Recipe- Mouthwatering Blueberry Cake With Lemon Frosting

This Blueberry Cake looks completely unassuming until you pull a slice out … and eyes go wide at the sight of the layers dotted with vibrant pops of blueberries, sandwiched together with the creamy Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

2 cups flour , plain / all purpose
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (make sure its still good)
1/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs (50-55g / 2oz each), at room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar , caster / superfine
115g / 1/2 cup unsalted butter , melted & HOT
1 cup sour cream , full fat, at room temperature
3 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp vegetable or canola oil
3 tsp lemon zest

Blueberries

375g / 2 1/2 cups blueberries
2 tsp flour

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

225g / 2 sticks unsalted butter , at room temperature
250g / 8oz cream cheese , brick not tub, at room temperature but not too soft
4 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar , SIFTED
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt

Decorating (optional):

Extra blueberries, lemon slices, edible flowers

Method

Preparation:

- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 20 minutes before starting the batter. Place one shelf in the middle of the oven and a second beneath it.

- Cake pans: Grease 3 x 20cm / 8” cake pans with butter and line with parchment / baking paper. (Note 9 more pan sizes)

- Blueberries: Set aside ~1/3 of the blueberries (for scattering later). Toss the remaining blueberries in flour.

- Be prepared: Have all batter ingredients measured out and ready to add in. New to baking? Read 'Tips for Success' above recipe card.

Batter:

- Combine dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

- Whisk eggs: Beat eggs for 30 seconds on speed 6 of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or hand beater.

- Add sugar, then beat: With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over 45 seconds. Then beat for 7 minutes on speed 8, or until tripled in volume and white.

- Gently add flour: Scatter 1/3 flour across surface of whipped eggs, then beat on Speed 1 for 5 seconds. Add half remaining flour, mix on Speed 1 for 5 sec. Add remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 – 10 sec until the flour is just mixed in. Once you can’t see flour, stop straight away.

- Whisk wet ingredients: Put sour cream, hot butter, oil, vanilla and lemon zest into the now-empty flour bowl. Whisk well until smooth.

- 'Temper' sour cream mix: Add about 1 1/2 cups of the egg mixture into the sour cream bowl (2 big scoops, no need to be accurate). Whisk well until smooth.

- Slowly combine sour cream mix and egg mix: Turn beater back on Speed 1 then scrape the sour cream mixture into the egg mixture over 15 seconds, then turn beater off.

- Scrape and final mix: Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Beat on Speed 1 for 10 seconds. The batter should be thick but soft, not runny and thin.

- Blueberries: Quickly but gently fold in flour coated blueberries.

Bake:

- Divide batter between cake pans, smooth the surface. Scatter over reserved blueberries.

- Bake 25 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean. (If you cannot fit all pans on one shelf, put 2 pans in the middle shelf and 1 pan underneath. Take the top pans out at 25 minutes, move the lower pan to middle shelf and bake for a further 3 minutes)

Cool & frost:

- Once out of oven, cool in cake pans for 15 minutes, then gently turn out onto cooling racks upside down. Peel off baking paper and cool upside down – any slight dome will flatten perfectly (for neat layers).

- Frost upside down layers with Cream Cheese Frosting! Decorate with extra blueberries, lemon slices and edible flowers, if desired.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

- Beat butter with whisk attachment in stand mixer for 2 minutes until fluffy and creamy, and it becomes a paler colour. Add cream cheese, then beat for 30 seconds just until smooth.

- Add icing sugar / powdered sugar, then gently mix on speed 1 (to avoid an icing powder storm). If you do get a powder storm, cover with tea towel, then once mostly incorporated, beat on high for a full 2 minutes on Speed 7.

- Add vanilla and lemon juice, then beat for a further 30 seconds. Use immediately.