Foodies, Forks and Leeks: Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake a borrowed recipe....

from Sally's Baking Addiction. I am so glad Sally has a baking addiction, because I sure do like this cake!!!!

My friend Flora recently had an August birthday and I wanted to make a cake with her in mind. She is a chocolate fan, but she also likes tart lemon flavors and she loves blueberries and it is summer and lemon and blueberries seemed like a refreshing choice. I did some online searching and came across this delightful, moist pucker-up lemon blueberry cake. I made a few modifications, but very slight. Flora had a gathering of friends at a great little dim sum place called Yum Yum Cha Cafe, which I need to write about, soon. It is an excellent place for brunch, lunch and dinner. Fresh well prepared dim sum, with daily specials that delight the palette. I took the cake along to share, the restaurant was very gracious and supplied plates and forks.

Here is the cake recipe taken from Sally's blog with modifications in bold.

Ingredients:

CAKE

1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar (not packed)
4 large eggs, at room temperature*
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk* (I used low-fat buttermilk, because it came in a smaller container, less waste on my part.)
zest + juice of 3 medium lemons* (I had to use five small lemons)
1 and 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh (258g) or non-thawed frozen (275g) (I used fresh organic blueberries)
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 ounces (224g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners' sugar
1 - 2 Tablespoons (15-30ml) heavy cream* (I used coconut milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt (I did not use salt)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray three 9x2 inch cake pans with nonstick spray. Set aside. (I did the old method of buttering the pan and dusting with flour. The cakes came out of the pan perfectly intact.)

Make the cake. Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until creamy - about 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until everything is combined, about 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Set aside. (My mixer does not have a paddle attachment, so I used beaters and it worked fine.)

In a large sized bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed for 5 seconds, then add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Remove from the mixer and stir lightly until everything is just combined. Toss the blueberries in 1 Tablespoon of flour and fold into the batter. Batter is extremely thick. Do not overmix at any point. Overmixing will lend a tough, dense textured crumb.

Spoon batter evenly into 3 prepared cake pans. If only using 2 cake pans, your bake time will be longer. Bake the three layers for about 21-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Mine took 21 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting. (I used two cake pans and the bake time was 35 minutes)

Make the frosting. Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 3 full minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, 1 Tablespoon cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add 1 more Tablespoon of cream to thin out, if desired.

Assemble and frost. First, using a large serrated knife, trim the tops off the cake layers to create a flat surface. (I did not trim the top of the cake layers. I kind of like leaving things as they are, flaws and all.) Place 1 layer on your cake stand. Evenly cover the top with cream cheese frosting. Top with 2nd layer, more frosting, then the third layer. Top with frosting and spread around the sides. The recipe doesn't make a ton of frosting, just enough for a light frost. Top with blueberries or lemon garnish if desired. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before cutting or else the cake may fall apart as you cut.

Make 1 day in advance if you'd like. Extras keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3days.

Helpful notes:

*This batter will fit into a 9×13 pan. Fill 2/3 full. If there’s extra batter, you can make a few cupcakes. I’m unsure of the baking time since I only typically make it as a layer cake.

*VERY careful not to overmeasure your flour. This will result in a heavy, dense crumb. You want a precise 375g.

*Please use buttermilk in this recipe. See note in post about how to make your own at home.

*1 medium-size lemon = approximately 1 tablespoon of lemon zest = 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice

*Room temperature eggs preferred for even distribution among batter. Simply set into a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes before using or set out when you set out your cream cheese/butter for the recipe.

*Heavy cream with 30% or more milk fat preferred in frosting for creamiest texture. For a less creamy texture, milk would be fine.