Lemon-Blueberry Drizzle Cake
I’ve gotten into the habit of having some kind of cake on hand at all times. While I try to eat very healthy the vast majority of the time, I like a little piece of cake at night before bed. It’s generally not huge, and I try to pick things that aren’t over-the-top decadent and rich (although from time to time this is okay!). This is one of my recent recipes. A fairly standard loaf cake. Some flour, a stick of butter, some sugar, eggs and milk, etc. The lemon blueberry combination is always a winner so this recipe sounded nice.
So, Lara actually made this twice within a week because the first round did not turn out well. It was under baked even though it went longer than the stated time and looked like it was done when it came out of the oven. It sunk shortly after coming out of the oven which is always sad. Also, she used an older loaf pan the first time and it just didn’t seem to bake up well in this pan. The resulting cake was somewhat disappointing visually, but don’t worry, it didn’t go to waste!
We decided to try it again because I hate failing at something, especially something that should be delicious! The second round went much better! A better pan, and more close monitoring of the “done-ness”. It ended up taking an additional 11 minutes or so, a total of 61 minutes which was perfect. This second successful loaf was perfectly cooked. The edges were beautifully browned and crispy. I typically like the softer interior of cakes, but for this one the crispy outside edges are probably the best part!
Interestingly when I was looking back at this recipe to document it below I noticed something that likely explained why the original bread didn’t turn out. Lara had been looking at this recipe on William Sonoma’s Blog (found here) where it was labeled as “cake”. I found it on the Williams Sonoma’s website (found here) where it was labeled as bread. They are the same exact ingredients, BUT, on the blog it states to bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, and on the website it says to bake at 375 degrees for 55 minutes. A HUGE discrepancy! Lara had baked them both and did 350 degrees, and she started checking around 50 minutes. So if it’s actually supposed to be baked at 375 for 55 minutes, no wonder it was under baked the first time! Kind of an interesting accidental experiment. But thankfully baking it for 61 minutes at 350 degrees turned out to be perfect the second time around!
We like this cake, and many like it, with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt on the side. The combination of the cool tart yogurt pairs well with the creamy sweet cake.
Below are a few pictures of the original “failed cake”. As you can see, we didn’t end up getting to the final lemon glaze above, so at least you can see how it's supposed to look on this version, although without the sunken middle! :)
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Lemon Blueberry Drizzle Cake
From Williams Sonoma
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz./235 g) plus 1 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
8 Tbs. (1 stick) (4 oz./125 g) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (6 oz./185 g) granulated sugar
1 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest
3 eggs
1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup (4 oz./125 g) blueberries
For the syrup
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
For the glaze:
1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) confectioners’ sugar
3 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Directions
Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Sift the flour, the baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Set aside
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high speed until lightened. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk and vanilla and stir until blended. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.
In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the 1 tsp. flour. Gently fold into the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes (mine took 61 minutes when baked at 350 degrees, see above). Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for a few minutes, then turn out onto the rack to cool while you make the syrup.
To make the syrup, in a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer the lemon juice and granulated sugar until syrupy, about 2 minutes. Using a long wooden skewer, pierce the sides and bottom of the warm cake at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep all over. Brush the cake generously with the syrup.
To make the glaze, in a small bowl, stir together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until smooth. When the cake is completely cool, turn it right side up and drizzle the glaze over the top.