Blueberry Streusel Loaf Cake

Updated Sept. 4, 2020

Blueberry Streusel Loaf Cake
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
1½ hours
Rating
4(647)
Comments
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Everything you love about a sweet, juicy blueberry muffin exists in this sliceable, streusel-topped loaf. Baking it at a higher temperature for the first 20 to 25 minutes helps achieve a crisp topping, while finishing it at a lower temperature helps ensure a moist center. This recipe calls for fresh blueberries, but frozen work, too. If you use frozen, don’t thaw them first, and keep in mind that they may release additional liquid during baking, which will add more color to the loaf. One final tip: Tossing the fresh or frozen berries in a little flour before stirring them into the batter helps keep them suspended so that each and every slice is evenly studded with blueberries.

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Ingredients

Yield:One 9-inch loaf

    For the Streusel

    • cup/45 grams all-purpose flour
    • cup/30 grams old-fashioned oats
    • ¼cup/55 grams light brown sugar
    • ¼teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 5tablespoons/70 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

    For the Cake

    • Nonstick cooking spray
    • cups/220 grams fresh or frozen blueberries
    • cups/290 grams all-purpose flour
    • 2teaspoons baking powder
    • ½teaspoon baking soda
    • ½teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 5tablespoons/70 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 3tablespoons vegetable oil
    • ½cup/100 grams granulated sugar
    • cup/75 grams light brown sugar
    • 1large egg, at room temperature
    • teaspoons vanilla extract
    • ¾cup/180 milliliters buttermilk, at room temperature
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the streusel: In a medium bowl, stir the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together to combine. Add the cubed butter and toss until each cube is fully coated in flour.

  2. Step 2

    Cut the butter into the flour mixture with your hands or a pastry cutter until the mixture forms large clumps. Refrigerate while you make the batter.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.

  4. Step 4

    Make the cake: In a medium bowl, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup/30 grams all-purpose flour. In another medium bowl, whisk the remaining 2 cups/260 grams flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine.

  5. Step 5

    In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the egg, and mix well to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the vanilla and mix to combine.

  6. Step 6

    Add half of the flour mixture, then mix on low speed to combine. With the mixer still running, add the buttermilk in a slow, steady stream and mix until fully combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just combined.

  7. Step 7

    Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a silicone spatula, fold in the blueberries (and any remaining flour in the bowl with them) by hand until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

  8. Step 8

    Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Crumble half of the streusel on top in an even layer. Pour the remaining batter into the loaf pan, spread into an even layer and crumble the remaining streusel on top. The loaf pan will be just over ¾ full. Place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

  9. Step 9

    Transfer the loaf to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bread has risen about ½ inch above the edge of the loaf pan. Lower the temperature to 325 degrees and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes, tenting the loaf with foil if it’s browning too quickly.

  10. Step 10

    Set the cake on a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the outside edge and gently unmold the cake onto a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5
647 user ratings
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Comments

I did 23 minutes at 400 and 48 minutes and 325 and it turned out great.

Really good. Baked at 5,200’ with the following batter adjustments: 275g flour 1tsp baking powder Scant .5 tsp baking soda 70g unsalted butter 3tbs veg oil 95g granulated sugar 70g brown sugar 1 egg 1.5 tsp vanilla 180g 2tbs buttermilk Oven at 415 for 17 mins Then 340 for 40 mins

I agree! The bread dough is fine, but the streusel needs more sugar, more cinnamon, chopped nuts, and leave out the baking powder! Sad to say, we threw our leftovers out.

wish recipes would more often be mindful that kitchenaid mixers are hundreds of dollars! how about including alt instructions for those of us without a paddle?

Needs more blueberries! They were too few and far between.

We really liked this. It's not overly sweet, just the right amount in my opinion. I did find that the streusel added to the interior of the cake got a bit lost. I might just add it all to the top next time.

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