Blueberry Streusel Loaf Cake

Everything you love about a sweet, juicy blueberry muffin exists in this sliceable, streusel-topped loaf. Baking it at a higher temperature for the first 20 to 25 minutes helps achieve a crisp topping, while finishing it at a lower temperature helps ensure a moist center. This recipe calls for fresh blueberries, but frozen work, too. If you use frozen, don’t thaw them first, and keep in mind that they may release additional liquid during baking, which will add more color to the loaf. One final tip: Tossing the fresh or frozen berries in a little flour before stirring them into the batter helps keep them suspended so that each and every slice is evenly studded with blueberries.

Ingredients

• ⅓

  cup/45 grams all-purpose flour

• ⅓

  cup/30 grams old-fashioned oats

• ¼

  cup/55 grams light brown sugar

• ¼

  teaspoon baking powder

• ¼

  teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼

  teaspoon fine sea salt

• 5

  tablespoons/70 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Preparation

1. Make the streusel: In a medium bowl, stir the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together to combine. Add the cubed butter and toss until each cube is fully coated in flour.
2. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with your hands or a pastry cutter until the mixture forms large clumps. Refrigerate while you make the batter.
3. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
4. Make the cake: In a medium bowl, toss the blueberries with 1/4 cup/30 grams all-purpose flour. In another medium bowl, whisk the remaining 2 cups/260 grams flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the egg, and mix well to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the vanilla and mix to combine.
6. Add half of the flour mixture, then mix on low speed to combine. With the mixer still running, add the buttermilk in a slow, steady stream and mix until fully combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just combined.
7. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a silicone spatula, fold in the blueberries (and any remaining flour in the bowl with them) by hand until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
8. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Crumble half of the streusel on top in an even layer. Pour the remaining batter into the loaf pan, spread into an even layer and crumble the remaining streusel on top. The loaf pan will be just over 3/4 full. Place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
9. Transfer the loaf to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bread has risen about 1/2 inch above the edge of the loaf pan. Lower the temperature to 325 degrees and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes, tenting the loaf with foil if it’s browning too quickly.
10. Set the cake on a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the outside edge and gently unmold the cake onto a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving.