To me, this cake captures an essence of summer. Fresh blueberries with a sticky lemon tartness that will beckon those summer days. Blackberries and raspberries would be equally, just as good.
Blueberry Lemon Poppyseed Cake
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approximately 16 servings
1 cup (250ml) butter, softened
1 1/2 (375ml) cup sugar
3 eggs
3 cups (750ml) unbleached all purpose flour
grated lemon rind from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons (10ml) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2ml) salt
2 to 3 tablespoons poppy-seeds
1 cup (250ml) milk
2 cups (500ml) blueberries
Lemon syrup:
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1 cup (250ml) sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) lemon juice
Glaze:
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1 cup (250ml) icing sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons (30-40ml) milk
2 cups (500ml) blueberries, or a handful of edible flowers, optional
Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC)
Grease and flour a 10 inch (23cm) tube pan.
In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until nicely combined. Add the eggs and beat well. Set aside.
In another bowl combine the flour, grated lemon rind, baking powder, salt, and poppy-seeds. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Gently fold in the blueberries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 65 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted into the cake, comes out clean.
Lemon syrup: While the cake is baking... place the sugar and lemon juice in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Stir to combine, making sure the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
When the cake is done and removed from the oven, poke holes into the hot cake. Then pour the lemon syrup all over the cake. The cake will absorb the lovely lemon syrup. Continue to cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack.
Glaze: When the cake has cooled completely and successfully removed from the pan; in a small bowl blend together the icing sugar and milk. Drizzle over the cold cake and immediately place the additional blueberries, or edible flowers, if using, on top of the glaze. Allow to set. Serve.
Notes: I cut the sugar down to 1 cup for the cake and 3/4 cup for the lemon syrup. The cake was completely baked at 65 minutes however ovens vary, so make sure the cake springs back when lightly touched and or a toothpick comes out. I would have added more blueberries on top however I thought I had another 2 cups but didn't so I left it as is.
