Tuesday 7 August 2012

Lovely lemon blueberry buttermilk bundt - now there's a mouthful!

And the baking continues with a fury. I can't contain myself, really, after such a long time of baking in a tin box on top of a gas stove it's just so good to have a proper oven again. I found two packets of fresh blueberries hiding in the back of the fridge and figured they couldn't be left there much longer. So what better way to use them up than in a fabulous bundt cake?
And did this bundt turn out a dream or what? It was so moist and soft. I could really have just sliced piece after piece and devoured it all. It was really light and the lemons and blueberries combined perfectly. The tangy lemon drizzle added a little kick. Rather naughtily, someone suggested topping a piece with some whipped cream...and oh what an added delight! This is a great cake to have at a picnic, barbecue, or tea party. Actually it's a great cake for any occasion. You don't need much space left in your tummies to squeeze in a piece of this lovely light lemony cake!

Blueberry-Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake

For the Cake:
2½ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1¾ cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 eggs, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup buttermilk
3 cups blueberries

For the Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, very soft

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (reduce temperature to 325 degrees F if your pan is dark/non-stick). Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2½ cups of the all-purpose flour, the baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl), use your fingertips to rub together the sugar and lemon zest until the zest is completely incorporated and the sugar is evenly moistened. Add the butter and cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, mixing for a minute after each and scraping down the bowl before adding the next. Add the vanilla and mix briefly to combine.

5. With the mixer still on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beating until just barely combined, followed by ½ the buttermilk, another 1/3 of the flour mixture, the remaining buttermilk and the remaining flour.

6. In a large bowl, combine the blueberries and the remaining 2 tablespoon of all-purpose flour, tossing together so they are evenly coated. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the blueberries into the cake batter. Spread the cake batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving platter and let cool completely.

7. Once the cake is cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and butter until smooth. The icing should be quite thick (if you’d like it thinner, you can add more milk, a teaspoon at a time, until you get it to the consistency you want). Use an offset spatula to spread the glaze on top of the cake, giving it a little nudge down every so often. The cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days.

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