Congratulations to Rachel Osborn of New York, 3rd place winner in this year’s Union Fair Maine Wild Blueberry Dessert Contest. Rachel, who comes to Searsmont every summer, says she loves the Union Fair and entered this contest 8 years ago, taking home the blue ribbon.

Try her delicious, prize-winning coffee cake at home with this recipe.

Nana’s Wild Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Rachel Osborn, New York

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1½ cups sour cream
3½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2½ cups Wild Maine Blueberries

Preheat oven to 350° and prepare a tube pan by greasing it well with vegetable oil all over. Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time with the vanilla. Add sour cream and mix. Separately combine dry ingredients, sift together, then add to wet ingredients. Mix very well with electric mixer for no less than three minutes. Fold in berries gently. Pour evenly into prepared tube pan and cover generously with following crumb topping recipe.

Crumb Topping
½ cup flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light or dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
4 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped walnuts

Mix together flour, sugars, salt, cinnamon, and walnuts. Cut in cold butter and combine until crumbly. Cover the cake with this crumb mixture. It’s also good to let the crumb mixture get cold before putting on the cake, so making it ahead of time is helpful. The more the crumb topping, the tastier the cake will be. Bake the cake for 1 hour at 350°, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool 1-2 hours before removing from pan and tube. Best served to friends with a cup of rich coffee or tea.

MF&L Staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.