Blueberry Streusel Muffin Cake

Blueberry Streusel Muffin Cake – Tender yellow cake layers with fresh blueberries, streusel filling and blueberry buttercream.

Cake Inspiration

Ryan’s dad makes a homemade blueberry muffin that tastes like it’s straight from a bakery. It’s light and fluffy, with fresh blueberries and a subtle buttery flavor that reminds me of a boxed yellow cake. Everyone goes nuts for them when we’re in town visiting grandma and grandpa.

The muffins came to mind the other day when I was thinking of ways to try out the LorAnn Oils Blueberry Emulsion. I picked up the emulsion a few weeks ago at Orson Gygi and have been dying to try it ever since. I’ve loved the flavor of some of the other LorAnn emulsions (like coconut, raspberry, and strawberry, to name a few). They’ve added great flavor to my frostings and cakes, and often come in flavors I can’t typically find in extracts.

Emulsion v. Extract

Before I go on with the cake, let’s talk about emulsions and extracts. A lot of you have asked what the difference is between the two. The easiest way to explain it is that the extract is alcohol based and has been extracted from the item the flavor name describes.

An emulsion, on the other hand, may use some particles of the real thing or it could be a mixture of artificial flavors. Emulsions are either oil based or water based.

Emulsions and extracts can be used in place of each other, with a 1:1 ratio. I don’t think you’ll really notice a difference between the two, but you may find that it’s easier to locate certain flavors in one version than the other.

Blueberry Streusel Muffin Cake

Okay, back to cake. As I thought about my father-in-law’s muffin and the blueberry emulsion, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could turn the two into a cake. (Pretty much how I look at all food!)

I used my Classic Yellow Cake as a base for this cake, added fresh blueberries, blueberry buttercream and then whipped up a cinnamon crumble to add between layers and on top of the cake. You know me! I love a little texture in my cake.

I was so excited when Ryan took a bite of this cake and immediately compared it to his dad’s muffins without me saying a word about the muffins being my inspiration!

Definitely a breakfast worthy cake!

Helpful Tips:

• Don’t overmix your batter. Once you add the wet and dry ingredients, you should have your mixer on low speed. Just mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
• Use small blueberries for this cake. Large blueberries will sink to the bottom of the cake layer as it bakes.
• Cake layers, filling and frosting can all be made ahead of time. Store your cake layers in plastic wrap in the freezer. Store the filling and frosting in airtight containers in the fridge.
• Cake layers can still be cold, but shouldn’t be totally frozen, when you stack and decorate your cakes.
• Bring frosting to room temperature and re-beat it before using on the cake.

Happy baking!

Blueberry Streusel Muffin Cake

5 from 3 votes

Tender yellow cake layers with fresh blueberries, streusel filling and blueberry buttercream.

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

FOR THE CRUMBLE

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons (27.5 g) brown sugar tightly packed
• 3/4 cup (86.25 g) cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.8 g) kosher salt
• 1/4 cup (54.4 g) grapeseed oil
• 1/2 teaspoon (1.3 g) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) pure vanilla extract

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 cup 2 sticks (266 g) unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/3 cup (72.6 g) canola oil
• 1 teaspoon (5.6 g) salt
• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• Zest of one large orange
• 5 whole eggs room temperature
• 2 eggs yolks room temperature
• 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons (366.5 g) cake flour
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
• 1 cup (240 g) sour cream room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) clear vanilla extract 
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) butter extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187 g) fresh blueberries small, dusted in flour

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter slightly cold (removed from the fridge for about 30 minutes)
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
• 4 tablespoons (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
• Dash of salt
• 4 teaspoons (16.8 g) blueberry emulsion 
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.

Instructions

 

FOR THE CRUMBLE

• Preheat your heat the oven to 300°f.
• Combine the sugars, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until well combined.
• Add the oil and vanilla and paddle again to distribute. The wet ingredients will act as glue to help the dry ingredients form small clusters. Continue to mixing until that happens.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 300°f.
• Let the crumbs cool completely before using in a recipe. Store in an airtight container, the crumbs will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the fridge or freezer.

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with butter or non-stick spray, parchment and another coat of spray. Set aside.
• In a medium size bowl, sift the cake flour and baking powder. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, canola oil, salt and sugar on high until fluffy and smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Add orange zest, followed by the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time. Beat on medium until well incorporated.
• Turn the mixer on low and add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Then add half of the sour cream and blend well, followed by another ⅓ of the flour mixture, the second half of the sour cream and lastly, add the remaining flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
• Add the clear vanilla extract and butter extract and beat on low until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on low for another 30 seconds. Dust the blueberries in a little flour and then add to the batter. Carefully fold in the blueberries.
• Evenly distribute the cake batter among the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Make sure not to over bake.
• Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks.
• Once completely cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer or refrigerator to chill before frosting.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed for about two minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sifted powdered sugar until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for another minute.
• Add the blueberry emulsion, salt and heavy cream (one tablespoon at a time). Once the cream is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat the frosting for five minutes. It should get lighter in texture and color.
• Use a spoon to mix the frosting by hand, which will push out the air pockets created by the electric mixer.

ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer, top side up (crumb side up), on a cake board or cake plate. Using an offset icing spatula, evenly spread about one cup of frosting over the cake. 
• Sprinkle about ⅓ of the crumble on the frosting.
• Gently place the second cake layer on top of the frosting and crumble and repeat steps 1 and 2.
• Place the final cake layer top side down on the second layer of frosting and crumble.
• Apply a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake and then freeze the cake for another 10 minutes to set the crumb coat.
• After the crumbs are locked in, continue to frost and decorate the cake.