Blueberry Coffeecake with Almond Streusel

A delightful way to take advantage of berry season. This one comes by way of the July issue of Cooking Light, with some tips from us to help any first time bakers.

This cake is light and fluffy, but also has some fantastic flavor in every bite. It's a good breakfast companion with a strong cup of coffee. 

The recipe specifically calls out not baking this in a dark or nonstick pan. 

Prep time: 25 minutes

Bake time: 45 mins

What you'll need:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups fresh (or frozen) blueberries (if using frozen, don't thaw the berries. Just bake a bit longer if necessary)
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind (the whole rind of a medium sized lemon)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)

What you'll need to do:

Combine 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and mix with whisk. Place your blueberries in another small bowl and sprinkle two tablespoons of the flour mixture over them and toss to coat (This apparently helps the blueberries not bleed into the mixture). 

In yet another small bowl, combine brown sugar, rolled oats, sliced almonds, 1 tablespoon flour and cinnamon. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of melted butter and mix, making sure to break up any large chunks of brown sugar. 

Preheat your oven to 375. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, 1/4 cup butter and oil until blended. Add the egg and beat well. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in the lemon rind and juice.

Grease the pan and spread half the batter, then layer with 1 cup of blueberries. Spoon the rest of the batter over the blueberries, then top evenly with the brown sugar mixture.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Cool and enjoy!