Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

Seems I am always making something to use up something else. This a result of my upbringing to minimize waste I suppose and I totally see it as a good thing. It's like this grand cosmic linking of ingredients. The ricotta for the lasagna leads to ricotta pie with mini chips which were leftover from making Rice Krispie Treats. Overripe bananas leads to banana scones using the wheat pastry flour purchased for the triple ginger cookies. Buttermilk leftover from Irish Soda Bread leads to buttermilk pancakes and now a blueberry buttermilk cake....

Buttermilk is such a great ingredient. It's really versatile. It can be a great addition to cakes, cookies, biscuits, marinating meat, etc. After making buttermilk pancakes and waffles, non-buttermilk versions just seem to lack any flavor. So, I was looking for a cake or cupcake recipe utilizing some buttermilk and found no shortage of options! Although a buttermilk enhanced chocolate cake with buttercream icing sounds decadent, I was seeking something a little healthier. This recipe utilizes fruit to bring the sweetness rather than icing which appealed to me. The original recipe I found on Epicuious used raspberries but I wanted a more straightforward sweetness rather than the sweet/tart you get with raspberries. I was really excited about how great this cake turned out: light, fruity with a little bit of a crispy crust on top. Victor and I topped with a dollop of whipped cream but it is good on it's on as well.

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake (adapted from Raspberry Buttermilk Cake on Epicurious)

1 cup of flour (all purpose)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 stick butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk (shake to make sure it's combined)

2/3 cup sugar + about 2 tablespoons for dusting over the top of the cake

Approx 4-5 oz of fresh blueberries (rinsed and dried).

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch cake pan.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in vanilla and egg.

Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk in 3 separate batches mixing until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and scatter berries on top. Finally, sprinkle with reserved sugar.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until top of cake is golden brown and cake tester comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool on wire rack.