I just love blueberry season. There are just so many ways to use them up and because they are so good for you, I NEVER feel bad about adding tons of sugar to them and making desserts. Or making breakfast items. Or making something that can be both. Hence, the mini crumb cakes. They're cupcakes, they're muffins, they're breakfast, they're dessert. They're just plain good and if used for dessert, deserve to be warmed up and have vanilla ice cream as a supporting actor. I started out using a barefoot contessa recipe for this but found that it was just too much of everything: steps, prep, flour, butter and sugar. Yes, I said sugar. So, I reformed it and included more oil, less butter and sugar, yogurt instead of sour cream, and made them into mini cakes so you don't feel so guilty about eating one.
Mini Blueberry crumb cakes
Adapted from Barefoot ContessaCrumb topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger(optional)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons veggie oil(or whatever you have)
1 cup all purpose flour
Cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs room tempurature*(see note at bottom)
1 teaspoon vanilla
6oz cup of plain or vanilla yogurt(blueberry could work too!)
1 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of flour, separated
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray your muffin tin with cooking spray(if you have baking spray time to use it!), including the top of the pan. The muffins will spread at the top, so you want the whole thing greased.
Grab 2 bowls. Place the 6 tablespoons of butter into your stand mixer bowl, and the last 2 of the tablespoons into another bowl.
Add the 3/4 cup sugar to the 6 tablespoons and turn the mixer on medium. Let the butter and sugar mix for 5 minutes.
While the mixer is going, add the rest of the crumb topping ingredients to the bowl with the 2 tablespoons of butter. Mix with a fork or pastry cutter. Set aside.
In the 3rd bowl, add all the dry ingredients, except the 1/4cup of flour, for the cake. Mix together with a whisk or a fork.
Take the 1/4 cup of flour and toss the berries with it.
Once the butter and sugar is well mixed, after 5 minutes, add in one egg at a time. Add in the yogurt. Then, gradually add in the dry ingredients until it's all incorporated.
Turn off mixer, get spatula, and fold in the dusted blueberries.
Place the cake mixture in the muffin tins. Take the crumb topping and cover each muffin with some of the mixture. The whole top of the muffin should be covered with it and you should pat the crumb topping onto the muffins.
Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted butter knife comes out clean.
Let cool for 15 minutes, and carefully pull the cakes out of the tin. Place on a cooling rack to let them cool completely.
*note: if you don't have time or forget to take the eggs out, you can get them to room temperature by doing this: place the eggs in a mug and cover with warm, not hot, water. Let the eggs sit while the butter and sugar are mixing and by the time you need to use them, they will be room temperature.
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