Come Over For Coffeecake

I recently realized that summer is nearing its end and I still hadn’t baked anything with blueberries. I’ve been on a roll trying recipes from the recent edition of Bon Appetit and I was drawn in by the photo of their old-fashioned blueberry coffee cake. I was intrigued by the layer of blueberries and I wondered why they didn’t sink into the cake. My usual go-to recipe is blueberry buckle (a recipe from my good friend M.) but I thought that this was worth a try.

After reading the recipe I noticed that the blueberries get tossed with panko breadcrumbs and decided that this is what kept them in a layer. Whatever the cause, this cake is a winner. You’ve got a layer of cinnamon sugar, another of blueberries and it’s all topped with buttery crumbs laced with pecans. I’m putting the coffee on so come on over!

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup pecans, toasted, chopped
3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Cake
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups fresh (or frozen, thawed) blueberries (about 10 ounces)
1 tablespoon panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

An 8x8x2-inch metal pan

Crumb Topping

Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in nuts. Add butter; using your fingertips, work butter into dry ingredients until large, moist crumbs begin to form. Set topping aside. DO AHEAD: Can be made 5 days ahead. Cover and chill.
Cake
Preheat oven to 350°. Coat pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat 3/4 cup sugar and butter in a medium bowl until light and fluffy, 3–4 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until mixture is pale and fluffy, 3–4 minutes longer.
With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients to bowl in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Pour half of batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Whisk remaining 3 Tbsp. sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; sprinkle evenly over batter in pan. Spoon remaining batter over; smooth top.
Toss blueberries with panko in a small bowl; scatter evenly over batter. Sprinkle crumb topping over blueberries.
Bake cake until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 55–65 minutes. Let cool completely in pan.