Blueberry Coffee Cake & My New Morning Routine

Just a couple weeks ago, I was stumbling down the hall to my office at 6 a.m., trying to squeeze in as many minutes as possible in front of my editing. This morning looked a lot different. I woke up at 7:30 a.m. and made a healthy smoothie before turning on the Olympics for half an hour. I'm in that mode where I've been in a routine for so long, it's taking my body and my mind a little while to get out of that routine. I still felt a little guilty as I watched the Olympics, but I'm slowly realizing that I'm allowed to have some time for myself. Morning is my favorite time of day, and I'm glad I can claim it again.

On another note, who doesn't love coffee cake for breakfast?! Nathan and I made brunch for my parents a couple days ago and we tried a new coffee cake recipe. If you have leftover fresh blueberries, you need to make this! Not too sweet, but sweet enough ... if you know what I mean. :)

Cooking Light's Blueberry Coffee Cake

1 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup granulated sugar 6 tablespoons butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg 1 large egg white 1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk (we used regular fat here ... probably why it was so delicious! :) ) Cooking spray 2 cups fresh blueberries (if they're in season and fresh, use 1 1/2 cups) 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (we used Penzeys vanilla sugar here)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla, egg and egg white; beat well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition.

Spoon half of the batter into a 9-inch round baking pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup blueberries (NOTE: If your blueberries are fresh, make sure to cover them in flour before sprinkling into cake. They'll sink to the bottom otherwise). Spoon remaining batter over the blueberries; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup blueberries. Sprinkle the top evenly with 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Blueberry Coffee Cake