Fresh Blueberry Molasses Cake

 I'll have to admit right off that I seldom follow directions. This time was no exception when I made a Fresh Blueberry Molasses Cake featured in the current issue of Yankee Magazine. It always seems to me that people complicate a recipe unnecessarily ... when to add this, when to add that, how to combine.

 Though I used the amounts specified, I went my own way with the mixing and all turned out well. Would it have better had I followed the directions? I can't know, but I think not.

Fresh Blueberry Molasses Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used bread flour because that's what I had)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup molasses
2/3 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter (I used margarine)
1/2 cup light-brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups fresh blueberries

Bake at 350° for 50 minutes to an hour (see below)


 I simply softened the margarine in the microwave, then added the sugar. The eggs came next as well as every ingredient except the flour and the blueberries.

 Once I had the batter well-stirred, I added the flour. The mixture is fairly "wet", though many cakes are similar in consistency. Finally I carefully folded in the blueberries, careful not to crush them.

 An 8" greased glass pan is perfect for the recipe (I did not flour it, too).

 The cakes cracked a bit on top. I tested it at the 45 minute mark and found it done.

 The cake is strongly-flavored, just as you'd expect for a molasses cake. The blueberries add a whole new dimension, adding darkness, mositure and flavor. They "cook" inside the cake and are soft and perfectly done at the same time the cake is finished.

 While still warm, we cut a couple of slices and added whipped cream and a few fresh blueberries as garnish. Ice cream would be a wonderful addition.

 This may be a "classic Maine treat" but it's a high-class dessert anywhere.

Credit: Yankee Magazine, July 2016. Click here for their recipe.