Just a note, this cake is considered a coffee cake but that’s a bit of a misnomer because there isn’t actually any coffee. Instead, the coffee bit comes in as the beverage you’re supposed to be sipping while eating this sort of cake.

Well, I stopped baking for a long time and am only now rediscovering the fun and the amazing possibilities a bit of flour, sugar and butter can create. And I’m wasting no time getting my groove back, starting with this yoghurt and blueberry coffee cake I made for my coworkers as a Monday morning pick-me-up (you know how we all need those). I was really excited to share it with them but when it came to watching them eat what I made, silly me felt as if I was on Masterchef waiting for the judges’ verdict. Thankfully, I quickly realised I could let out a huge sigh of relief that it was a hit.

The cake itself has a dense texture because of the yoghurt and is slightly tangy, with a nice balance in texture and sweetness when topped with the sweet, crunchy streusel. Many of my coworkers told me they liked this cake precisely because it wasn’t too sweet, so they didn’t feel like they had just drunk a bottle of syrup. Others told me the blueberries and the not-too-sweet quality made it feel somewhat “healthy,” but that’s debatable.

One great thing about this cake is that it’s so easy to make. There’s no icing or layering needed so it’s literally mix and bake, but still it certainly gets you the wow factor with the rustic-looking streusel topping and dusting of icing sugar.

For the cake

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
• 1/2 cup vanilla yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup blueberries (either frozen or fresh)
• icing sugar for dusting

For the streusel

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (or 350°F).
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Using either a whisk or a handmixer, cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add 1 egg and mix well, then repeat with the other egg.
5. Add the plain and vanilla yoghurt and vanilla essence and mix well.
6. Fold in the flour mixture in 3 parts. Adding 1/3 of the flour at a time makes it easier to combine.

7. Dish batter into a pan. You can use a 9-inch round pan, bundt cake pan or 9-inch square pan.
8. Spread the blueberries roughly on the surface of the batter. It doesn’t have to be evenly spread out.

To prepare the streusel
9. Melt the butter in the microwave.
10. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour until they are combined. It should look like a thick paste.
11. Stir in the slivered almonds to the streusel mixture. The streusel should now look like this.

12. Top the cake batter with the streusel by grabbing bits of the streusel and spreading it unevenly. The unevenness will produce a more attractive, rustic looking cake.

13. And now it’s ready for baking! Bake at 180°C (or 350°F) for 35-40 minutes until the streusel is golden-brown and you can poke a toothpick into the cake cleanly.
14. Let the cake cool before removing from the pan and dust with icing sugar just before serving.