We just got back from a spectacular week in Oregon, visiting family. The weather was perfect and the grandchildren? What can I say? Absolutely adorable.
I was lucky enough to pick up Davey after his first day of kindergarten. He was all smiles and full of energy and wanted to DO something or MAKE something or just MOVE. When we got to his house, he went directly to the kitchen, climbed up on the counter and announced he was going to make a cake and he had his own recipe and didn’t need me. After I watched him pour both cayenne pepper and garlic powder into a bowl I decided maybe he did need me. I asked him if he had any blueberries and he answers, “millions!!!!”
And he was (almost) right. Their freezer was full of bags of frozen blueberries that he and his family had been picking all summer.
Hood River, Oregon is Mecca for the fruit enthusiast. Along the Columbia River and up into the hills and mountains on both the Oregon and the Washington side, there are acres and acres of orchards and farms. So much emphasis has been placed on growing berries throughout the state that Oregon has been referred to as “the Berry Basket” of the country.
Blueberries are one of our few native fruits. American Indians have been eating and enjoying them for centuries and were very aware of their health value. The first blueberries were cultivated in 1916. Today, blueberries are grown on five continents and production is about one billion pounds annually.
So what did Davey do with his “millions” of blueberries? He (with the help of his Mom) made the family favorite – blueberry brunch cake. You can use either frozen or fresh berries for this and it always turns out great and it’s not just for breakfast! You should try it yourself. The recipe is below. One word of advice – I’d leave out the cayenne pepper and the garlic powder!
Blueberry Brunch Cake
Cake:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup light olive oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil, egg, milk and lemon juice. Mix in with the dry ingredients and pour into a greased square 8″ x 8″ pan.
Topping:
- 1 1/4 cups blueberries
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
Mix all topping ingredients and pour evenly over the cake batter.
Bake at 350 degrees until cake has set, about 30 minutes. Enjoy!