Blueberry-Lemon Layer Cake

A is for Amy, who likes fruity, fluffy desserts and hence inspired me to bake a cake that wasn't chocolate.

 

A is for apartment, which we christened with a celebration of Amy's birth.

Blueberry cake layer, lemon cake layer, blueberry cake layer, all covered in a creamy lemon frosting.

 And A is for appetizers, of which we ate plates full before moving onto dessert.

Evidence of a tart with caramelized onions/tomato/goat cheese and pull-apart sausage bread sit behind the almost-blown-out-candle-topped cake.

 Cake verdict: Butter-y, subtly lemon-y. berry-y, pretty darn scrumptious for not being chocolate.

Blueberry-Lemon Layer Cake

Adapted from Bon Appetit with inspiration from Sweetapolita

2 cups plus 6 tablespoons cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups frozen blueberries

½ cup milk

½ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

Lemon Frosting (see recipe below)

Fresh blueberries, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8 or 9-inch- cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; butter paper. Dust pans with flour. Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Transfer 1 tablespoon flour mixture to large bowl. Add fresh blueberries and toss to coat. Set remaining flour mixture and blueberries aside.

Stir sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl until light and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture in 3 additions each, just until blended. Pour 1/3 batter into one of the cake pans. Fold blueberries+flour mixture into remaining batter. Divide batter equally among two remaining pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run knife around pan sides to loosen. Turn cakes out onto racks to cool completely. Peel off parchment paper.

Frost layers with Lemon Frosting and garnish with fresh blueberries, as desired.

Lemon Frosting

1 cup butter

zest of ½ lemon

5 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons

juice of one lemon

½ teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter and lemon zest together with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Add remaining ingredients and mix until creamy.