While I certainly do not consider myself to be a baker by any means, I do have a sincere appreciation for bakers, and for most baked goods as a whole. As much as I would like to envision myself as a productive and domestic woman, baking delights for my husband and myself, I genuinely cannot be bothered, as bad as that sounds, and much prefer to sample the labours of others in the context of sweets.
Summer desserts are some of my favourites in the sense that they’re often rather pretty, incorporating in-season fruits and allowing for a beautiful display of colours. When I came across a recipe for a Blueberry-Lemon Loaf Cake and saw how gorgeous it is, I had to share it with all of you. This recipe comes from countryliving.com.
“Ingredients
“For the cake:
- 1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries
- 2 cups cake flour, spooned and leveled, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest, plus 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
“For the glaze
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’sugar
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
- Fresh blueberries, lemon zest curls, and fresh violas, for garnish
“Directions
“Step 1
“Make cake: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two long sides. Toss together blueberries and 2 tablespoons flour in a bowl. Whisk together remaining flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
“Step 2
“Whisk together sour cream and lemon juice in a bowl. Beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest with an electric mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy, 4 to 6 minutes, scraping sides as needed. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Beat in remaining 2 cups flour and sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, just until incorporated. Fold in floured blueberries. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
“Step 3
“Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 22 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes, then use overhangs to remove from pan and transfer to rack to cool completely.
“Step 4
“Make glaze: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, salt, and 1 1/2 tablespoons milk in a bowl, adding more milk as needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency. Drizzle over cake. Garnish with blueberries, lemon zest curls, and violas. Serve immediately,” the recipe states.
Enjoy, my friends.
Photo by Sharon GM on Unsplash
