Blueberry-Lemon Cake

 

This blueberry-lemon cake is a real stunner! I found this recipe in Southern Living Magazine and added it to my menu for the Summer Berries Birthday luncheon. I adapted it just a little, as I am always apt to do. The recipe below reflects those changes. It did not disappoint!

Blueberry-Lemon Cake

CAKE

Crisco for greasing cake pans

1 cup butter, softened (I use unsalted for baking recipes that call for salt later in the recipe)

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 cups plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for pans

1 1/4 cups whole buttermilk

zest and juice from two fresh lemons

2 tsp good lemon extract

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

FROSTING

1 cup fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish

zest and juice from two fresh lemons

1 cup salted butter, softened

1 (32 oz) pkg powdered sugar

(Note - I regularly make at least 50% more frosting than called for in a recipe. I have a heavy hand, what can I say? Sometimes, I even double it. Just be aware if you make it according to the recipe, you will need to use a conservative hand when frosting.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9" cake pans with Crisco and then flour. Set aside. Beat butter in a stand mixer with paddle attachment until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about four minutes. Add eggs, one at a time. 

Whisk together baking powder, salt, baking soda, and three cups of flour in a medium bowl. Mix well. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Begin and end with flour. Beat until just mixed after each addition. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Toss blueberries with 1 tbsp flour in a small bowl. Fold in gently by hand. Divide batter between pans.

Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean - about 25 minutes. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove to parchment on wire racks to cool completely. (At this point, I usually refrigerate cake layers for several hours or overnight to make frosting easier.) 

For frosting, process blueberries and one tbsp of lemon juice in blender until completely smooth. Beat butter and lemon zest in stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium until creamy - about two minutes. With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar, alternating with blueberry puree. Begin and end with powdered sugar. Increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy. Add remaining one tbsp of lemon juice, as needed to loosen icing to proper consistency.

Place a smear of icing on cake plate (to hold cake in place) along with torn pieces of parchment around the edges to protect cake plate from smeared icing. Add first cake layer. Spread one cup of frosting over the top of the layer. Add second layer. Add and spread a second cup of frosting over top layer. Use remaining icing to ice sides of cake. Remove parchment paper. Garnish with blueberries. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until icing is set. Keep leftovers refrigerated.    

 

Besides the Watermelon Gazpacho and Herbed Puffed Pastry Sticks I showed you earlier this week, we had this beautiful summer berry mixed green salad. (More breadsticks on the side, of course!)

The cake and coffee were a perfect end to our meal. The cake is a little heavy, but still very moist. It was balanced by the light chilled soup and fresh salad. Of course we enjoyed a cup of coffee with our cake.

Just a reminder of what our table looked like.

Here's my precious group of friends! It's such a blessing that Jewell's friends are my friends' daughters. We always have such a wonderful time together!

 I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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***All pictures are original and are the property of Missy Hilyer Jones. Please do not use without giving proper credit to me and the blog post they were originally used in. Thanks!