Lemon-blueberry cake with white chocolate frosting
Lemon infused, studded with sweet blueberries and draped in a white chocolate frosting—this cake is a celebration of summer itself. I cannot let a single summer go by without baking this cake. Blueberries are available all year long in the place where I live. But nothing beats the flavor and sweetness of berries during summer when they are in season. Eaten whole or baked into a dessert, blueberries are the ultimate summer treat for people who love them.
I love blueberries! I use them to top waffles, pancakes, yogurt, oatmeal, and blend them in smoothies or syrup. And here in this cake, this antioxidant rich fruit takes center stage. Whole fresh berries are folded into the thick batter and sprinkled atop the frosted cake. The thick batter prevents the berries from sinking to the bottom. The berries are nicely distributed all over the cake, giving it a pretty speckled look. This honest-to-goodness cake does not need to hide under the frosting, however delicious that frosting may be. All the berries and filling are visible in this naked tender cake. It’s the one whole cup of buttermilk that makes this cake tender, moist and soft. Plus, the white chocolate frosting takes this cake to the level where you can proudly present it on a pedestal. So bake this cake, put it on a pedestal and make it a “very berry celebration”.
Ingredients
Cake
3 ⅓ cups cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup ( 1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
⅓ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 ½ cups fresh berries
Frosting
12 ounces good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
12 ounces Philadelphia brand cream cheese at room temperature
¾ cup ( 1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Additional berries and some lemon peel for decoration (optional)
Instructions
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Butter and flour two 9 inch-diameter cake pans with 2 inch-high sides; line bottoms with parchment paper rounds
Sift flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder into a medium bowl
In a stand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use any hand-held electric mixer and a large bowl
Gradually add sugar, beating until blended and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally
Beat in lemon juice and lemon peel
Then add eggs one at a time, beating until well blended after each addition
Beat in flour and buttermilk in alternate additions, with four additions of flour and three additions of buttermilk
Fold in berries
Transfer equal portions of batter to the two pans
Bake cakes for about 40 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a tester into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done
Cool cakes in pans. Gently loosen the sides before taking them out of the pans
Frosting
Stir white chocolate on top of the double boiler set over barely simmering water until melted. Remove from simmering water and stir until smooth. Cool to lukewarm
Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until combined
Beat in lemon juice, then beat in the cooled white chocolate
Stir the frosting until well blended
Assembling the cake
Turn out the cakes from the pans and peel off parchment
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on a plate
Spread top with 1 cup frosting
Place the second layer on top, flat side up
Spread remaining frosting on the top and lightly over sides
Garnish with additional blueberries and lemon peel
