Eggless Boy Bait / Blueberry Coffee Cake

A 15 year old teenager from Chicago named Renny Powell submitted a blueberry coffee cake in 1954 to the Pillsbury $100,000 Recipe and Baking Contest, which happens to be the precursor to today's Pillsbury Bake - Off contest, The girl scored second place in the youth division for her creation, which she called boy bait.  She found that the teenage boys found it irresistible and so decided to attribute this blueberry coffee cake, a special adjective. I found the name not so odd after I tasted it since one can bait anyone they wish with this tempting cake or one need not be a teenager to be lured in. 😋 I am the proof since I truly detest eating blueberries as such but I have baked and enjoyed this cake many times over the years though I never got around to sit and post it until today. These images are at least a couple of years old.
Cook's Country magazine tweaked the original recipe 'to improve it' as they say. They swapped the shortening and granulated sugar used in the original recipe with butter and a combination of granulated and brown sugars. And they topped the cake with a light, sweet sugar - cinnamon topping instead of streusel. I replaced half the butter with oil and used only half the quantity of the sugar mentioned. I don't like overtly sweet stuff and so the 1/2 cup sugar in the cake plus the sugar topping was enough for me. I swapped the 3 eggs in the recipe with plain yogurt. I used a springform pan to bake this. Still, the final coffee cake is a tender and sweet one with a 'melt in mouth' kind texture. This 'easy to make' rich cake is an addictive one and one would add it to their repertoire if they try this berry packed cake once. 

Ingredients:
2 cups + 1 tsp. all purpose flour (divided)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter + 1/2 cup oil (or use 1 cup butter / 2 sticks butter instead.)
3/4 cup sugar * 
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup yogurt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup blue berries (fresh or frozen)**
For topping:
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh / frozen) **
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

* The original recipe uses 1 cup sugar. I used only 1/2 cup and I think 3/4 cup makes it sweet enough.
** Don't thaw if using frozen blueberries.

Directions:
* Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan or a square pan. 
* Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
* Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  
Next add oil, 1/2 cup yogurt and vanilla and beat to mix. Next fold in 1/3 of the flour mixture, half of milk, another 1/3 of the flour mixture, the rest of the milk, then the remaining flour and finally the remaining yogurt, mixing well after each addition.
* Toss the blueberries with a tsp. of flour. Fold 1/2 cup blueberries gently into the batter. If using frozen berries directly add them to the batter without thawing.
* Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the remaining berries over the top of the batter. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top evenly.
* Bake until a tooth pick inserted at the center comes out clean, about 45 - 50 minutes.
* Let it cool completely before slicing.

It goes to Bakeathon  and Blogging Marathon #95 under the theme 'cake recipes' events.


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