This cake always reminds me of Brazil, and yet it has nothing to do with Brazilian cuisine at all. It ‘s where I first made it for an expats coffee morning. These coffee mornings were my lifeline for 5 years and I made so many wonderful friends. It’s where I learnt the best places to shop, tips on getting through the red tape, the best locations for holidays, and a place to speak English. We helped each other learn Portuguese and were called upon as interpreters when newer expats landed in town. We asked and answered the same questions over and over, we shared stories of successes and failures. We shared ideas for parties, and reasons to try restaurants, holiday houses to rent and beaches to visit. We were family when our own family felt very far away.

Most weeks we met at a local cafe but once in a while we went to each other’s home and shared a plate. This is why I first baked the blueberry crumble cake; an Australian cake from an Australian girl. It’s a Belinda Jefferey’s recipe from her book “mix and bake”. It’s a personal favourite that is filled with recipes of baking comfort. My copy is no longer crisp or clean, and the fact that I took it to Brazil tells you how important is to me. The cake and the reason for baking it is part of my story. That’s why I wanted to include it in this collection of “Conversations around our table”.

Blueberry Crumble Cake
Belinda Jeffery

150g plain flour
120g wholemeal plain flour
220g caster sugar
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
300g fresh or frozen blueberries [I used a mixture of raspberries and blueberries]
80ml light olive oil
180ml milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
icing sugar and cream, to serve

Topping :

35g plain flour
55g brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and nutmeg
70g pecans or walnuts
30g cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Grease a 24cm springform cake pan.
For the topping, place the flour, sugar, and spices into a food processor and whiz to combine. Add the nuts and butter and pulse until butter is just incorporated. Tip into a bowl and chill.
Place dry ingredients in a processor and whiz for 20 seconds. transfer to a bowl.
Place 1 heaped tablespoon of the mixture in a separate bowl and toss with 200g berries. Set aside.
Whiz oil, milk, egg, vanilla and zest in the processor until well combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add milk mixture. Sire until combined, then gently fold in blueberry mixture.
Spread evenly in the cake pan, sprinkle the crumble over the top and press remaining 100 blueberries into the crumble.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in pan. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream.

Serves 8.