Description
Ina Garten’s blueberry lemon cream cake blends zesty citrus notes with sweet summer berries. Elegant layers promise rich flavor and creamy texture that will delight dessert enthusiasts at any gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (16 tbsps; 226 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 8 oz (226 g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 and ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 3 cups (354 g) sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 and ½ cups (210 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 and ½ cups (420 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsps lemon zest
- ½ cup (120 ml) lemon juice
- 1 – 2 tbsps (15-30 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Prep Station: Calibrate oven to 350°F and meticulously prepare three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease, ensuring seamless cake release.
- Batter Foundation: Whip butter until silky, gradually integrating sugars to create a voluminous, pale mixture. Incorporate eggs and vanilla, blending until harmoniously combined.
- Dry Ingredient Integration: Sift flour, baking powder, and salt, gently folding into the wet mixture alternating with milk. Delicately introduce lemon zest, juice, and flour-dusted blueberries, maintaining batter’s delicate structure.
- Baking Performance: Evenly distribute batter across prepared pans, creating uniform surfaces. Bake for 21-25 minutes, verifying doneness with a clean toothpick insertion.
- Cooling and Frosting Preparation: Allow cakes to cool completely in pans. Simultaneously, craft cream cheese frosting by whipping cream cheese and butter until immaculately smooth, gradually introducing confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt.
- Cake Assembly: Level cake layers, constructing a precise tower with generous frosting between each tier. Completely enrobe cake in remaining frosting, creating a flawless exterior.
- Flavor Refinement: Refrigerate assembled cake for 45 minutes, allowing structural stability and flavor development. Store leftovers in refrigerated, sealed container for optimal preservation.
Notes
- Flour Coating Trick: Gently toss blueberries in flour before adding to batter to prevent them from sinking and distribute evenly throughout the cake.
- Precise Baking Timing: Check cake doneness at 21 minutes to avoid overbaking, using the clean toothpick method as a reliable indicator of perfect texture.
- Frosting Consistency Control: Add cream gradually to achieve the ideal smooth, spreadable cream cheese frosting without becoming too runny.
- Chilling is Crucial: Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 45 minutes to set the structure and allow flavors to meld, creating a more cohesive and delicious dessert.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 583
- Sugar: 60 g
- Sodium: 243 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 75 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg