Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

I just celebrated my 28th birthday!

Wow, another year has passed and I have to admit that 27 felt kind of insignificant as a number. Actually, ever since 25 came and went it has all seemed pretty insignificant in terms of what the number means. The real significance is that I am in fact getting older and hopefully that means I am getting wiser. It also means that 30 is creeping closer which tells me all of those things I am supposed to do by 30 have to get done in the next two years (whew, feeling the pressure). The truth is though… I LOVE BIRTHDAYS! I love having them (duh) and I love getting older even if it does mean I am in fact getting older. I love that I have a birthday in the summer that aligns with blockbuster movie releases, firework shows, BBQs, S’Mores and much more…

When you are born during the summer I think you enjoy celebrating more than others since you have so many options of things to do. The downside is you don’t get to celebrate your birthday in school and sometimes all of your friends are on vacation when you are having your birthday party (true story). I still manage to enjoy the day and this year it was just as good as any other, perhaps even better since I was able to celebrate this birthday in Pittsburgh and I look forward to celebrating many more Pittsburgh birthdays!

Speaking of Pittsburgh, we got a wonderful basket in our CSA this past week. We are getting a wonderful assortment of fruits and veggies from Penns Corner which is a Farm Alliance. I get an email telling me what delicious items to expect and the minute I saw that we were getting blueberries I knew that I was going to make a pound cake. I am not really sure why it needed to be a pound cake but maybe it was the summer heat getting to me.

I also decided that this pound cake had to be covered in a blueberry syrup so the fresh blueberries really got their moment to shine. I just love using fresh fruit when baking and I can’t wait for the next box to come, hoping for peaches!!

Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

July 23, 2014

by hautepepper

Category Recipes

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated 

Notes

If you have lemon zest remaining combine with a teaspoon of sugar and sprinkle on top of cake.

Ingredients

• 16 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter Melted
• 1 1/2 Cup Cake Flour
• 1 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt
• 1 1/4 Cups Sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Lemon Zest
• 2 Tsp. Lemon Juice
• 4 Eggs at room temperature
• 1 Cup Fresh Blueberries
• 1 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
• Blueberry Syrup (see below)

For Blueberry Syrup 

• 1/2 Cup Blueberries
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Tsp. Lemon Zest

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 bread pan and coat in flour.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Take 1/3 cup of flour mixture and coat blueberries and set aside. In a blender or food processor pulse your sugar and lemon zest to combine. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla and pulse until combined. While blender is running slowly pour in the melted butter making sure to pour in a steady stream. Pour batter in to a large bowl.
3. Sift flour mixture in to batter in three batches, whisk after each addition to combine. Add flour coated blueberries to batter and lightly mix to combine. Pour batter in to prepared bread pan and bake in the over for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes reduce oven temperature to 325 and continue baking for 35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown. Allow the cake to cool before drizzling warm blueberry syrup.

Instructions for Blueberry Syrup

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil and reduce the temperature to low. Allow the syrup to simmer until a syrup forms stirring frequently to ensure the mixture is not burning. To test the consistency of the syrup insert a spoon and if the syrup leaves a thin coat on the spoon it is done. Allow syrup to cool slightly before applying to cake.

Tags

Birthdays,

Blueberries,

Cake,

Dessert,

Lemon

http://www.hautepepperbites.com/2014/07/23/lemon-blueberry-pound-cake/