We’re sharing retro recipes this week and when I stumbled upon this one from ATK, I found the name hilarious, and I kid you not, as it was cooling on the counter, my husband wandered in and said, “Oooooh, what’s that?!”, circling it like our dog does when we sit down for dinner at night. If I were in a position to be luring males with baked goods, this would have done it. It’s a tender cake that’s quick to whip up, with juicy berries and a light cinnamon sugar topping that kind of caramelizes as it bakes. You can serve it as-is or with whipped cream or ice cream. It’s as appropriate for breakfast or brunch as it is for dessert!
The retro factor is just a bonus. I have kind of this weird obsession with the 1960s. I just find this time period endlessly fascinating–I love the style and nostalgia and literature and movies and TV shows and history and the sense that things are changing in huge and monumental ways. Plus, look at my mom reading a Redbook as a newlywed in 1963–isn’t she adorable?
One thing that never goes out of style is a good recipe and this one stands the test of time!
Ingredients Needed
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- unsalted butter – softened
- light brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- buttermilk (whole, if you can track it down), or whole milk
- fresh or frozen blueberries
- granulated sugar
- ground cinnamon
How to Make Blueberry Boy Bait
- Preheat oven and prepare a 9×13″ baking pan.
- Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, cream butter and sugars in another, then add eggs.
- Alternate adding dry mixture and milk until batter is smooth.
- Fold in blueberries and spread batter in the pan.
- Top with extra blueberries, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake until golden and set in the center.
- Cool before slicing, and serve warm or at room temperature with optional toppings.
Storage & Other Tips
- This recipe is great served warm, or at room temperature. It’s even better topped with sweetened whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.
- For longer term storage, you can wrap cooled sliced tightly and store at room temperature (they’ll stay good for 2 or 3 days), or freeze individually for longer term storage (2 or 3 months).
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it doesn’t matter. If you’re using frozen, my only recommendation is to keep them frozen until you fold them into the batter. That way, they won’t bleed and discolor the batter. You’ll definitely get some purple streaks with frozen, which is kind of pretty.
Yes! This cake makes ahead beautifully. Just bake, let it cool, and store as usual. It also freezes well, as wrapped individual pieces, or as a whole.
This often happens when the oven door is opened too early and the cake isn’t fully baked yet. Try keeping the door closed for the bulk of the baking time, and turn the light on in the oven, rather than opening the door. Also, ensure your baking powder is fresh.
Yes! We’ve never tried it so we can’t guarantee success, but in theory it should work very well. Try raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries diced small and see how it goes. If you try it, leave us a comment and let us know how it goes!
Blueberry Boy Bait
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups 10 ounces all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, large
- 1 cup buttermilk whole, if you can track it down or whole milk
- ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries 2 ½ ounces
Topping
- ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries 2 ½ ounces
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Adjust the rack to the middle position (or the best position in your oven for baking) and preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease and flour a 9×13″ baking pan and set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium high speed for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy (scrape the bowl as necessary).
- Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. Reduce speed to medium and add ⅓ of the flour mixture, mixing until incorporated. Mix in ½ cup milk. Repeat with another addition of flour, the rest of the milk, and ending with the final addition of flour. Gently fold in the blueberries and spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Scatter the additional topping blueberries over the batter. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the blueberries. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 20 minutes (or completely) before cutting into squares and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with drizzled with cream and blueberries or topped with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Questions & Reviews
Ooh, my husband doesn’t do blueberries, but I will have to make this for ME. It looks amazing.
It is awesome i made for the family and they all loved it
i made this today with lowfat buttermilk and it was so moist and yummy…definitely tastes better after few hours. tasted a bit salty right out of the oven but tastes really good once it has completely cooled off. thanks for the recipe.
Oooh, so yummy! If I can’t find “whole buttermilk” in my area, do you recommend think it’d be better to use not-whole buttermilk, or the whole milk?
I would do just regular low-fat buttermilk. Hope that helps!
couldn’t you make whole buttermilk with lemon juice and whole milk?
I looooove Blueberry Boy Bait! I’ve never made it and not been asked for the recipe multiple times! I’m glad I can now refer them to OBB, like I do for just about everything else I get asked the recipe for. Seriously, don’t make this unless you have someone to share it with or you will eat it all in a day. It’s sooo good!
Looove! This sounds awesome!
Kate, This recipe looks delicious. I know you from when you were a little girl but it wasn’t in the 60’s! I live in Logan and work at Kitchen Kneads. I am wondering if you still come to Logan and if you do would you ever consider doing a cooking class for us. You would be a treat to have and I know so many would love to come. Let me know. Thanks!
Anita
Anita, I’m sending you an email right now… 🙂
Wow, two of my favorites- Kate and Kitchen Kneads! I’d drive to Logan for a combination like that (I have a Kitchen Kneads about five minutes from my house…it’s an awesome place!).
This looks delicious and the name is fun too. Thanks, I can’t wait to have a reason to try this one out.
I am old enough to have been eating, then making Blueberry Boy Bait for years. Very yummy.
This is a family classic recipe that our moms have been making since the 70’s. Every time I see it on someone else’s blog it warms my heart. I blogged a tribute to my sweet aunt with it.
Growing up I never realized it was Boy bait…..I thought a boybait was like a cake with fruit in it….silly me. BUT it is simply the most amazing cake you can make and it will be served in my kitchen for generations to come.