Blueberry Coffee Cake with Blueberry Sauce

Blueberries are native to North America and are perennial flowering plants. These beautiful little gems are high in antioxidants and are sweet delicious fresh or cooked.  Wild blueberries tend to be denser and sweeter than the large-scale cultivated variety found in most grocery stores, but are hard to find.  If you are lucky enough to live close to pick-your-own berry farms, take advantage!  

This is a simple not-too-sweet coffee cake that fills the house with a lovely aroma as it bakes.  Serve with a simple sauce made from the blueberries and fresh whipped cream.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and stemmed

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

2 cups sifted whole wheat flour

Pinch fine kosher salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 large egg

1 cup whole buttermilk

Seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup organic sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375F.  Grease a 9-inch cake pan with removable bottom (springform) and set aside.

2.  Make the sauce:  Put 2 tablespoons of the water in a small bowl.  Stir in the cornstarch until totally combined.  Set aside.  Add the rest of the water to a medium sauce pan with the honey.  Bring to a  boil then lower to a simmer, adding the blueberries and stir once to cover the berries.  Simmer over low heat for about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Drain the blueberries, catching the liquid in a small saucepan.  Set the drained blueberries aside.  Place the small saucepan over low-medium heat and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Simmer just until the sauce starts to thicken but is still pourable, about 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside. 

3.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  

4.  Dice the butter and then cut into the flour using a pastry cutter or two butter knives until you have texture that is like coarse cornmeal.

5.  In a medium bowl, slightly beat the egg, then beat in the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir into the flour and mix well.

6.  Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Scatter the reserved blueberries over the top.

7.  In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle over the cake, all the way to the edges.

8. Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edge of the cake pan too loosen.  Pop the cake free of the pan and serve warm with the blueberry sauce and whipped cream.