Cape Cod Blueberry Cake

This is the kind of cake summer cottages on the Cape were famous for. Wild blueberries bake into a tender, lightly spiced crumb, while bran flakes cereal stirs in for nutty body and a hint of chew.

The bran flakes are not a gimmick. They soften in the hot water and corn syrup, giving the cake a moist, hearty texture that lasts days, the same trick used in classic raisin bran muffins. The cereal also bumps the fiber and gives the cake a slight molasses depth without using actual molasses (though you can sub molasses for the corn syrup for an even richer flavor).

Fresh wild Maine blueberries are ideal but tiny, sweet, and intensely flavored. Frozen wild berries also work, and you don’t need to thaw them. Toss frozen berries straight into the batter or they’ll bleed and turn the whole cake purple.

Dredge the blueberries in a tablespoon of the dry flour mixture before folding in. The flour coating helps the berries suspend through the batter rather than sinking to the bottom.

Don’t overmix once the berries go in. Two or three gentle folds is enough. Aggressive stirring crushes the berries and turns the batter blue.

Pro Tips

• Hot water (not warm) is what activates the cereal and starts the leavening reaction. Don’t substitute room-temp water.
• Test for doneness with a toothpick stuck between berries, not directly into one. A wet berry will give a false reading.
• Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. The contrast of cold cream against warm cake is the move.
• Keeps 3 days at room temperature, well wrapped. The bran keeps the crumb from drying out.

Variations

• Swap corn syrup for molasses for a deeper, old-fashioned brown sugar note.
• Use plain bran flakes instead of blueberry-bran flakes if that’s what you have, plus an extra ½ cup berries.
• Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the batter for a brighter, more summery cake.