Blueberry Breakfast Cake with Lemon-Mascarpone Cream
Who wants cake for breakfast?? ME! I confess….I actually made this for dessert the night before. It was tasty, but was meant for breakfast, or actually, brunch, in my opinion. This would be the perfect, beautiful addition to your brunch menu. Imagine how impressed your family and/or guests will be when they see that you baked a cake for brunch! It’s really just one large blueberry muffin. It’s genius, actually.
I’ve made blueberry cakes with frozen blueberries, when the original recipe calls for fresh blueberries, and the cook time increases by over triple the time, in some cases. The moisture from the frozen blueberries throws off the balance of ingredients. Even though this recipe calls for frozen blueberries, it’s really important to allow them to thaw and allow some of the water to escape from the berry itself.
This recipe is unique, in that you don’t ever fold the blueberries into the batter. Pretty smart, actually, because frozen and thawed blueberries become quite mushy and if you did mix them into your batter, it might just turn the cake purple. Which may not be a horrible thing.
Any liquid you see within the blueberries is actually lemon juice. I let these blueberries drain long enough that they didn’t have excess liquid to release. It’s an important step in this recipe to rinse the berries before you let them drain. This will help the thawing process and they won’t all clump together.
The batter for this cake is pretty thick. Once you pour it into your pan, you will need to help smooth it out. It almost has a cookie-like texture to it.
Even though the majority of the blueberries stayed on the top of the cake, enough sunk down to help even things out.
This cake is easy and pairs really well with a nice cup of coffee or tea. I hope that you make this and that you enjoy it as much as we did!
Enjoy!
Blueberry Breakfast Cake with Lemon-Mascarpone Cream
Equipment
- 9 inch Sprinform pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter Salted or unsalted will work,
- 1 cup granulated (white) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups frozen blueberries, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- icing (or powdered) sugar for dusting (optional)
Lemon-Mascarpone Cream
- 1 cup 1 cup mascarpone, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, at room temperature
- 3 teaspoons honey I will add more honey the next time I make this.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla Original recipe calls for 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and scraped. Use this if you have any on hand.
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
Blueberry Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter your pan and dust with flour.
- Whisk 1 cup of the flour with the baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well combined. Beat in the vanilla.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until smooth.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.
- In a bowl, combine the berries with the remaining 1 teaspoon flour and the lemon juice, lemon zest and cinnamon; spoon over the batter.
- Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully slide a thin knife around the edges of the cake to release it from the pan.
- Transfer the cake to a platter, berry-side up, and dust lightly with confectioners' sugar.
Lemon-Mascarpone Cream
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and whipping cream until just combined. Fold in the honey, vanilla, and lemon zest.
- To serve, spoon a dollop of the lemon-mascarpone cream on top of a slice of blueberry cake.
Marshmallow Cinnamon ‘Buns’
I found this recipe as I was searching what to make for our first Easter dinner in Toronto. This was a bittersweet Easter, not only because of COVID-19 and not being able to be with family, but this was the first holiday without my mom. It was really important to me that this first holiday of ours as a little family be as special as it could be under the circumstances.
The original recipe is called ‘Empty Tomb Rolls’, which felt like a pretty weird title for these. Apparently, the symbolism of a large marshmallow represents the body of Jesus. The crescent roll represents the wrapping of Jesus’ body. The melted butter represents the oils of embalming. The cinnamon/sugar mix represents the spices used to anoint Christ’s body. The oven represents the tomb, and the cavity in the bun (once baked) represents the empty tomb.
Whoa. That’s heavy. That’s a lot of symbolism to put on a glorified cinnamon roll. Symbolism aside, I knew I needed to make this recipe because they are so easy to make!! Plus, my kids are crazy about marshmallows, so I figured they’d be a hit. Being a ‘glorified cinnamon roll’ is not a stretch. The marshmallow in these completely melts away (which is why there is a cavity left inside the bun after it bakes), so it creates an ooey gooey cinnamon sugar mixture. It’s yummy.
The original recipe suggests using large pillsbury crescent rolls. Unless you’re going to use those jumbo marshmallows that I’ve seen in the stores, the regular crescent rolls are fine, if in fact, better. When I used the large sized crescent rolls, I had to cut each triangle of dough in two. It was just an unnecessary step when the regular sized rolls already came in triangles of 8 crescent rolls.
This is what it should look like before you place these in the oven. Don’t forget to spray your muffin tin before placing these rolls inside! The most important step at this point is to make sure you’ve sealed the marshmallow inside the dough as well as possible, or it will leak out all over the place.
Some marshmallow leaked out of a couple of mine, but not terribly. These really puff up, but because there is a hollow cavity on the inside, they may fall as they cool. That’s normal.
Look at all that gooey goodness! The shadow in the second photo makes me sad, but shows the ooey gooeyness so well that I had to include it!
Allow these to cool slightly before eating so that you don’t burn your mouth. I do recommend that if you don’t finish these after the first bake, reheat them before eating them again.
Enjoy!!
Marshmallow Cinnamon 'Buns'
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 1 package refrigerated crescent rolls (regular size)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 8 large marshmallows
- 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
- cooking spray for muffin tin
Instructions
- Separate the crescent rolls into eight triangles.
- Combine the sugar and the cinnamon together in a bowl. Dip each marshmallow into the melted butter, roll into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place on a crescent roll triangle.
- Pinch dough together around the marshmallow, sealing the edges.
- Dip the tops of each marshmallow wrapped bundle into the remaining butter and then cinnamon-sugar.
- Place sugar side up in greased muffin cups.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 - 15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
- Allow to cool slightly.
Instructions:
Make-Ahead Cinnamon Buns
Okay, so these are indulgent, but such a treat to wake up to on a special, lazy, morning with family. The BEST part about these buns is that most of the work happens the night before!
Important to note that this dough must rise for 1.5 to 2 hours before it can be rolled out, so don’t start preparing these too late the night before. I have made the mistake in the past of deciding to make something later at night and realizing the recipe needs to chill for so many hours in the fridge before moving on to the next step. Bah!
I like to add raisins to my cinnamon buns, but you can also add pecans if you like that kinda thing.
I first saw Valerie Bertinelli make these on her show for Christmas morning, and I thought it was such a nice idea! We’ve tried to do a big breakfast on Christmas morning, but it takes so long and with all the food we have to look forward to for dinner, it’s too much of a production to have a big breakfast and then a big dinner. Having something comforting and tasty like this that takes little effort in the morning is perfect!
I highly recommend you make these. Your family will love you all over again! 🙂
Make-Ahead Cinnamon Buns
Ingredients
For the dough
- I cup warm whole milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 .25 oz package active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- vegetable oil for the bowl
For the filling
- 6 tablespoons salted butter softened, plus more for the baking dish*
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup raisins optional
For the icing
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons of milk plus more as needed
Instructions
For the dough
- Combine the milk, sugar, melted butter, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment and stir to combine well. Add the eggs and stir until well mixed. Add the flour and mix on medium-high speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let stand in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down and lightly flour a work surface. Lay the dough out and roll the dough out into an 18-by-12-inch rectangle.
For the filling
- Butter a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Spread the softened butter evenly all over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border, then sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle raisins, if using. Roll up the dough and press and crimp the edges to seal. Cut the dough into 12 slices and arrange them in the buttered baking dish. If you want to bake them the same day, cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Otherwise, refrigerate overnight; take out of the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the cinnamon buns until puffed and golden brown all over, about 25 minutes.
For the icing
- Put the icing sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the melted butter, vanilla and milk Whisk until smooth. Add additional milk, about 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to achieve the right consistency. Drizzle the icing over the warm cinnamon rolls. Serve warm.
Notes
Ina’s Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins
It’s been a while since I’ve written, even though I think about this blog all of the time. I take pictures of almost everything I make and then I never seem to have the time to sit down and post about them.
Life has taken a turn recently, and so quickly. I’ve found myself on leave from work and back home to help take care of my mom, as she is very ill. So far, her appetite has been amazing, so I have been cooking up a storm, making sure she has whatever she wants on hand. All my cooking has brought me back here.
These muffins are easy, fresh and light.
Something I have never done with these muffins is gotten all the ingredients to room temperature. The buttermilk ALWAYS ends up being colder than the cooled melted butter, and that butter gets chunky once stirred in. Not to worry! I’ve had no issues with the batter.
This recipe makes 2 dozen muffins. As you can see, 2 muffins are already missing from this pic! 🙂
I really hope you make these. They are one of our go-tos.
Ina's Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/4 cup butter, melted My preference, generally, is to bake with salted butter. But, use whichever works best for you.
- 1.5 teaspoons grated lemon zest When using the zest of a lemon, buy organic lemons, so that you aren't consuming any pesticides sprayed on the fruit
- 2 large eggs The original recipe calls for extra large eggs. It won't impact this recipe at all to use large eggs.
- 2 cups fresh blueberries 2 half-pints
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with muffin liners.
- Measure out and mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, cooled and melted butter, lemon zest, and eggs.
- Make a hole in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well of dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until just blended.
- Fold in the blueberries into the batter. Don't over mix!
- Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, filling them 3/4 full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes
Crazy Easy Quick Bread
I haven’t made a post in a while because I updated my website! It’s kind of exciting. 🙂 Now, I need to work on my picture taking abilities. Yikes!
I made this bread the first time I introduced my daughter to salmon, so that she would have something on her plate that I knew she’d like, in case her salmon experience was a catastrophe! This bread really is true to its name. It’s crazy easy!! And, it’s also yummy. Two super important factors when cooking a weeknight meal!
The secret ingredient in this bread is beer! Any ol’ bottle of beer will do, except maybe Guinness. But, hey, if you’re so inclined, give it a go! 🙂 Beer has yeast in it. A perfect pairing for bread making. Another really important ingredient in this bread is self-rising flour. Don’t substitute for another flour, as self-rising flour has salt and baking powder already in it, which is why we don’t need to add any of that stuff into this recipe! This bread is a bit dense. It’s definitely not for sandwich making. But, along side a meal, it’s perfect!!
Enjoy!
Crazy Easy Quick Bread
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 can or bottle of beer
- 1 heaping tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- butter for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Generously grease your bread pan with butter. Place all of your ingredients (minus the butter) into one bowl and stir until combined. Transfer to your greased loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove loaf from the pan and let cool slightly before slicing.
Notes
Banana Crumb Muffins
I have been searching for a really good banana bread recipe for years. I thought I had found one, but it still wasn’t great, and was a lot of work with disappointing results. Greasing the pan alone was a pain. I came across this banana muffin recipe from a blog I follow named, The Girl Who Ate Everything, and I don’t think I will make banana bread ever again! These muffins are quick and yummy and so much more rewarding than a big loaf of bread! I have made several recipes from this blogger’s site. She knows what she’s doing! Check her out! www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com
I didn’t deviate at all from this recipe, except for one minor change, and only because of personal preference. Here’s what happened…
We needed to eat this morning and had no food. I had one egg left, which inspired the making of these muffins!
In the flour, I’ve already incorporated the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Also not seen in this picture is vanilla, because I’m an airhead and forgot. I have a lot to learn!
This is where I deviated from the original recipe. I prefer to add my dry ingredients into my wet ingredients to avoid lumps. But, I am sure there were no lumps in the original recipe, this is just my personal preference! You can do either method.
Use an ice cream scoop that has a release on it to help make your life so much easier. Or, using a spoon will work as well.
You can fill your muffin cups fairly generously. The original recipe called for 10 muffins. I find I can make 12 with no problem. Just depends how big you want ’em!
Now for the ‘crumb’ part of the recipe!
In this, you want to add 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of butter. I tend to be a bit more generous with the butter here. Can’t hurt, right? It’s important your butter be COLD for this.
If you have a tool like this, now would be a good time to use it! Otherwise, a fork will work just fine, or even your hands! You want to achieve a coarse meal, in texture.
Like this.
Now is your chance to get your kids involved…. If I allowed it, my daughter would just take this bowl and eat it as a snack! She’s wild that way.
And this will happen. Guess where that hand ended up? Yup! She was hungry. Can’t blame her. I promise, if I make this for anyone outside of my immediate family…okay, my extended family…I won’t let her eat out of the bowl. Please don’t judge me!
All is done, but you can’t put it in the oven right now, unless you want a horrible, sticky mess to clean up after these babies are out of the oven! If you didn’t have a child helping you with this part, omit this next step.
Brush all that sugar goodness back onto the muffins so it doesn’t stick to your pan!!
Now they’re ready for the oven!! 19 minutes at 375 and you are good to go!!
Mmmmmmm… These are so good. You’ll be happy you made these. I promise.
Here is what you need to do:
Banana Crumb Muffins
1/3 cup melted and cooled butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3 ripened bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups flour
I teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the crumble:
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cold butter
Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix together the melted butter, sugar, egg, bananas, and vanilla in one bowl. Blend flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in another bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture and mix until all flour is combined. Fill muffin tins with batter. Next, make your crumble and sprinkle over top of your batter. Bake for 19 minutes. Remove from muffin tin as soon as you can and let cool on wired rack.
Enjoy!!
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