Ahh, it’s really starting to feel like summer. I got back in town recently after being gone for nearly three weeks and I was so delighted to hear and see the hummingbirds buzzing about. The last few days have been warmer with loads of sunshine, and everyone seems to just sense that summer is right upon us.
Abe and I took a hike today and he was thrilled to jump in and over streams of snow melt coming down the mountain. This will be his first time experiencing summer and I love watching his face take it all in.
The Frisco Whole Foods recently opened and as a result we ended up with more blueberries than we’ll be able to eat over the next few days. Hence, blueberry cake bars.
Light and portable, these bars contain a hint of lemon and nutmeg, while bursting with a thick layer of blueberries. The berries cook down into a jammy cloak which is what totally makes these bars so good. And just to keep things interesting, there is a dusting of sweet crumble on top- but not the kind that can be overly heavy, dry, or sweet.
I’m likely going to have one over coffee for breakfast tomorrow, but there’s nothing stopping these from being served for dessert.
Happy baking, all.
How to bake this high altitude adjusted recipe:
Blueberry Cake Bars
Adapted from Mom on Timeout’s Blog
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- TOPPING:
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Grease a 9 x 13" pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add the lemon zest, buttermilk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla.
- Gently mix with a spatula until the batter just comes together. It will be thick and slightly tacky.
- Spread the batter into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- Sprinkle the blueberries on top.
- Make the topping by mixing the sugar, flour, and melted butter together until crumbly.
- Sprinkle the topping over the blueberries.
- Bake the blueberry bars for about 40 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden brown and the center feels firm and springy.
Note: This recipe was adapted for high altitude baking. To make at sea level, increase baking powder to 2 teaspoons.
