This cake is the result of loads of indecision and the urge to clear out my fridge. I first set out to make a lemon and poppy seed pound cake only to discover that I didn’t have any poppy seeds. I saw a box of blueberries that were sitting in the fridge and thought they might go nicely with the lemon and then wondered if I should make some healthy blueberry muffins, instead. As you can see, clearly, decadence won the battle.

Lemon and blueberries go so well together that I think that lemon and poppy seed cake might have to wait a while. You’ll find that you don’t really need an excuse to make this over and over again.

Ingredients:

250 grams self raising flour

250 grams unrefined caster sugar

250 grams salted butter

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

zest and juice of 1 whole lemon (1 tbsp of zest and 2 tbsp of juice)

1 cup blueberries

Equipment: Standard loaf tin – 2lbs or 9×3, strong whisk or stand mixer

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 C. Generously butter a loaf tin or silicon mould, dust with flour and keep aside.
2. In a large bowl, add the sugar and then the lemon zest. Rub the zest and sugar crystals together with the tips of your fingers. This releases the oil from the zest and flavours the sugar.
3. Add the baking powder to the flour and whisk well.
4. Add the sugar and butter to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until nicely mixed. Add the lemon juice at this stage.
5. Add the eggs, one by one and mix on a medium speed until you have a wet, sticky and lemony mixture.
6. Add the flour, gradually and gently. It’s better if you do this stage by hand, folding in the flour until you have a lump-free batter.
7. Add in the blueberries and mix well.
8. Pour the batter into your buttered loaf tin.
9. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until the top is browned and a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.
10. Cool and slice.

This yields a moist loaf that keeps well until the next day, at least.

Filed under: Baking, Cakes, Desserts Tagged: blueberries, epicurious, lemon blueberry cake, lemon blueberry loaf, lemon blueberry pound cake, lemons, loaf tins, Mumsnet Blogging Network, teatime cakes, weekend baking, yummly