Recipe: Lemon Scented Blueberry Pound Cake

by Flavia Scalzitti on September 7th, 2018 | 1 Comment »

Summer is not officially over until the 22nd of this month, and while I am looking forward to fall—my favorite season—I am still enjoying the abundance of summer produce at the market. I love summer fruits and vegetables because of the wide array that is always available during the warm months and the simple and minimal preparation that is required to enjoy their flavors.

Berries are by far one of my favorite summer fruits and while I usually enjoy eating them as-is, I also love baking with them. When berries are baked, their color, texture, and flavor all intensify, enhancing your baked treat in all the right ways. As I looked through my cookbooks for a new recipe to try, I came across this recipe for Lemon Scented Blueberry Pound Cake that sounded delicious. Lemon and blueberries pair well together and pound cake is one of my favorite desserts, so I knew I had to try this recipe. To enhance the lemon flavor in the cake, freshly grated lemon zest is added which gently perfumes the cake. As the cake bakes, the blueberries collapse into an almost jam-like consistency and look like indigo polka dots throughout the butter yellow cake. Greek yogurt adds a slight tang and creamy moisture to the cake batter and keeps the crumb a little lighter than a traditional pound cake. The end result is a beautifully golden cake, with a tender interior full of summer flavor.

Lemon Scented Blueberry Pound Cake

Adapted from The Best of Cooking Light, Oxmoor House 2004

Ingredients:

For the cake:

Cooking spray & 2-3 Tablespoons flour (to dust the interior of the pan)
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (4 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain, low-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a 10-inch tube/Bundt pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle in 2-3 Tablespoons of flour and dust the interior of the pan until it is all covered with the flour. Tap out the excess. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter, and cream cheese over medium speed until lightened in color and texture, about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the eggs and egg white one at a time, beating well after each addition. Measure and spoon the flour into a medium size bowl. Remove 2 Tablespoons of the flour and add it to another bowl with the blueberries and toss to coat. (Coating the blueberries in flour prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the cake when baking). To the remaining flour in the larger bowl, add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk well to combine.

Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the flour mixture alternately with the yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the blueberries. Add in the lemon zest and vanilla and mix gently to combine them into the batter.

Transfer the batter to the tube/Bundt pan and spread it out evenly. Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to release any trapped air bubbles that might be in the batter. Bake on the middle oven rack for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until a wooden skewer or cake tester comes out clean. Begin checking for doneness around the 50 minute mark, since oven temperatures can vary. Cool the cake in the pan at room temperature for 30-40 minutes and then carefully invert onto a plate to cool completely (do not invert the cake out of the pan until it has cooled off considerably. Trying to invert a hot cake out of a pan will cause it to break apart).

In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. Serve the cake at room temperature and cut with a serrated knife for the cleanest slices.

What are your favorite recipes with summer berries?

Flavia Scalzitti is a food blogger based in Houston, Texas. She is originally from Maryland and comes from an Italian family. Flavia grew up around people who used food and cooking as a way to keep their traditions alive, celebrate their Italian culture, express their love for their family, and nourish the people they cooked for with the freshest and best quality ingredients. She is entirely self-taught and is also passionate about baking. In addition to cooking and baking, Flavia enjoys learning about and practicing photography, reading, traveling, practicing yoga, and spending time with her husband, Peter. She blogs at Flavia's Flavors: http://www.flaviasflavors.com