Blueberry Lemon Cake
Posted on May 24, 2021 by Sina Parikh, M.D.
This recipe is well worth the effort. Every May, we would make this for my grandmother’s
birthday as soon as the blueberries were blooming on her bushes in the garden. My
cousins and I would have fun picking the blueberries each year and would compete to
see who picked the largest and who picked the most. Green ones did not count as they
were not yet ripe.
We would take turns helping Grandma add the ingredients while sneakily eating some
blueberries and batter. Grandma would measure everything to make sure the exact amount
of the right ingredients was added. She would softly whisper, “Careful of the shells,”
as we took turns cracking the eggs.
Once the aroma of the cake filled the room, we knew it was almost time. We would all
sit at the dining room table prepared to show off the manners that Grandma insisted
we use while at her house. Napkins were on our laps, and no elbows were on the tables.
The first slice was always the most exciting. It would reveal the most vivid violet
from where the fresh berry juice seeped into the batter. It was always a special tradition
we shared as a family, and I look forward to making it with my kids and grandkids
one day.
Cake
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp - vanilla extract
- 3 1/3 cups flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, plus additional for filling and garnish, optional
Cream Cheese Icing
- 1 pkg cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 - 4 cups icing sugar
- 1 - 2 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 9" (23 cm) cake pans.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beating after every addition. Mix in lemon juice and blueberries. Divide batter into prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven 30 to 35 minutes until lightly golden or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
- Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake and invert pan onto rack to remove. Turn cake top side up.
- Cool completely before icing.
- Combine all ingredients for icing in bowl of electric mixer. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, adding additional milk, if necessary, to achieve a spreadable consistency.