Summer Blueberry Cake
By: Deb Nevil
As I write, we are half way through summer. I don’t know about you, but after the extended winter, I am grateful for the bounties that abound. Currently, we are in the midst of blueberry and peach season. Yes, that’s right, local blueberries and peaches! These photos are from The Last Resort Farm. I vend right next to them at Richmond Farmers Market. As such, I spend a lot of time outdoors at farmers’ markets, festivals, and local community events, which allows me to support local farmers and eat as much in season as possible.
Luckily, I live in beautiful Lamoille County, so even if I choose to pick my own blueberries, there are several locations close to my home. As a mom, an educator, and farmers market coordinator, I love to share my passion for healthy food.
We just concluded our 6-week summer school program where we planted and tended a garden. We went strawberry and blueberry picking, and we baked pies, muffins, and blueberry cake. Smoothies were also a big hit with local yogurt and the fresh fruit we gathered.
I grew up in a family where everyone loved to cook. My Auntie Del cooked for the Rockefeller family in Bar Harbor, Maine. I used to spend time with her and my mom cooking, baking, and pickling. My Auntie Ethel, whom I named “Auntie Cuckoo” (she gifted me a cuckoo clock from Germany when I was just about 3 years old), was also an excellent cook.
Fortunately, I have many of their recipes and I’d like to share “Auntie Cuckoo’s” blueberry cake with you. Being a lover of local food and delicious baked goods, I have tried many blueberry cakes, but this is, hands down, my favorite. I hope you get a chance to try it! Remember, blueberries freeze well, so you can pick or purchase now and enjoy them for months to come. Here are some photos of our blueberry bounty, and of course, Auntie Cuckoo’s Blueberry Cake Recipe. Enjoy it and the rest of this glorious season!
Auntie Cuckoo’s Blueberry Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 c. flour
- 1 t. baking powder
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. vegetable shortening
- 2 eggs yolks and 2 egg whites, separated.
- 1/3 c. milk
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1 1/2 c. blueberries
Instructions:
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt 3 times in medium-sized bowl.
- In another bowl, cream sugar and vegetable shortening.
- Add the beaten egg yolks to the creamed mixture.
- Alternately add the flour mixture and milk until fully incorporated.
- Add vanilla.
- Fold in beaten egg whites.
- Lightly flour blueberries, then fold them into mixture.
- Pour into a 9×9 greased and floured pan.
- Sprinkle the top with sugar and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
A mother of 4 with a M.Ed., Deb oversees the after school and summer Enrichment program as the 21st Center for Learning Coordinator at Cambridge Elementary School. Deb understands the importance of a healthy, educated, and engaged community to raise positive and productive children. She is a Vermont Farmers’ Market Advisory (VTFMA) Board Member, Brand Ambassador for Kingdom Creamery of VT and coordinates the JFAM Mtn. Jam Music Series in Jeffersonville in July-August. Deb lives in Cambridge with her family, and babies: her dogs and cats.