Because I love chocolate so much, it often becomes the first ingredient I think of when I look for new recipes; chocolate and unusual spices or combination of flavors, like cardamom, or rosemary and pistachio. Last week, though, one of my friends reminded me that she doesn’t like chocolate, and when I offered to bake something for her she mentioned blueberries, and a cake which a friend used to bring to her. I knew that I couldn’t recreate that same cake – without the recipe the chances were slim. So I imagined what a blueberry cake would taste and look like in the spring season: lemon, butter, more lemon, and layers of buttercream, a silky Italian merengue buttercream.
I was left with the dilemma of how to add the blueberry flavor to the buttercream and I saw a couple of references to Frozen Dried Blueberries from Trader Joe’s on the internet. The idea was to pulverize the dried blueberries and add them to the silky buttercream. The taste is subtle, the color is beautiful, and they both complement the cake layers very well. My Gluten-free Blueberry Lemon Cake was born.
ENJOY!
Gluten-free Blueberry Lemon Cake
Course: DessertDifficulty: Medium2
hours40
minutesIngredients
390 gr 390 Simona Flour Mix – 2 1/2 cups
2 teaspoons 2 Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon 1/2 Salt
170 gr 170 Unsalted butter, softened – 3/4 cup
1 Tablespoon 1 Lemon zest – from one large lemon
300 gr 300 Granulated sugar – 1 1/2 cups
3 large 3 Eggs
1 teaspoon 1 Vanilla extract
120 gr 120 Whole milk – 1/2 cup
60 gr 60 Lemon juice – 1/4 cup
2 Tablespoons 2 Glycerin
150 gr 150 Blueberries, fresh or frozen, coated in a Tablespoon of flour
- Lemon syrup
60 gr 60 Lemon juice – 1/4 cup
50 gr 50 Granulated sugar – 1/4 cup
- Blueberry Italian Meringue Buttercream
1 recipe 1 Italian Meringue Buttercream
2 teaspoons 2 Vanilla extract
1.4 oz 1.4 Frozen Dried Blueberries from Trader Joe’s, powdered
As needed As needed Blueberries to assdemble
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line the bottom of two 8″ cake round pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and lemon zest until smooth. Add sugar and beat on med-high until pale.
- Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Combine milk, lemon juice and glycerin. Alternate adding flour mixture with milk & lemon juice, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until smooth.
- Toss blueberries in 1 Tbsp of flour. Gently fold blueberries into cake batter. The batter will be very thick. Be gentle when you fold the berries in so that they don’t break.
- Spread batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool. You can bake the cakes the day before
- Lemon syrup
- Place lemon juice and sugar into a small pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1min. Remove from heat and cool completely.
- Blueberry Italian Meringue Buttercream and cake assembly
- Prepare the Buttercream according to the recipe. Add vanilla and pulverized dried blueberries. Mix well.
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate and brush with lemon syrup. Top with approximately 1 cup of buttercream and smooth evenly.
- Place the second layer on top and brush with the rest of the lemon syrup. Crumb coat the cake and chill for 20mins.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake with remaining frosting. Top with fresh blueberries and if you feel so inclined, pipe some decorations with the remaining buttercream. Enjoy!
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