From Gourmet, July 2005. We have made this delicious dessert many times since 2005. It is quick and reliably wonderful with blueberries but you can try other fruit or combinations. Just make sure your cooked fruit is not watery. It may need to cook a little longer than the blueberries do. Peaches in particular may need more time.
You can easily double this recipe to cook in a 9 x 13-inch pan.
You will find that you must have vanilla ice cream to put on top of your pudding cake.
1/3 cup sugar plus ½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 cups blueberries (10 ounces)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
½ cup whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.
Stir together 1/3 cup sugar with water, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan, then stir in blueberries. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. (If you substitute another fruit, you may need to cook down a while so the mixture isn’t watery. Peaches might need as long as 10-15 minutes.) Remove from heat.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining ½ cup sugar in a medium bowl.
Whisk together egg, milk, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl, then add flour mixture, whisking until just combined.
Spoon batter into baking pan, spreading evenly, then pour blueberry mixture evenly over batter (berries will sink). Bake until a knife inserted into center of cake portion comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes.
Makes 6 to 8 breakfast or dessert servings.
Note: If you have strawberries, go to Smitten Kitchen’s Strawberry Summer Cake or Strawberry Summer Sheet Cake. The strawberries for these recipes need not be cooked, saving a step. The cake recipes are similar.