I still had blueberries left from last week's farmers market haul, but since they were just-past gorgeous (yet still perfectly edible), I decided that today was the day to bake them into this pretty blueberry lemon cake I'd had my eye on.
Although really, every day should be a day for buttermilk cake, don't you think? It hardly matters the version, since they all share a soft, moist crumb - to me, the essence of cake. (And I am all about the essence of cake.)
I decided to treat this one like a tea cake and gild the lily with a lemon icing drizzle. And why not? As I pulled the cake out of the oven, Puppy Louis peed downstairs and the boys cleaned it up with newsprint. Ink on the carpeting, carpet cleaner on the way...
Time for lemon icing.
And a slice of cake.
Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake
Adapted from www.noteaafter12.com
Serves 10-12
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 c. granulated sugar
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
10 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 c. blueberries
zest of one lemon
2 c. confectioner's sugar
juice from one lemon
whipping cream
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder, and add the sugar and nutmeg. In a separate medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix well until incorporated. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.
Spread the batter in the pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top is just golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes.
While the cake cools, stir together the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice. Add enough whipping cream to thin the icing to drizzling consistency.
Spread icing over warm (not hot) cake. Serve cake warm or cool.
