Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

I love Ina Garten, I have all her books and think her recipes are fantastic!! I love the way her use of simple ingredients and pretty basic cooking methods result in a delicious end result every time. I had a bunch of lemons and a pint of blueberries that I needed to use up so I decided to use the Barefoot's recipe for basic Lemon Pound Cake and adapt it into my own (not all that creative) version of Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake. The result was a moist lemony cake with big beautiful blueberries strewn throughout and topped with a tangy lemon glaze. If you do decide to make this and you are making it in a bundt pan make sure you use lots of baking spray or grease and flour the pans VERY WELL because this cake does tend to stick.


Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pint blueberries fresh or frozen

For the glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans or a 12 cup bundt pan. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.

2. Cream the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Fold in blueberries. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. When the cakes are done allow to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out and set them on a cooling rack. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

3. For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.