Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon Curd (Gluten Free)
This is an easy cake to make, don't get fooled by the name. Some hear gluten free and think, I can't make this. YES YOU CAN! Your family and friends will have no idea this is gluten free. The trick is to sift (yes the old fashion way, I use a very fine wire strainer) the gluten free flour. This will add air to the flour and make your dessert light and less dense.
I like to refer to this cake as the distant cousin to the pound cake. A true pound cake has a pound of each of four ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. The old stand by joke was, "if it snows have Mom make a pound cake. She can put it over the back wheels for weight and the car won't spin out". Now with four wheel drive, this joke isn't funny anymore and makes no sense. Ahh one of the tragedies of getting old, you laugh at your own jokes.
The history of the lemon cake remains a mystery to this day. It is probably derived from the pound cake, which was first baked in England around 1700. You can add anything to the basic recipe, suggestions would be dried fruit, fresh fruit, extracts, juices even booze. If you decide to make a boozy cake, remember the alcohol bakes off with the oven's heat and you'll need to brush your cake (once cooled) with additional booze.
This is my triple lemon sour pucker cake since it has fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract. I use a little lemon extract to enhance the natural flavors of the fresh lemons and support the sour taste. The blueberries bring a sweetness to this dense cake making it sweet and sour. Topping this cake with lemon curd puts it over the top in the pucker factor. (lemon curd is optional)
Let's get baking you'll need all ingredients room temperature. Forgot to take the eggs out to get them room temp? No worries, we can fix that. As you start your mise en place (cutting thing up or getting ingredients ready in separate bowls), put your eggs in warm water. When it's time to add them to the batter, they will have come to room temp. POOF - problem solved!
Ingredients for cake: Bake 325 degrees 60-90 mins.
3 cups of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 baking Flour (sifted twice)
You can use what ever gluten free flour you want, but I only bake
with Bob's Red Mill, it's easier to convert recipes with this quality flour.
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking power (make sure it's GF)
Clabber Girl Double Active Baking Power is GF
Read the labels to make sure your baking power is GF, not all are labeled that way.
1 cup Butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 cup blueberries
1/4 tsp lemon extract
Sift the dry ingredients together and add the blueberries. This sounds strange, but if you flour the blueberries, they will "float" in the batter rather then sink to the bottom of the pan. The goal is to have blueberries in every bite of cake.
Set this aside as you mix your wet ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar together. I use a stand mixer but this can be done by hand if you want to give your arms a good work out. Me, I tend to like my arms that continue to wave after my hand has stopped the motion - adds character. I've heard this loving referred to as the "wiggle that makes you giggle".
Once the butter and sugar are creamed, add the eggs, one at a time. With the mixer on low, add the yogurt, sour cream and extract. It's time to introduce the wet ingredients into the dry.
After making a well in the center of the dry ingredients, slowly pour the wet in. You need to fold (starting at the bottom of the bowl and gently bring the spoon up and over the dry) the wet and dry together. This is a thick batter, no worries. Once they are together, add the lemon zest. This is added at the end so you don't destroy the zest and force it to release it's oil before it's time.
Helpful hint: Before you zest your lemon, put some pressure on the lemon and roll it around the counter top. This will encourage the lemon to release it's juices.
You can bake this in a bundt pan, loaf pan or a flat cake pan.
Test your cake to see if it's done towards the end of the baking time. (insert a knife or toothpick and make sure it comes out clean) Different shape pans will require various time for baking.
A round bundt pan will take 90 mins with an oven temp of 325 degrees.
I used a flat baking pan then used circle cutters to get the desired shapes. You can stack them with the lemon curd between the layers or display them on a platter with the lemon curd on the side.
Let's make lemon curd, yes you can buy it, but it's so easy to make.
You'll need:
3 large eggs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter - cubed
In a sauce pot bring the sugar, lemon juice and eggs to a slow simmer, whisking constantly. Don't let it sit still, it will burn. Continue to whisk until you feel the lemon mixture start to thicken. Your goal is for nappe (the curd will coat the back of the spoon) and you want to remove it from the heat at this point. Whisk in the butter and lemon zest. Transfer to a glass bowl (not metal will make the lemons taste funny) and refrigerate for an hour before serving. It will continue to thicken, like pudding, once it's chilled.
Want to continue the pucker? Serve this with a chilled Lemoncello Liquor. Can you tell I like the fresh taste of lemons? Espresso or strong black coffee would go nice also or a perfect cup of tea.
No matter what your choice of beverage is, this is a delicious cake. The difficult part, is not eating the lemon curd with a spoon.
Enjoy!!!
NOTE: Here's the same recipe made into a bundt cake-
