb topping.

A few tips from the Test Kitchen: Refrigerating the topping while preparing the cake batter helps it to crisp nicely in the oven. To keep the berries from sinking to the bottom of the pan, Pam tosses them in a little flour before folding them into the batter.

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup cold butter, cubed

Cake

½ cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups plus ½ Tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for skillet
¾ cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream
1 cup fresh blueberries (from 1 [6-oz.] container)
Vegetable shortening, for greasing pan

Directions

Prepare the Crumb Topping: Stir together flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl; cut cold butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Cover; chill until ready to use.
Prepare the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine crystallized ginger, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and 2 cups of the flour in a food processor; process until ginger is very finely chopped and mixture is well combined, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Beat butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, 1 minute. Gradually add granulated and brown sugars; beat until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla, 10 seconds. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just combined after each addition.
Toss together blueberries and remaining ½ tablespoon flour in a bowl. Gently fold blueberry mixture into batter. Spoon into a greased (with shortening) and floured 10-inch cast-iron skillet or oven-proof skillet (at least 2 inches deep). Smooth batter into an even layer using an offset spatula. Sprinkle evenly with Crumb Topping.
Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool 30 minutes to serve warm, or cool completely, about 1 hour.