Lemon Blueberry Cake

I spent this weekend happily baking and cooking away. I made a delicious quinoa salad which turned out to be a big hit but I didn't realize ahead of time how good it would be (my mistake) and therefore did not actually write down the recipe or take any pictures. However given how quickly it was eaten up I will be sure to make it again.

As for the baking, on Saturday I had my cousin over and we made the chocolate swirl buns I had made the previous weekend for the bake sale but did not have a chance to try. This time we made them for ourselves and they were so good...perfectly chocolatey and soft. She also helped me bake the cake layers for the lemon blueberry cake I was making for a big 4-in-1 birthday celebration. The cake featured two layers with a lemon curd filling and a lemon cream cheese frosting.

Since I don't tend to make many stacked and frosted cakes, usually choosing layered cakes that are all assembled in a single pan, I still tend to have technical difficulties. This time the process went pretty smoothly and I was quite pleased with the result. The cake traveled with me to school and thankfully the staff allowed me to store it in their fridge. After class we all went out to sushi for dinner and then enjoyed the cake for dessert. All of the birthday girls loved the cake and one friend even had seconds and thirds, despite being full. One of the birthday girls commented on the fact that the blueberries complimented the lemon flavor and created a good balance between tart and sweet. Overall I would say the celebration was a success and everyone left in happy spirits and with very full bellies.

Lemon Blueberry Cake
Note: The original recipe was for three 8" cakes. I kept the quantities the same and changed the baking time to make two 9" cakes. The original baking time was 25 minutes.

• 2 cups + 6 tbsp flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 1 unsalted cup butter, room temperature 
• 1½ cups sugar
• 4 eggs 
• 3 cups frozen blueberries (using frozen instead of fresh will help to keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake)

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Transfer one tablespoon of the mixture to a small bowl and coat the blueberries with it.
2. Combine the sour cream, milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest. Mix well and set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar for about five minutes, or until pale yellow and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Mix in the flour mixture and alternate with the milk mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Stir until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.
5. Divide the batter evenly between two well-greased 9" pans. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting the cakes onto wire racks to finish cooling.