MissoulaFoodie » Huckleberry heaven
By Big Foodie
Huckleberries are the one wild summer crop I always wait for. The season is only a few weeks, and in that time I make the most of them. I bake them into pies, muffins and scones, sprinkle them over buttermilk pancakes as they puff on …
Huckleberry Crumb Cake
A coffee cake loaded with the tang of wild huckleberries. A streusel topping adds sweetness and crunch. This cake keeps well at room temperature for several days. It may be frozen for up to six months.
Topping
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons cold butter
Batter
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (dip dry measures into flour container, fill to overflowing, and sweep off excess with a straight edge)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh or frozen huckleberries, picked over to remove stems
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
For the topping, in a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. With a pastry blender cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or coat with cooking spray) and coat well with fine dry unseasoned bread crumbs. It’s important to use the crumbs to make the cake easy to unmold.
For the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, toss the fresh huckleberries with about 2 tablespoons of the dry ingredients to coat well. If using frozen huckleberries, let them thaw until partly softened before using. Solidly frozen berries will make the batter too cold and stiff to spread in the pan.
In an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest. Add the egg and beat until thoroughly incorporated. On lowest speed, alternately add the remaining dry ingredients in three additions and the milk in two additions, beating only until smooth after each addition. Scrape the bowl and beater. Batter will be stiff.
With a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the floured huckleberries. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread level. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter. I find it easiest to work around the sides first, then fill in the center.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is well-browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan 30 minutes. Use a small sharp knife to cut around the sides of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover the top of the pan with a square of aluminum foil (to catch any crumbs that may fall off the cake), and place a rack or cookie sheet over the foil. Invert the two and carefully lift off the pan. Cover the bottom of the cake with a wire rack, invert, and remove foil.
Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with a spoonful of yogurt and a sprinkling of fresh huckleberries.
• Makes 8 to 10 servings.
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