Personal Touch

Blueberry Cardamom Coffee Cake

Plump, sweet blueberries are the star of summer fruits. Filled with high levels of antioxidants, vitamin C and fiber, blueberries are low in calories and delicious to eat alone or in fresh fruit salads, over ice cream sundae’s or baked pastries. Perfect now through the end of October; look for berries that are firm and dry with smooth skin.

Avoid containers that have crushed berries or juice stained bottoms. Remove moldy or crushed berries before storing in the refrigerator. Buy extra blueberries now and freeze for use in the months to come. Place unwashed berries in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. When solid, store in airtight container for several months. Use frozen berries when baking cakes and muffins to reduce the chance of color streaking the batter.

Cardamom, an uncommon spice in the U.S. is native to India and Sri Lanka. The heady fragrant black seed found in green cardamom pods are used extensively in Indian, Asian and Scandinavian cuisines. Third in line of most expensive spices behind saffron and vanilla, cardamom stays freshest when purchased in small quantities and used within several months. For optimal flavor, buy the whole pod and gently crush to remove seeds. Grind in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder just before using. Penzeys Spice in Torrance, Indian and Middle Eastern markets sell cardamom for the best price.

Blueberry Cardamom Coffee Cake
Note: This recipe developed by Hermosa Beach Resident Mary Ellen Rae was adapted from an article on cardamom written by Chef Rae and published in the Los Angeles Times Food Section. Remove butter, eggs and milk 30 minutes before using.

Serves: 16

Combine the topping ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 x 8 – inch baking pan and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time blending well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom. Set mixer to low speed, add half the milk alternating with half the flour. Add remaining milk and flour, and beat on medium speed for two minutes. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Spread half the batter into the baking pan; sprinkle half the topping over the batter. Scrape out remaining batter and smooth out to edges. Sprinkle remaining topping evenly over batter. Bake until top is a deep golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool slightly, serve warm or at room temperature.

Chef Mary Ellen Rae is the owner of Personal Touch Gourmet; specializing in private and group in-home cooking classes and small event catering. Contact Personal Touch Gourmet at 310-403-5682 or MaryEllen@PersonalTouchGourmet.net