RECIPE: REC: Blueberry Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake

RECIPE:

sandi-in-hawaii

Well-known member
Made this for a party the other day, and even though I made a few goofs, everyone loved it.

Notes:

1) Don't be tempted to use a bundt pan for this, unless you have a 12-cupper. I have a 10-cup bundt pan. Can you guess what comes next?

2) You CAN pour the partially baked batter from a 10-cup bundt pan to a 10" springform pan before it overflows, and causes a huge mess in your oven, but your layers of cake-streusel-cake-streusel will not be as distinct.

3) When using frozen blueberries, be sure to add at least 10 minutes to the baking time, if not more. If not, your cake may APPEAR to test clean with a toohpick, but it won't be. Trust me.

4) If you fail to heed previous warning, and take it out of the oven too early, the middle will fall as it cools, and you will have uncooked batter in the middle. Of course, you can always remedy this by using a appropriate-sized biscuit cutter to cut out the middle of the springform cake, and make it appear as though you baked it in a tube pan. Then stick it back in the oven, and hope that you don't overbake it.

Blueberry Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake

For topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup pecans

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup cake flour

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

For cake:

2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for preparing pan

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, plus extra for preparing pan

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

Zest of 1 orange

1 1/2 cup blueberries (or more, up to 3 cups)

Powdered sugar

To make topping: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and cake flour until combined. Add butter in small pieces and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Divide in half and reserve.

To make cake: Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter and flour a 10 inch springform pan (or a 12-cup Bundt pan).

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Add yolk and mix well. Add vanilla, sour cream and zest, and mix until well-incorporated. Slowly add flour mixture, mixing well.

Divide batter in half. Spread half into prepared pan and top with 3/4 cup blueberries and half the topping mixture. Spread remaining batter into pan and top with the remaining blueberries and topping mixture. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes (more like 75-80 minutes, or 90 minutes if blueberries are frozen?), until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean (toothpick test doesn’t work – comes out clean even if it’s not done).

Let cool in pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Makes 8 servings (8 very generous portions! Can you imagine a 10” x 3” cake, cut into 8 pieces? Those are huge, Starbucks-sized pieces!)

Old Comments from Gail’s:

Sandi in Hawaii: Posted: Jun 18, 2002 3:29 AM

Here's my new favorite cake - REC: Blueberry Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake

The only tweaks I did was to use IMO, an imitation sour cream (can't use the real stuff), skipped the pecans (hubby hates nuts), skipped the orange zest (hubby wouldn't like that either), used a full bag (16oz?) of frozen blueberries (hubby really likes that!) I think I'll also double the topping next time.

Oh yeah, and I had to cook it longer than the 60-70 minutes (more like 75-80 minutes). Not sure why I had to cook it longer - my springform pan was 10 1/2", not the 10" one called for. I had actually taken the cake out at 70 minutes (toothpick came out clean) and let it sit.

When I unmolded the cake at least an hour later, I flipped it over onto a cookie sheet, and noticed that the center of the bottom of the cake looked a little greasy and uncooked, so I reheated the oven and threw it back in - upside down. Came out perfect!

Unlike the time I tried a Martha Stewart blueberry cake in the same pan. I tested it with the toothpick -it seemed fine, so I just took the cake with me to a party, on the springform pan. Imagine my horror when we discovered the cake was totally raw in the middle while trying to cut it! I mean really raw, white batter in the middle. My fault - it called for about 5 or 6 cups of blueberries, and I used them straight from the freezer. Given the quantity of blueberries in that recipe, the batter must have been way too cold to cook properly! Good thing we were with good friends - we just laughed about it, grabbed our forks, and ate the edges!

cherie in so cal: Posted: Jun 18, 2002 2:46 PM

sandi--do you think this would work in a bundt pan? have a gorgeous new one i'm dying to try! (nt)

Sandi in Hawaii: Posted: Jun 19, 2002 2:41 AM

After I made the cake, I checked my handy dandy reference guide, Joy of Cooking to see what other pan I could use>>

According to Joy, the capacity of a 10" x 2" springform is 11 cups (the 10" x 2 1/2 or 3" is 14-16 cups.)

My pan is 10 1/2" x 3", so I would guess the capacity closer to the 14 than the 11 cups.

The capacity of a 9" x 13" is 16 cups.

The Bundts vary widely: 6 1/4 x 3 1/4 5 cups 8 1/4 x 3 1/4 6-7 cups 8 x 4 8-10 cups 10 x 3 3/4 12-14 cups I think if you have the big bundt, it would work quite well.

I buttered and floured my springform pan, and the cake came away from the sides easily, so unmolding from a Bundt should be okay. Hope this helps!

hAndyman: Posted: Aug 12, 2002 10:58 AM

A delicious Blueberry Coffeecake posted by Sandi in Hawaii

Thanks to Sandi for posting the recipe "Blueberry Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake" found at http://www.startribune.com/stories/436/284698 0.html (COMN for original recipe; see Sandi's post at #45246 in archives). I made it pretty much as written, but added more blueberries, and will up it to ~3 cups next time. It's what a blueberry coffeecake should be - delicious. Thanks for posting, Sandi. Cheers! Andy

http://www.startribune.com/stories/436/2846980.html

Caryn/Indiana: Posted: Sep 4, 2002 10:17 AM

ISO Sandi in Hawaii--I made yr Blueberry Pecan Sr Cream Coffee Cake last nite at #45246 & it was superb! The only thing I changed in the recipe was to use 2 cups total of fresh blueberries, and Sandi, you are right--it took mine about 80 minutes in the oven to reach doneness using the 10-inch springform pan called for with all ingredients at room temp B4 mixing. But boy, was it ever worth the wait! Thanks so much for posting this one . . . Caryn

 
This sounds like a post I sould have written. I almost ALWAYS use a smaller

bundt (and make a mess pouring it out)I almost ALWAYS take it out of the oven too soon and have uncooked batter in the middle!

Cake sounds great, Sandi, and I still have about 15 pounds of blueberries in the freeser! Thanks for posting it.

 
San, I think you can rename this "Trials & Tribulations, but Truly Tasty Cake"...

By the way, I finally tried a soy cafe latte and I'm finally swayed to the soy side. When you recommended it, I bought a half gallon of soy...and it sat and it sat and it sat. When I finally got out the el cheapo espresso maker to try foaming the soy, it had turned...how shall I describe this? Okay, PICTURE the word "gllluuug". Got that? So this is me pouring the soy milk into the steaming pitcher: "glug, glug, slop, gllluuug!".

Shiver.

It took another 2 months to even think about trying soy. This time I let Starbucks do it and it tastes fine. No indigestion, no rifting...my tummy is a happy latte tummy again.

 
I baked a cinnamon cake in a bundt pan once and found that I had...

...taken the cake out too early. The middle, all the way around, was gooey -raw.

I spooned out the gooey part (and baked in muffing tins) and filled the cake with pastry cream.

No one knew the difference, and I have conveniently "lost" the recipe.

I feel for you. All's well that ends well!

Michael

 
cheezz, if U're inquiring about the Blueberry Pecan Sr Crm Coffee Cake--it's DELICIOUS! I have (m)

been making it ever since Sandi posted it from Tahani Al-Busairi and Shawn Truwe of Cafe Barbette clear back on June 18, 2002.

Unlike Sandi, however, I always include the zest of 1 orange as the recipe calls for--that makes the flavor outstanding, IMHO, so my vote is to use the orange zest.

I do, however, increase the quantity of blueberries to 2 cups which uses up a full dry pint. I've always used fresh blueberries.

I bake the cake in a 10-inch springform pan, and it takes about 75 to 80 minutes for my toothpick or wooden skewer to come out clean.

Sandi's recipe says the yield is 8 servings, but I'd say it's more like 16 slices. If I ever do have any leftovers, I really like to rewarm the slices briefly in the microwave before serving. I've even served this for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of each slice.

 
Okay, I'm editing the recipe above to include old comments.....

I searched for my previous posting of this recipe at the old Gail's, and found old comments from me as well as others regarding the baking time, as well as pan sizes, so I'll edit my post above.

I shoulda written my comments on the printed copy that I have, so that I remember it the next time I make it, instead of repeating the same errors smileys/smile.gif

So wigs, you must be Caryn/IN smileys/smile.gif

http://boards.epicurious.com/search.jspa?threadID=&q=%22blueberry+pecan+sour+cream%22&objID=f10&dateRange=all&userID=&numResults=15&rankBy=10001

 
It was fab! Got three requests for the recipe, and hubby requested it again.

I really should make it more often. Loved it before, and then forgot about it.

Too bad the blueberry season is so short. I try to buy a bunch when it's available at Costco, then freeze the berries, so I only make it when I have blueberries.

Hubby looooves blueberries, so I have a few recipes besides that one. That recipe musta missed a couple of rotations, since he thought it was a new one smileys/smile.gif

 
Cheezz, I edited the original post in this thread, to include the comments, and yes, frozen works

as long as you extend the baking time by at least 10 minutes, for a total of 80 minutes, or so.

I used frozen blues in this last cake, which is probably why it was still uncooked in the center.

But after all of that, everyone still loved it!

 
Thanks so much.... I should've read it through first smileys/smile.gif Cake flour in the topping.... unusual!

 
Sandi--yes, guilty as charged! At Gail's I was Caryn/IN but set up FK ID as wigs (surname's Wiggins)

 
YUM!!! This was quite the success! I followed your tips, including double the blueberries

and double the streusel... can't imagine making it any other way. DH said "you don't plan to give any of this away, do you?"... he knows me well.

Success!

 
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