Lemon Blueberry Cake

Kitty FloridoApril 25, 2014

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There’s something that it has become my thing. My birthday thing. I love to bake my own cake. And something else that has become my thing… Make it a citrus flavored cake. As soon as I saw this Lemon Blueberry Cake recipe popped up on Pinterest, I knew it was the chosen one for me to bake. Like Sally, who originally shared the recipe, puts it: it is a sweet lemon layer cake with juicy blueberries with a delicious (but not overly sweet) cream cheese frosting.

The cake kept great for a couple of days, but after you’ve sliced it, make sure you store it in the fridge covered, so it won’t dry up. I took the hint from Sally as well, and baked it in three different pans, that way I wouldn’t have to slice the cake into three layers. I used frozen blackberries, and it worked perfectly! Just make sure to coat them with all-purpose flour as the recipe states.

The cake was a hit. With a sweet and tangy flavor, this Lemon Blueberry Cake was definitely the favorite dessert. Since I was using frozen blueberries, I didn’t use them for garnish, but instead golden-colored sanding sugar. If you have blueberries, raspberries or strawberries they would look gorgeous!

Kitty

Lemon Blueberry Cake

Recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction
Yield: 10-12 servings

Ingredients, for Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (recipe to make your own here)
zest and juice of 3 medium lemons
1 ½ cups blueberries, fresh or non-thawed frozen
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Ingredients, for Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line with wax or parchment paper three 9×2 inch cake pans and either spray with nonstick spray or grease and butter the pans. Set aside.
For the cake, with a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until creamy – about 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars, as well as the lemon zest and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Add together in a measuring cup the eggs and vanilla. Slowly add them to the batter. Beat on medium speed until everything is combined, about 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
In a large sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed for 5 seconds, then add the buttermilk and lemon juice. Remove from the mixer and stir lightly until everything is just combined. Toss the blueberries in 1 tablespoon of flour and fold into the batter. Batter is extremely thick. Be careful to not over-mix, since will lend a tough, dense textured crumb.
Spoon batter evenly into 3 prepared cake pans. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Since my oven is not that big, I baked mine individually, all the cakes took 24 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool almost completely before removing from pan.
Run a spatula or the back of a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Since we lined our pans, removing from the pans should be easy. When the cake has cooled, turn it upside down on a plate or rack, and tap on the bottom of the cake pan so it loosens it up. Make sure the cakes are completely cooled before frosting.
When your cakes are already cool, make the frosting. In the bowl of your mixer, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 3 full minutes. Sift the confectioners’ sugar and add it in batches, along with 1 tablespoon of sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. If you feel that the buttercream is too thick, add 1 more tablespoon of cream to thin out.
To assemble, if needed with a large serrated knife, trim the tops off the cake layers to create a flat surface. My cakes were flat enough, so I didn’t trim the tops. Line the cake stand with strips of wax or parchment paper to keep icing & crumbs off the cake stand while you’re decorating.
Place the the first layer on your cake stand. Evenly cover the top with about ⅓ cup of cream cheese frosting. Top with 2nd layer, add ⅓ cup of frosting, then the third layer. and start adding the rest of the frosting, covering the top and sides of the cake.
Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before cutting or else the cake may fall apart as you cut.