Tag Archives: lemon

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Posted in Breakfast, Cakes by

Perfectly moist and lemony bundt cake bursting with blueberries.

I was a bit dubious about using frozen blueberries fearing that they might sink to the bottom or become mushy and turn the batter grey; but they actually worked out like a dream.

The end result was a beautifully moist yellow cake dotted with pops of blueberries. The tanginess from the lemon is noticeable but not overwhelming, and the blueberry flavor just bursts in your mouth!

Here are some of my tips that will help ensure you get the best results.

TOP TIPS

  1. Don’t overmix your batter especially once you add the blueberries.
  2. If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them. Take them out of the freezer just before ready to use.
  3. Be sure to toss your blueberries in 1 flour before adding them to the batter.  This helps keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
  4. For easy removal of the cake from the bundt pan, make sure you grease the pan liberally with softened butter, followed by a dusting of flour. Once you have floured every part of the pan, bang it on the counter a couple of times to dislodge any excess flour and dump. Once your cake is baked, let it cool for about 20 minutes or until you can comfortably place your hand on the side of the pan. The pan should still feel very warm. Flip onto a plate or cake stand and tap around the pan until you feel the cake come out.
  5. As with all baked goods, this cake tastes better the day after baking
  6. Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for upto a week.

LEMON BLUEBERRY BUNDT CAKE

(makes one bundt)

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 200g unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs , at room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (1 cup milk mixed with 1 tbsp vinegar)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups (295g) fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a bundt pan liberally with softened butter, dust with flour and shake out excess, set aside. 
  2. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest by rubbing them together with your fingers until fragrant. Add butter and oil, and whip mixture until pale and fluffy. 
  4. Blend in eggs one at a time. 
  5. In a measuring cup stir together buttermilk and lemon juice. 
  6. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until combined, then add in 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and mix just until combined. Repeat the process with flour and buttermilk mixtures once more. Add the last 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix just until nearly combined.
  7. In a small bowl, toss blueberries with 1 Tbsp of flour. Then add the blueberries to the cake mix and fold gently (careful not to over-mix). 
  8. Scoop mixture into prepared bundt pan, spread evenly. Bake in a preheated oven for about 45-55 – 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes then run a sharp knife around edges to ensure the cake is loosened and invert onto a wire rack. Cool on rack.
  10. Dust with icing sugar (optional) and cut yourself a big slice. Enjoy!

Notes: if using frozen blueberries, no need to defrost them. For more tips, see the recipe description above.

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Iced Lemon Pound Cake

Posted in Cakes by

October has begun and so has fall. The avalanche of pumpkins, apples and cinnamon has already hit us. And here I am…still hanging onto my summer desserts.

This super tender, delicious lemon pound cake makes for a perfect evening snack.

 

I’m not ashamed of it. Not one bit. I would gladly eat a slice of this moist, buttery lemon cake any day of the year.

 

This super tender, delicious lemon pound cake makes for a perfect evening snack.

 

I love my monstrous frosted layered cake creations but sometimes, just sometimes, I crave the comfort of a simple, homely, fresh out of the oven cake. A cake that doesn’t ask for planning or fancy detailing. A cake that can be whipped up in minutes.

This lemon pound cake is just that.

Simple, delicious, and ridiculously easy to make.

 

This super tender, delicious lemon pound cake makes for a perfect evening snack.

It has a soft, fluffy, moist texture with a bright lemon kick from the tangy glaze on top. It’s buttery and lemony and it literally melts in your mouth. And it couldn’t be easier to make.

This super tender, delicious lemon pound cake makes for a perfect evening snack.

Here are some tips to remember:

  1. A pound cake gets its fine, dense (not heavy) texture from the all the mixing. The mixing incorporates air, creating volume, which then levels the loaf. So make sure you beat the sugar and butter well and again after the addition of each egg.

  2. Buttermilk gives you a moist, flavorful cake. The acidity in the buttermilk reacts with the baking powder making the cake lighter in texture. To make homemade buttermilk; combine ½ cup whole milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice.

  3. The cake gets most of its flavor from the lemon zest so make sure you do not skimp on the zest. Only use the thin, yellow zest layer of the lemon, which contains the lemon oils, and avoid the white layer which tastes bitter.

  4. Grease your loaf pan very well. I like to oil the pan, line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper, and then coat the pan with flour. This ensures that the cake will pop right out of the pan in one piece.

Once the cake is slightly cooled, I like to top it off with a thick lemon glaze. The glaze gives the cake a burst of citrus flavor and takes on a beautiful almost matte finish once it hardens.

 

This super tender, delicious lemon pound cake makes for a perfect evening snack.

It has become go-to lemon pound cake recipe. Maybe it will become yours too. 🙂

Lemon Pound Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes                                                                        Yields: one 9 inch loaf
Cook Time: 45 to 55 minutes
Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Zest of 1 lemon (around 1 teaspoon)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, soft at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature (see notes below)
For the glaze:
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Dust with flour, shake off the excess.
In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Add in the butter and beat with a hand mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla and lemon juice. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
With the mixer on low, add about one-third of the flour mixture and mix until almost combined, then add half the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with another third of flour mixture and then the last half of the buttermilk, ending with the last third of the flour. Beat until just incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 45 – 55 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for about 10 – 15 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan to finish cooling before glazing.
Meanwhile make the glaze; combine all the glaze ingredients, start with 1 tbsp lemon juice and milk and add the remaining lemon juice as needed. The icing should be thick and smooth. Add more lemon juice or powdered sugar if needed to get the correct pouring consistency. Slowly pour the glaze over the top of the cake. Let it dry before slicing the cake.
Notes
1.       Homemade buttermilk: ½ cup milk + 1 tsp vinegar
2.       This cake will keep about 4 days at room temperature or upto one week in the refrigerator.

This super tender, delicious lemon pound cake makes for a perfect evening snack.