We have Olivia here throughout the week. I love the darling, but we needed a brake from chocolate. The weekend is the perfect time for us to bring out the adult flavours. It was time for sour cream, lemon, and blueberries. Let me tell you, no yogurt will compare to full fat sour cream. I used salted butter both in the cake and the frosting and it perfectly balanced the flavours. The fresh lemon juice did the same; it enhanced the blueberries and balanced the sweetness of the icing sugar. What a delicious slab cake this is, I thought I died and gone to heaven.
We have a row of young blueberry bushes in our garden and they serve us well with berries year around. These ones were picked by my darling in the hot sun last year and I froze them on trays and later we packed them into freezer bags. I asked for two cupfuls and he brought up two bags, one had ice crystals and the other was almost perfect.
It is best if you use frozen berries unthawed, but I didn’t want ice crystals in my cake. I put the frozen blueberries in a fine sieve and rinsed them with a burst of cold water. This got rid of the ice crystals, but slightly thawed the berries. I drained them and transferred them into a bowl. Fresh berries are not as fragile, but frozen berries require a bit of careful handling. Still it is important to coat the berries with flour if you want them well dispersed throughout the cake. Warning, this scrumptious cake is too good and too large for two people. It begs to be shared. Ann! Come and get cake!
SOUR CREAM BLUEBERRY TEA CAKE
Cake:
3/4 cup 14% sour cream
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup salted butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
1-2 Tbsp flour to coat the blueberries
Frosting:
1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
2 cups sifted icing sugar
3/8 cup 14% sour cream
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Fully line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
• In a bowl combine the sour cream, baking soda and the fresh lemon juice.
• In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and the baking powder.
• Place the blueberries in a separate bowl.
• Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.
• Add the lemon zest and vanilla and beat until very fluffy.
• One by one add the eggs, beating well.
• Add the sour cream mixture and beat until just combined.
Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
• Sprinkle the flour over the berries one tablespoon at a time.
• You don’t want excess flour on the berries. Damp flour will make floury pockets inside the cake. Just move the bowl side to side gently and the berries will coat with flour. If flour is left in the bottom of the bowl: discard it.
• Gently fold the flour coated blueberries into the cake batter.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
• Smooth out the top with an offset cake spatula.
• Place in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until center springs back when lightly pressed.
• Let the cake cool in the pan.
• While the cake cools make the frosting.
• Combine all ingredients and beat until fluffy.
• Put the frosting in the fridge while the cake cools.
• Re-beat the frosting and spread on top of the cake.
• Slice and serve.
