Melt in Your Mouth Blueberry Cake

In 1999 I visited Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington.  It was a good year to go as it was the 200th anniversary of his death and the docents had set up special tours to commemorate President Washington's accomplishments.  There was also a "funeral" tour where we read passages of news articles and accounts of the nation's shock when his death was announced.  I felt like I was there in the moment, and was genuinely moved and saddened.  

While there I also purchased The Mount Vernon Cookbook, which is a collection of recipes from the members of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.  All the proceeds from the sale went to restoration and preservation of the estate and gardens.  Well worth it!

This is a ladies' group cookbook, and I love them because the women who contribute send over their best recipes.  There are reputations to maintain!  

I was perusing the book the other day and came across this recipe for a blueberry cake.  My notes said I had made it in July of 2001, and I had added, "This is incredible.  Wonderful.  Wow."  My thought was that it had been much too long since I had made it!  It needed to be documented in my blog.

It is in the dessert section, but to me, blueberry cake just shouts that it is a coffee cake and could be served as part of a brunch.  Don't tell my guest taster that I served cake for breakfast!  

Melt in Your Mouth Blueberry Cake

2 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup milk

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Sugar to sprinkle on batter

Beat egg whites until stiff, adding about 1/4 cup of the sugar called for in the receipt.  Set aside.  Cream margarine; add salt and vanilla.  Add remaining sugar gradually.  Add unbeaten egg yolks and beat until mixture is light and creamy.  Sift 1 1/4 cups of flour and baking powder together.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with the milk.  Fold in beaten egg whites.  Fold in fresh blueberries, which have been gently shaken in 1/4 cup flour so they won't settle.  Turn into greased 8-inch pan.  Sprinkle granulated sugar on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.

My Notes

Start preheating the oven.  Choose your pan -- I used a rectangular pan instead of an 8-inch round.  It was glass, so I lowered the temperature to 325 degrees.

This recipe used a lot of bowls!  At least the way I mixed it; I had to do some planning.  

Also, note that the sugar is divided into 1/4 cup and 3/4 cups, and the flour is divided into 1 1/4 cups and 1/4 cups.  

I chose to use butter instead of margarine.

My notes from 2001 suggested putting a "good layer" of sugar on top of the batter.  I had a vague recollection that it formed a crust that was tasty.

I used the mixer to beat the egg whites.  All the rest of the mixing I did by hand.  The pictures show the sequencing as I worked my way through the steps.  The captions help you see the connections.

Bowl #1:  Whipped egg whites with the sugar.

Bowl #2:  Creamed butter with salt and vanilla.

Creamed butter mixture with the yolks mixed in.  (Bowl #3 held the yolks)

Now the flour and milk have been added.  (Bowl #4 held the sifted flour and baking powder)

The whipped egg whites have been folded in.

Bowl #5:  I love how flour acts as little anchors on the blueberries!

Blueberries have been folded in.  I did not add the excess dusting flour.

Gently spread in the pan.

This looks like a good layer.

It went into the oven for 50 minutes.  I checked it at 40 minutes and it was browning but didn't look cooked enough.  At 50 minutes, it was golden brown and a pick inserted into the middle came out clean.  I let it cool about 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

The Verdict

Beautiful to put on the table for serving!

I called it "coffee cake" and served it with fried eggs, coffee, and juice.  

The blueberries were marvelous:  giant, flavorful, and juicy.  They cooked up beautifully.  They made each bite luscious.  

The cake itself was truly melt in your mouth:  delicate, moist, lightly sweet, with a soft vanilla scent.  It was strong enough to support the berries, and tender enough to be a joy to eat.  The sugar crust was good and added a bit of crunch to whole experience.

My guest taster declared that he was considering adding "gluttony" as a new hobby!  

Yes, it was that good.  We managed to restrain ourselves and not eat the whole thing.  We are looking forward to having it again for breakfast.  

I recommend it highly.  Try it!  Plan your bowls and decide if you want to use a mixer for the batter after using it for the whites.  

You can serve this as a dessert, too!  I think it would be a surprising flavor to give to guests.  Not everyone expects blueberry cake for dessert.

I also think it would be good with raspberries or blackberries or cherries.  If you try them, drop me a note!

Success, again!  Good to know it worked then and now, nearly 20 years later.

P.S.

I have written of two other recipes from this book:

Easy Spoon Bread

Sweet Potato-Apple Souffle

Sweet Potato - Apple Soufflé

I like to reserve the final posting of the calendar year for a favorite recipe of mine, whether or not it is historical.  This one has been a favorite for over ten years and a great way to serve up sweet potatoes any time but particularly during the holidays.

It is from The Mount Vernon Cookbook, published by The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union, which I purchased in 1999 while visiting Mount Vernon.  At the time I thought it was a collection of historical recipes all from George Washington's era but now I see it more as a ladies' club collection with Virginia vibes.  This is not a complaint!  The few I have tried have been excellent.

ISBN 0-931917-13-1

On page 128 is the Sweet Potato - Apple Soufflé.  It serves 6 to 8 and is tasty without being sweet.

2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups applesauce
1 Tablespoon grated orange rind
3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup melted butter
4 eggs, separated

Two more eggs joined the party later

Combine sugar and cinnamon.  Add to applesauce with orange rind.  Mix well.  Combine sweet potatoes, salt, applesauce mixture and butter.  Add beaten egg yolks.

All but the whites

Beat egg whites stiff and fold into applesauce-sweet potato mixture.

Whites gently folded in

Pile lightly into greased 3-quart casserole.  Bake in 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Ready to serve immediately

My Notes

Turn on the oven to preheat before you get started.  Get the eggs separated, too, so the whites can warm up a bit before you beat them.  I put the whites right into the bowl in which they will be beaten.

I either bake the sweet potatoes in the oven or cook them in the microwave.  This is done in advance so you can peel and mash them easily.

Start with a big bowl for the sugar and cinnamon and add everything to it in order.  That way you have enough room through to the end!

It is important to mix in stages as described.  This gives the sweet potatoes a chance to get very mashed and blended with the other ingredients.

The recipe calls for a 3-quart casserole but I have used a 2-quart without any problems.

I keep the oven door closed while it is cooking although I check it at about 40 minutes to make sure it doesn't get too brown.  The center might jiggle when it is still hot but the dish is cooked thoroughly when a knife blade inserted into the middle comes out clean.

The Verdict

Success!  This is a very light and tasty way to serve sweet potatoes.  The applesauce adds a bit of sweet and the orange peel is an excellent flavor complement.  The cinnamon is just enough to hint without competing for attention.

The texture is fluffy and delicate when hot. An excellent accompaniment to ham, turkey, or chicken and is even better with a side serving of cranberry sauce.

The leftovers are also very good cold.

I've made this with freshly grated orange zest, dried orange zest, and no orange at all.  They were all excellent!

Here's how I served the soufflé at my dinner, with a slice of spiral cut ham and a sauce of brown mustard mixed with bitter orange marmalade, mixed well and heated:

Along with a tossed green salad, delicious!

A Different Type of Pumpkin Pie

Also known as

Baked Whole Pumpkin

I got this from a cookbook that doesn't necessarily claim its recipes are historical, The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American, (by Jeff Smith; published 1987) but it does say "This dish was a favorite of George Washington."  I also found a web page that lists a similar recipe from Eastern Europe.

ISBN 0-688-06347-0

Instead of your usual pumpkin puree mixed with eggs, sugar, and spices and baked in a crust, this starts with a highly-spiced egg and cream custard and bakes it inside the pumpkin.

It's great for the gluten-intolerant among us and is an unusual way to serve a holiday dessert.

(Page 177)

1 pumpkin, 5 - 7 pounds
6 whole eggs
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 brown sugar (packed)
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons butter

Cut the lid off the pumpkin just as you would for a jack-o'-lantern.  Remove the seeds and save for toasting later.

Mix the remaining ingredients together with the exception of the butter.  Fill the pumpkin with this mixture and top with the butter.  Cover with the pumpkin lid and place in a baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the mixture has set like a custard.

The butter floats!

Serve from the pumpkin at the table, scraping some of the meat from the pumpkin with each serving.  

 

Fresh out of the oven.

Serves 8.

My Notes
Be sure to wash the outside of the pumpkin first.

When cutting the top off the pumpkin, I recommend aiming for a wide opening to make it easier to scoop out the custard later.

Before preheating the oven, check to see where the shelf needs to be set in order to fit the pumpkin in its pan.  You don't want it hitting the top of the oven.

I put all the custard ingredients into a bowl and beat it with a whisk.  I think next time I would beat the eggs first then add the other ingredients.

The butter should be cut into small pieces and dropped onto the top of the liquid custard, where they will float.

This is truly an easy recipe to put together.  The benefit is that you don't have to mess with a pie crust!

Baked custards are typically put into cups and baked in a pan with water around them -- this moderates the heat so the eggs don't scramble.  The pumpkin does this well since the walls are so thick.

It took my 7 pound pumpkin 2 1/4 hours to get the custard set.  When the custard looks set, push a table knife into the middle of the custard and lift it out.  If it comes out clean, the custard is done.

Plan ahead!  If you don't think the whole dessert will be eaten after baking, make sure you have enough room to store the leftovers in the refrigerator.  

The Verdict
It is not pretty to look at.  In fact, my dinner guest thought perhaps it wasn't going to taste good at all, because the custard is brownish and the spices tend to float to the top, looking somewhat muddy.  Scooping it out with the pumpkin looked a little strange, too.  But we gave it an honest try.  

This does look pretty weird.

The custard is actually very tasty and delicate in texture.  It was reminiscent of flan.  I know this to be accurate for a baked custard, which many in my culture haven't had (unless they like flan) and our taste buds are accustomed to those thicker, heavier instant puddings.  This almost feels like something is "missing" in the mouth-feel because it is so delicate.

This is not visually appealing, either.

Eating the custard alone was good; eating it with the pumpkin definitely added more to the flavor.  The pumpkin alone was bland. 

We both decided the flavor was better with a light sprinkling of cinnamon sugar over the top.  Based on that, I would put in more brown sugar in the original recipe.  The Eastern European recipes recommended 3/4 cup (versus this recipe's 1/2 cup) and only use less if you had a very sweet sugar pumpkin.  I think that would be much better. 

Finally, I would not put in two tablespoons of butter on top.  I think I would use one tablespoon at most because the top of the custard was just swimming in butter, which was not appealing.

After all of these comments, how would I judge it?  Success!  It was good, just different from what I am normally used to.  The delicate texture is definitely a plus.

If I did this again, I might alter the flavor a little by either putting in brandy flavoring, rum flavoring, or vanilla extract into the custard.  Or maybe sweetening it with maple syrup.  I would also try to get a sweet sugar pumpkin rather than the run-of-the-mill Halloween pumpkin.