Nena’s Blueberry Crumb Cake

My mother and I have recently been discussing some of her mother’s signature recipes. She was wondering about some of the gelatin molds her mother used to make and whether I remembered them at all, or might know how to make them. 

Of course that sent me to the small pile of recipes from Nena – what we cousins called our grandmother – but what I have are mostly desserts. I’m not sure how I came to have this particular pile. There’s one little notepad with recipes on about half the pages; recipes on index cards, some typed, some handwritten; and random pieces of paper, including card game score sheets from her country club and her local laundry (a promotional giveaway?) with recipes scrawled on the back. There’s Diana’s Cookies, Mrs. Schwartz’s Cuchon (the actual spelling on the card, but now spelled kuchen), Mother’s Sponge Cake, and more. But no recipes for gelatin molds.

Nena was phenomenal cook. I don’t think I ever had anything come out of her kitchen that wasn’t superb. I also think she didn’t cook from a recipe very often – it was all in her head. All the more do I treasure that I have this small pile of recipes, especially the handwritten ones. There’s something about seeing someone’s handwriting that brings them close.

We had just bought some blueberries, and when I came across Nena’s recipe for blueberry crumb cake, I knew I needed to make it right away, hereafter to be called:

Nena’s Blueberry Crumb Cake

Topping:

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or Penzey’s pie spice

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 2 cups blueberries

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• ¾ cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon fiori di Sicilia or vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon lemon extract

• ½ cup milk

• Grated zest of 1 lemon

• ½ cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray, then line the bottom with parchment (allowing it to hang over on two sides – see photo), then spray the parchment lightly.

Make the topping. Combine ⅓ cup flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the cold butter and cut it into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Sift together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Remove 1½ Tablespoons of this mixture and toss in another bowl with the blueberries.

Cream the softened butter and sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium to medium-high speed. Add the egg, vanilla, and lemon extract, and beat until well combined. Alternating, add the flour and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour, beating until well combined.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the lemon zest. Fold in the blueberries. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the walnuts on top of the batter and then cover completely with the topping mixture.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.