Blueberry Cake In Dinan, France
Dinan is located in Brittany, in north-western France, a short distance inland from the coast of the English Channel. It is utterly enchanting, a walled town that is a little piece of old France that time has bypassed.
Dinan’s most prominent landmark is its forbidding castle, built by the Dukes of Brittany in the fourteenth century as their seat of power. From its great tower, which also served as their palace, they could survey the surrounding land and see approaching danger a long way off. It was a sound precaution for medieval France was passing through turbulent times and the never-ending wars with England meant that there was always danger of sudden attacks.
Dinan’s almost 3 km long walls sheltered the town during sieges and preserved it intact. You can now walk through its maze of narrow cobbled streets and feel that you are back in a medieval town. You can also stroll on sections of the old wall, from where you get a great view of the town.
Dinan hosted great markets during the middle ages, held in the Place du Guesclin in the centre of town, which still boasts a weekly market. The name of the square commemorates a famous duel where one of France’s greatest warriors, Bertrand du Guesclin, defeated in single combat Sir Thomas Canterbury, an English knight in the army besieging Dinan. A mounted statue of Bertrand du Guesclin still watches over the tourists who now throng the site of his victory.
The perfectly preserved medieval centre of Dinan is charming, with lovely half-timbered houses that lean over the street in alarming fashion. The town is centred around the Place des Merciers, filled with shops, cafés and restaurants. The tower of the St. Sauveur Basilica stands above the other buildings, a church whose origins date back almost a thousand years.
The steep Rue du Jerzual connects the town centre to the old river port. The street is easier to descend than ascend, but get a good pair of shoes if you are planning to walk either way! It is a delightful walk, along a route lined by shops selling local crafts including pottery, blown glass, paintings and sculpture. Even if you are not shopping, the houses themselves are well worth seeing.
At the bottom of the hill you reach the Rance River which was once the commercial lifeline of Dinan, connecting it to the sea several miles away. Much too small for modern ships, the port now has a lovely waterfront where small boats dock. Restaurants overlook the water and you can walk or bike for miles along the riverfront. You can also take a river cruise down to the seaside town of St. Malo.
Sit down in any one of these waterfront restaurants and sample some of Dinan’s famous Breton crepes. Savour the sunshine, admire the view and watch the world drift by as you bite into crisp, lacy crepes stuffed with ham, cheese and eggs, topped with a dollop of sweet Brittany butter. This is the legend of dreams!
Wild blueberries were in season when we were in Dinan and they were used creatively in many of the dishes we tasted. One of the highlights was the roasted sea bass in blueberry sauce that was tart, sweet and buttery in every bite and completely delicious! Blueberry cake with a cafe au lait was another wonderful treat to revive us after all that walking and exploring.
This cake is so easy to make with delicious seasonal blueberries that are just bursting with flavour. Serve warm with ice cream, drizzled over with extra blueberry sauce for the perfect dessert. You can also turn this recipe into muffins and enjoy them for breakfast - simply fold all the blueberry sauce into the batter and bake in a muffin pan. If you’re looking for other unusual muffin recipes, try my Apple Cardamom Muffins!
Blueberry Cake
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 tsp each: vanilla essence, freshly grated lemon zest (optional)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 cup thick yogurt or use Labneh
2 tbsp liqueur, divided: such as Amaretto, Grand Marnier or Cointreau, optional
2 cups blueberries, divided
1/2 tsp cornstarch
Vanilla ice cream for serving, optional
Preheat oven to 375F. Butter or spray an 8 inch square baking pan.
Using a hand mixer, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar together until light, about 2 min.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating lightly after each addition.
Add vanilla essence and lemon zest (if using).
Add flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt, beat gently until just combined.
Add yogurt (or labneh) and 1 tbsp of the liqueur (if using, or add water instead) and beat till smooth. Scrape batter off from hand mixer blades, remove mixer.
Fold in 1/2 cup of the blueberries.
Transfer batter to prepared pan, smoothing it evenly. Set aside.
Warm remaining 1 1/2 cups blueberries, 1/2 cup remaining sugar, remaining 1 tbsp liqueur (if using, or add lemon juice instead), cornstarch and 1 tbsp water in medium saucepan set over low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2-3 min until mixture is thickened and blueberries are saucy, stirring constantly.
Spoon this blueberry sauce over top of the cake batter, drizzling it evenly.
Bake cake for 25 min or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool for half an hour, then slice and serve with vanilla ice cream. Cover and refrigerate unused portions.
Serves 6-8
