After my somewhat failed attempt to make a blueberry crumb cake a couple months back (the dreaded under-baked middle occurred), I wanted to get this blueberry cake down. Blueberries and cake were meant for each other. It’s the perfect combination of tart and sweet, not to mention that blueberries are super healthy for you.  The blueberries just let out their inner juices into the cake and it adds a bit of color to the cake.  That’s why I need to get this kind of cake right!

In order to get this blueberry cake right, not only did I try a different recipe, I decided to make them smaller. How small do you ask?

Not too small…

I made them into cupcake size! They turned out great! Not under-baked at all and they have a great taste to them.

All you have to do is the following:

Combine the dry ingredients. Pretty standard for a cake.

Grab two eggs. Separate the yolks from the egg whites.

Done.

And done.

Now whip the egg whites for… forever. Well, ok, until there are stiff peaks.

Getting there…

Not quite there yet…

There we go. Kinda look likes soap, right?

Move the fluffed up egg whites into a separate bowl. Put the butter and brown sugar in the mixing bowl.

Mix away.

Add the egg yolks to the batter.

Add the dry ingredients. Looks so creamy now!

Now let’s fluff this creamy batter up with some egg whites that we fluffed earlier.

Looks like a pretty good batter.

It looks even better with the blueberries!

Spray some non-stick spray onto the muffin pan. It makes exactly 12! How convenient is that! I love it when a batter creates even numbers. For some reason, it makes me feel like I’m making the recipe right.

I loved my little cupcake blueberry cakes! They’re super portable so you can bring one to work for breakfast or just a snack if you get hungry. I don’t think cakes can do that, now can they? I am loving this whole cupcake size deal going own. Cute mini sizes and portability is what I’m all about.

Not a hint of under-baking here!

What a success!

Blueberry-Brown Sugar Plain Cake
Recipe from Dorie Greenspan: Baking from My Home to Yours
makes 12 cupcakes

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 pint blueberries – fresh, preferably, or frozen (not thawed)

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter the muffin pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and the ⅛ teaspoon salt.
3. Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until they form firm, glossy peaks.
4. Gently scrape the whites into a clean bowl if using a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment, if you have one. (There’s no need to clean the mixer bowl.) Put the butter and sugar in the mixer bowl, or in another large bowl if using a hand mixer, and beat on medium speed until creamy.
5. Add the egg yolks and beat 2 minutes more. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, then all of the milk and then the remainder of the dry ingredients, adding each new batch as soon as the previous batch has been incorporated.
6. Switch to a large rubber spatula and lighten the batter by stirring in about one quarter of the stiffly beaten egg whites. Fold in the rest of the whites, working as gently as you can. Since the cake batter is heavy, it’s only natural you’ll deflate the whites a little — don’t be concerned. Still working with as light a handle as possible, fold in the blueberries, and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
7. Bake the cake for about 20 minutes, or until it is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and cool in the pan.