Blueberry-Apple Spice Cake

From Amber's Kitchen

Ingredients:
  • 1/2-3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • Fruit juice
  • 2 small or 1 large apple(s),
    peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped*
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup milk
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch square cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Place blueberries in a small saucepan. Pour enough fruit juice to come slightly above the berries. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally, until mixture just boils. Strain blueberries, reserving liquid, and set aside in a bowl (remove as much liquid as possible without squeezing); return liquid to saucepan. Add sugar and additional juice to taste, and continue heating and stirring occasionally until liquid reduces to form a syrup. Set syrup aside to cool when done. (Note that frozen blueberries will be "juicier" than fresh.)
  3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a large bowl, cream the butter and egg until light, then stir in the milk. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix with a few light strokes just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over-mix; the batter should not be smooth. Gently stir in the apples and blueberries. Spread the batter into the cake pan.
  4. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  5. Allow cake to cool just enough to set. Then poke at intervals with a fork. Drizzle syrup all over surface of cake. It should soak in a bit, but you should see the clear lines of the purple syrup over the golden cake.


*Note: You don't need to peel unless skin is tough; very crisp, slightly tart varieties are best, such as Braeburn, Pink Lady, or Winesap.

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