Lemon Blueberry Cake
So, my family and I had our first small group get together a few weeks back with some of our church family. I decided since the weather had been playing tricks on us here in Indiana that I would try and lighten everyones' moods with a little cream cheese, blueberry, and citrus flavors. Oh, Boy was it a hit! Try it for yourself. It is so good!
Pre Heat oven to 350*
Ingredients :
Cake batter:
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3 Cups of flour
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2 tsp. baking powder
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½ tsp. salt
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2 Cups fresh blueberries
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2 Cups Granulated Sugar
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1 Cup softened unsalted butter
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4 large eggs
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2 tsp. Vanilla
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1 whole lemon grated for zest
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1 Cup of whole milk
Lemon Curd for filling:
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2 Eggs Beaten
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2 (additional) Egg yolks
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2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
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½ Cup fresh lemon juice
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Freshly grated lemon zest of a whole lemon
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3 TBS of unsalted butter cut up
Cream cheese frosting:
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2- 8oz room temp pkgs of cream cheese
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2/3 Cup of granulated sugar
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2 tsp. vanilla
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2 Cups of Heavy whipping cream
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1 Cup of fresh blueberries chopped
Use Pam baking cooking spray to line the inside of the 2 (9 inch) cake pans you will be using for this recipe.
In a large mixing bowl add in the flour, baking powder and salt. You will use it in a few minutes.
In a small mixing bowl gently toss together the blueberries and only 1 TBS of flour mixture. We will come back to this too!
Next, in a stand-up mixer add in 2 Cups of the granulated sugar and the 1 Cup of the softened butter. Cream together.
Next, into the sugar-cream mixture add in the 4 eggs, 2 tsp. of vanilla and only 1 tsp. of fresh lemon zest.
Start adding the flour mixture a little at a time, alternating with milk. With each addition turn the mixer on low.
Turn the mixer up to the highest setting until incorporated.
With a rubber spatula, fold gently in the flour coated blueberries.
Evenly distribute the cake batter into the pans. Bake about 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick in the center to see if it comes out clean. Let cool before moving to parchment paper. Let them cool completely before assembling the layers.
Once cooled completely, cut both cakes in half horizontally. You now have 4 layers to work with. Set aside.
Place whole egg and yolk into a bowl and beat with a fork. Set aside.
Next, add in 2/3 Cup of Sugar, ½ Cup Lemon Juice and 2 tsp. of lemon zest into a saucepan.
On medium heat stir constantly for about 4-5 minutes or until the mixture starts to boil and is bubbly and beautifully thick! Take off of the heat at this point.
(This is the mixture that is in the left bowl in the photo below.)
Whisk a little bit of the lemon mixture in the beaten eggs. Continue to add a little in at a time until about half of the lemon mixture is combined into the yolks.
Whisk a little bit of the lemon mixture into the beaten eggs. Continue to add a little in at a time until about half of the lemon mixture is combined into the yolks.
Next, in a stand-up mixer add in 1 – 8oz brick of room temperature cream cheese. Add to that 1/3 Cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp. of vanilla. Cream these ingredients together.
With the mixer on medium speed add in the whipping cream. Continue beating until stiff peaks form like a meringue.
Very, very carefully fold in the chopped up blueberries.
Reserve 1 Cup of the frosting for piping a reservoir on the inside layers to keep the lemon custard filling in. I used a piping bag with an XL round piping tip to achieve this. If you don’t have any frosting bags and tips you can just use a large freezer bag with the tip cut off to the desired size opening.
First, I took one cake layer cut side facing up. Take your piping bag and make an edging all the way around.
Then fill with the luscious lemon curd!
Now place the matching cake layer cut side down. Then with your piping bag fill the top of that cake completely with blueberry/cream cheese. This way is easier than trying to spread it all over. It will help avoid any tearing of the cake itself.
Next, place the next layer of cake cut side up, Pipe the edging and fill again with lemon curd. Top this layer with the last layer cut side down.
Use the remaining frosting to cover the cake.
I gently took my spatula and tapped the frosting to make it look rustic. I topped it with a few fresh blueberries and some fresh lemon zest!
Give it a try and tell me how it turns out for you!