As we begin to move into spring, fresh berries and veggies begin to fill the menus in Amish households. Usually asparagus and rhubarb make the list first. Blueberries come later, but I still wanted to share this delicious recipe that comes from an Amish settlement in Maine. This is a photo of "Melt-In-Your-Mouth Blueberry Cake" and, wow, does the taste live up to its name!:) Doesn't it look yummy? Now you can try the recipe!
1 ½ cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and picked clean
1 ½ cups sifted flour
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup plus 1 /4 cup sugar,
½ cup shortening
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup milk
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 by 8-inch baking pan and set aside.
Gently shake the blueberries in a small amount of the flour in a large bowl, and set aside. This will help prevent them sinking in the finished cake.
Beat the egg whites in a large bowl, slowly adding the ¼ cup of sugar, until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the shortening, and add the salt and vanilla. Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar (reserve 1 tablespoon) and the egg yolks, and beat until light and creamy. Sift together the remaining sifted flour and the baking powder in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients, alternately with the milk, to the creamed mixture until evenly incorporated.
Fold in the beaten whites, then fold in the blueberries. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, and sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Kinnie
I made this a few days ago. It wasn't as sweet as I would have liked, so I made a glaze from lemon juice and sugar and brushed it on. We kept this cake in the fridge for a few days before eating, and it was deliciously moist!