Huckleberry Blue

I had a bunch of blueberries that I mixed with some huckleberries to make a huckleberry blue coffee cake. The huckleberries were some I picked from our plant in the back yard.

Like many recipes, the coffee cake is of mixed origin. It is believed to have first originated in Dresden, Germany, in the 1600’s. But then the Danish are the one who first thought of pairing this lightly sweet cake with coffee. The term coffee cake became a popular term in the 1800’s. By the later 1800’s, there were many European immigrants coming into the United States, via Ellis Island, bringing with them their traditional recipes from home. The coffee cake was one of these immigrants as well, coming with both the Danish and the Germans. By 1870, coffee cakes were very popular in New York and the Eastern seaboard. These cakes were often made with different kinds of fruits and nuts, which gives them a lot of variety. Their popularity soon spread and they quickly became very popular all over the United States, as well as many other parts of the world.

Huckleberries are small little berries that look like blueberries, but are only a fraction of the size. They come in different colors ranging from red to reddish purple to dark blue. They grow wild all over Colorado, usually showing up in August. They like our harsh, acidic soil. They grow low to the ground, so sometimes they are hard to see.

We didn’t realize we had huckleberries growing in our backyard until just a couple of years ago. I have been cooking with them ever since I found out we had them. It is always kind of fun to brag about the produce that grows in your own backyard, even if only in very small batches.

Blueberries vs huckleberries. Blueberries are significantly larger than the huckleberries, but they have a similar taste. Blueberries in general tend to be a little sweeter than huckleberries too.

Berry Coffee Cake

Streusel Topping

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup either brown sugar or granulated sugar, or a combination of both

1 tsp cinnamon

4 TBSP cold butter, cubed

Mix all the ingredients together either by hand or with a pastry cutter until it all resembles a course sand. Set aside

The Cake

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 190* C.

Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray then dust with flour.

1 3/4 cup sugar

3 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup or 1 stick of softened butter

3 large eggs

16 oz of sour cream or yogurt

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2-2 cups berries of your choice – I used huckleberries and blueberries this time. Coat the berries in a little flour so they do not “bleed” into your mix.

Mix the sugar and butter together until creamy, then add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing in between each addition. Add the vanilla and mix again.

Add 1/2 the flour and mix, then add 1/2 the sour cream or yogurt and mix, repeat until both the flour and the yogurt is all incorporated. Do not over mix. You do not want a tough batter. Gently fold in the berries.

Evenly spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Add the topping all around the top of the cake.

Bake for about 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing it. And eat it up yum! I know this cake was a winner today, because I came back with zero cake. There was nothing left on my platter; always a good sign for a chef and/or cook. I love it when this happens. 🙂

Stay cool, stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.