Blueberry boy bait is essentially the same as blueberry coffee cake but it has a fun little story behind it. Supposedly, a teenaged girl entered this cake into the Pillsbury Bake Off in 1954, won second place, and stole the show (evidently, considering it is still a popular cake 56 years later). She named it after the effect that it had on boys. So, needless to say, this recipe won't be passed onto my little girl until at least 56 more years have passed.
Obviously, this recipe starts with blueberries. But look beyond them in the picture above and notice the AMAZING berry bowl. Meghan's mom, Erin, sent it to me for my birthday and I use it almost as much as the oven. It is never sitting on the shelf during the summer. And why would it be? You can clean the berries and then keep them in the fridge all in the same bowl. No unitaskers allowed! Alton Brown would be so proud.
Pieces of this cake are also good to package up and give to the neighbors or whomever you please. My poor neighbors end up as test subjects for a lot of these recipes that make too much for two people... but they have never complained, so I figure I won't stop until I see their lights turn out and curtains close every time I walk by. Actually, one set of neighbors is moving! I wonder if it has anything to do with the brownies I dropped off a couple of weeks ago...
Regardless, this boy bait is a winner. It is moist and berrylicious and somehow with the blueberries I don't feel so bad about all of the butter that goes into it. Don't even look below yet. Let's just sit here for a minute and imagine that this is health food.
Ok, you can look now. But trust me, it's worth it!
Blueberry Boy Bait (from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from Cook's Country):
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 cup whole milk 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not defrost first as it tends to muddle in the batter)
Topping: 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost) 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
Whisk two cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. With electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down bowl. Reduce speed to medium and beat in one-third of flour mixture until incorporated; beat in half of milk. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally remaining flour mixture. Toss blueberries with remaining one teaspoon flour. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into prepared pan.
For the topping:
Scatter blueberries over top of batter. Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle over batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out and place on serving platter (topping side up). Serve warm or at room temperature. (Cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
