Blueberry Coffee Cake with Lemon Spice Streusel

Do we have any blueberries, I wondered, as I opened the fridge door.
Oh yes. Oh my.

This recipe comes from Cooking with Les Dames d'Escoffier. Les Dames d'Escoffier are a female culinary association dedicated to the advancement of women in the field. Some of their luminaries include Julia Child, Alice Waters and Dorie Greenspan. This is a collection of their favourite recipes for home cooking, written very accessibly. So you know it's going to be good. I actually took this out of the library but it has quickly moved to #1 on my wishlist. Tons of great recipes along with wine pairings which is crucial for me, because I am absolutely clueless and unsophisticated when it comes to wine. The book is also peppered with personal anecdotes about these women's careers as chefs, restauranteurs, food writers, photographers, caterers, as well as some great kitchen tips. There are very few photos but, hey, I trust them and this cake did not disappoint. Also a way to use up some of the buttermilk I bought for the waffles this past weekend.

Buttermilk Berry Coffee Cake with Lemon Spice Topping
For the cake:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen works too, could also use raspberries, blackberries, etc.)
• 2 tsp lemon juice

For the streusel:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 3 tbsp butter, room temperature
  

1. Pre-heat oven to 350˚ and butter a 9-inch springform pan. Cream butter and sugar in large bowl of electric mixer or by hand (check out our old school mixmaster and understand my longing for a KitchenAid).
2. Add the eggs one by one. Beat in the vainlla.
3. Sift together your dry ingredients and alternate adding them and the buttermilk, gradually, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not overbeat.
4. Pour half of the batter into pan, and try to make it as level as possible. Toss together lemon juice and blueberries, sprinkle on top and add remaining batter over top.
5. For the streusel, combine dry ingredients in small bowl and cut in the butter until you have a nice crumb-y streusel texture. Sprinkle over top and bake approx 1 hour 10 minutes, checking doneness with a skewer. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes. Undo the springform and serve warm or at room temperature.