Mix-in-the-Pan Back-to-School Wild Blueberry Snack Cake

The back-to-school season can be hard on everyone. It’s tricky for parents to get into the routine of rousing everyone out of bed, driving the morning carpool, and packing school lunches. And it’s not so easy on kids, either, who would rather be swimming in the town pool than focusing at school. In our house, it can take weeks before we find our rhythm again.

In the meantime, there’s cake, Mix-in-the-Pan Back-to-school Wild Blueberry Cake!

It’s not just any cake. It’s exactly the sort of cake that’s called for this time of year – perfect for the school lunch box or after school snack.

Here’s why:

Easy —This mix-in-the-pan affair saves time and elbow grease because everything gets stirred, baked, and served in the same dish. Your only cooking tools are an 8×8-inch baking pan and a common dinner fork. Not only is the cake a snap to make, it’s easy to clean up, too.

Wholesome — The recipe calls for whole-grain flour, which means a bump of fiber and other nutrients. It also gets a boost of protein thanks to the egg and Greek yogurt in the recipe. Olive oil is swapped in for butter, which means more healthy fats in every slice. Translation? Each serving comes in at just 150 calories, 1 gram of saturated fat, and 3 grams of fiber.

Less Sugar — The only added sweetener is 100 percent pure maple syrup (a weensy 2 teaspoons per slice), which is pretty good as far as cake is concerned.

The sum total is that you can have your cake and eat it too, knowing it’s both good and good for you.

Antioxidants! — The other thing this cake has going for it is Wild Blueberries. You pull them straight from the freezer and stir them right into the batter (no defrosting required). A full cup of these juicy berries packs an antioxidant punch (double that of regular blueberries). In fact, Wild Blueberries has more antioxidant power than 20 other fruits and veggies according to a report by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This makes excellent sense at the start of school in particular since research shows Wild Blueberries can improve memory and concentration in children.

Fun — Last but not least, this cake is fun, an excellent kitchen project for kids. What could be better than dumping everything in a pan, mixing it up, and getting, a delicious, golden cake when you’re done?

The best part of this cake is that it’s tender, punctuated with juicy Wild Blueberries and delicious. Tuck a small slice into lunch boxes or have it ready for when the kids come home from school. Most importantly, cut yourself a slice to enjoy with your afternoon tea. Then pat yourself on the back. School’s in session and you managed to bake a cake full of good-for-you ingredients. I call that icing on the cake!