Keeping Blueberries From Sinking in Batter — Fix My Dish
Twice a month, we’re giving readers a chance to ask Food Network Kitchens’ advice about an issue they’re having with a dish. They can’t reformulate a recipe for you, but they’re happy to help improve it.
Question: “How can I get my fresh blueberries to distribute evenly in my cake better so when they bake, they all don't sink or rise, leaving nothing in the middle?” — Suzanne Sinatra Perucci via Facebook
Answer: Try tossing your berries with a tablespoon or two of flour before adding them to the batter. Just remember to account for that when you mix up your dry ingredients, subtracting that same tablespoon or two from the amount called for in the recipe. The light coating of flour around the berries will absorb some of the fruit's liquid, making them less likely to sink. This is especially helpful when the batter is thin; thicker batters are a little better at cradling the fruit and keeping it suspended. You can try this with any of your add-ins — peach chunks, strawberries, chocolate chips, dried fruits or nuts — when the batter is thin. Even if it ends up not being necessary, it certainly won't hurt the recipe.
Try this method in Alton Brown's Blueberry Buckle (pictured above).
Have a question for the Kitchens? Leave a comment below and they’ll answer a select number of them in the coming weeks.
