Blueberry Boy Bait

In 1954, a 15-year-old girl won second prize in the junior division of a Pillsbury baking contest with a moist and tender blueberry cake that was named after the effect it had on teenage boys--one bite and they were hooked. Topped with cinnamon-sugar and loaded with blueberries, it straddled the divide between coffee cake and dessert cake. When we re-created the version we found in The Pillsbury's Bake Off Dessert Cookbook, the following adjustments achieved just the right result.

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• For deeper flavor, exchange the shortening for butter and half of the granulated sugar for brown sugar.
• For more fruit impact, double the amount of blueberries, putting half into the cake batter and half on top.
• If fresh blueberries aren't available, substitute frozen blueberries (without thawing).