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Alas, this will be the final blueberry post for the summer of ’14. Not the last blueberry thing we’ll eat, for sure, because we freeze blueberries to use in the wintertime. They are equally good as the fresh ones in a cake like this, so if you run across this post later on in the year, don’t hesitate to use frozen berries in it.
But fresh ones are what we have today – a final picking that Larry did with his Mom the other day. Blueberry picking is definitely a tradition in his family, and I remember, when the girls were small, going with his Mom and her Mom to one of the big U-pick places around here to get a bunch of them picked for jam and freezing. Nothing smells quite as delectable as a field of laden blueberry bushes in the hot summer sun. Grammy loved blueberries, and I swear she ate as many as she got in the bucket, which was saying a lot, since the woman was a berry-picking fiend. She could out pace me any day of the week.
For us, it is time to begin thinking about getting some tomatoes put up, since they are finally getting ripe in large enough numbers to justify getting out the canner. [Here is what I do with a lot of them: Easy Tomato Sauce]
But first, I think we need a cake!
This one is particularly fine, with fresh ginger and spices, and the sweet tang of buttermilk to make it rise up really nicely. The ribbon of juicy berries in the middle turn all soft and jammy, and then when it’s cooled off some you can hit it with a blizzard of powdered sugar.
It is so good, you will wish you had baked two of them, which is very easy to do, since this recipe doubles nicely.
Blueberry Ginger Buttermilk Cake
Ingredients
- 4 ounces soft butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup cultured buttermilk
- 2 cups whole blueberries fresh or frozen and thawed
- powdered sugar for dusting the top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º, and generously butter a 9 in round cake pan.
- With a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter briefly to cream it.
- Add the sugar and beat until combined well, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- Beat in the ginger and vanilla, continue beating until the mixture lightens a little in color and becomes silky.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk like so: 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour mixture, 1/2 of the buttermilk, ending with the rest of the flour. Beat one minute, or until very smooth.
- Spread half of the batter in the pan, layer in half the blueberries, then the rest of the batter and finally, the remaining berries. Tap the pan lightly on the counter a couple time get everything settled.
- Bake the cake on the middle oven rack for around 45 minutes, turning a time or two to ensure even baking. When done, the top will spring back slightly when lightly pressed, and a tooth pick inserted near the center should come out with no more than a few moist crumbs on it.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then turn out on a cooling rack, or a plate if serving right away.
- Dust the top with powdered sugar, and serve in wedges. Refrigerate leftovers.
The very best cake of later summer – moist, fruity, with a touch of gingery bite!
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Donalyn/The Creekside Cook
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Oh love the blueberry ginger combo. And buttermilk makes it so moist. Lucky to pick blueberries.
I know Evelyne – very lucky to have unlimited free blueberries!
I love blueberry desserts! So sad to see the season wrapping up!
Me too Maris, but at least I have a lot in the freezer – easiest thing ever to freeze!
It’s been an outstanding blueberry season this year! And I’m not ready to stop using them, so I’m happy to see this. Wonderful cake — thanks.
Thanks so much John – hope you get a chance to give it a try 🙂
This looks like a great recipe. Buttermilk makes every cake taste moist and rich. Your pictures are gorgeous .
thanks so much Gerlinde, and thanks for stopping by!
Hi Donalyn!
Oh my goodness gracious me, that is one gorgeous looking blueberry cake! I love the that ginger is a prominent ingredient. Blueberries and Ginger “marry” so well:)
I chuckled to myself at your Grammy picking blueberries fiercelessly:) We use to have races picking blueberries when we were kids and I was always the loser. Little did anyone realize that I was picking and popping more than they were. I think it is truly a blessing that blueberries freeze as well as they do. Lots of things freeze good but blueberries freeze exceptionally:)
Have fun getting through the “putting up” season. And thank you so much for taking the time to share this delectable recipe…
Thanks Louise – this is one of my favorite times of year, but SO busy!
What an incredible recipe! Fabulous combination of scrumptious flavours.
Have a super day.
🙂 Mandy xo
Thanks Mandy & thanks for visiting today!
Blueberry picking is something that really brings back the memories of my childhood. My mom used to send us early before breakfast of course to pick berries and I think I ate my body weight in them and then could not look at another blue berry for the rest of the year. However, now I just can’t to seem to get enough of them and this blueberry gingerbread buttermilk cake sounds like a perfect way to end the season and welcome fall. Pinned this so I can make this later for the boys. Take Care, BAM
Thanks Bam, and I hope that you all enjoy it as we did 🙂
Oh, the ginger should give this recipe a nice zing and the cake looks like it has a nice ‘crusty’ kind of topping! Count me in!!
Thanks Fran – buttermilk does give cakes that almost ‘crisp” top that is so inviting. 🙂
This cake is unbelievable girl! The flavor is probably just so on point!
Thank you Jocelyn – I wish it weren’t all gone already!
Your cake looks delicious, Donalyn. Unusual to add fresh ginger…sounds great. Buttermilk always makes for such a tender crumb.
Thanks Barbara – the ginger is just so good in this!
What a beautiful cake…I love the ginger and buttermilk…saving the recipe.
Enjoy the rest of your week Donalyn 😀
Thanks Juliana – hope you love it 🙂
Whoa, does this look wonderful…so chock full of berries and I love that you’ve added ginger! Yummy!
Thanks Liz!
As soon as I clicked on this in the linkup collection I *knew* it would be lovely. I *had* to start following you on Pinterest straightaway!
Thanks – following you back!
I really love the look and sound of this cake. We love blueberries here and just froze a bunch to get us through the winter! I’m going to pin this for next blueberry season for sure.
Or, you can make it in the winter – frozen berries work great in this 🙂
This will be a new set of flavors for my family, but it looks so great I can wait to try it.
Thanks for coming and linking up at #The Weekend Social. Please be sure to come back next week starting Thursdays at 9PM EST on KitchenDreaming.com ! I hope to see you there!
I have never seen ginger and blueberries together, they suit fantastically 😀
Love this cake as well, it looks delicious!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Your recipes sound so great. I have to eat gluten free and paleo so if you could help me out with a way to make this I would be very grateful. Oh this sounds so good. Yummmm.
Thanks
All these sound great the strawberry cheesecake ice cream oh wow.
Can this be doubled and baked in a 9×13 pan?
I think it would be ok Mary Jo, but I haven’t done it myself, so I can’t say for sure.