Blueberry Crumb Cake

My baby girl loves fruit - and sometimes she's a little bit picky when it comes to anything else.  And by a little bit picky, I mean she eats fruit and that's it lately.  So I've been trying to find more fruits that she'll eat to add some variety and also trying to come up with some variety in what I use the fruit in.  She used to eat anything you gave her, up until the past few weeks, now she turns down her former favorites, unless its fruit.

Sure we have plenty of bananas, strawberries, yogurt with fruit, cottage cheese with fruit, melon, pineapple, and applesauce, but I figure at least fruit is good for you, she could have been even more like her mama and decided the only food she would eat for several months running was French toast - yes I went through that phase when I was about the same age she is now.  The quirks of toddlers... she'll move on eventually, everyone does.  For now, I'm making things like banana bread, strawberry muffins, and this blueberry crumb cake.  And hey, it's delicious, so I recommend you try it, fruit addiction or not.

And if you have any tips on getting a picky toddler to branch out a bit or you have some great fruit suggestions, I would love them.

Blueberry Crumb Cake
Slightly adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours


Cake:
2 cups flour, plus 2 tsp for berries
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
6 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp lemon extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Crumb topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 T unsalted butter, cold

Coat an 8x8 baking pan or Pyrex dish with butter or baking spray and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir to combine.  In a mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar and lemon zest and cream on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for about one minute after each addition.  Add vanilla and lemon extracts and mix to combine.  Add 1/2 of the flour mixture, mix until just combined.  Add buttermilk and mix until combined then remaining flour mixture, mixing until incorporated.  Finally, lightly toss blueberries with remaining 2 tsp flour and fold into the batter.  Pour batter into prepared dish and smooth the top.

In a small bowl, combine sugars, flour, salt, and cinnamon for crumb topping.  Add butter and cut in with a fork, a pastry blender or your fingers until it forms a crumbly mixture.  Sprinkle liberally on top of batter and bake for approximately one hour, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.  Keep any leftovers covered once it's fully cooled.