Thursday, September 20, 2018

Best Blueberry Cake {EVER}

Best Blueberry Cake {EVER}
This is the best blueberry cake EVER – it truly is delectable. The secret ingredient in the recipe is cream cheese – it makes a moist, rich and amazing cake that you’ll be craving for days after it’s gone!
I’m not exaggerating when I say this is not only one of the best cakes I have ever made, but it’s one of the the best cakes I have ever tasted! I am truly proud of this creation!
Why This Recipe Works:
The cream cheese baked into the cake not only adds moisture but flavor too.
The thick batter helps keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
The cream cheese icing is the perfect way to finish off this luscious cake. 
I think the key to a good blueberry cake is to have a thick batter to help combat the sinking blueberries, so instead of milk, I used cream cheese and sour cream.
I’ve had a lot of people tell me the only thing that stops blueberries from sinking is to coat them in flour. I’ve been known to do that, but in this cake, I really think the thick batter made a big difference.
In researching the whole coating blueberries in flour, I found this great article on Serious Eats that’s worth a read. Great tips to be found.
To make this beautiful cake:
Start with softening the butter and cream cheese together in the microwave until very soft, but not completely melted.
Next, mix all the wet ingredients and sugar with the cream cheese mixture until combined.
Mix in the remaining dry ingredients by hand.
Fold in the blueberries.
Add the batter evenly to the pan.
I reserved some of the blueberries which I added to the top of the cake after I filled the pan. This also helped a lot and gave a nice even look to the cake as well.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean, and the top is nicely browned.
Since I used cream cheese in the batter, I decided on cream cheese icing as well. I’m not a big fan of overly sweet icing, so I use the cream cheese to tone down the sweetness. This icing is so good, you can eat it with a spoon!
To make the icing, start with melted butter and softened cream cheese.
Add powdered sugar, vanilla and some milk (I used 3 tablespoons because I like my icing a little thick).


Blend until smooth.
Drizzle the icing over the cake and top with fresh blueberries.
My husband (who rarely strays from chocolate desserts) took one bite of this cake and said it was the best cake I ever made! Coming from a man that eats chocolate on a regular basis, I’ll take that as a really big thumbs up!
This cake lasted really well for a good three days.
Making this recipe with frozen blueberries: 
To prevent your frozen blueberries bleeding into the batter, don’t leave them out to defrost. Instead, rinse the frozen blueberries to defrost them.
Rinse the blueberries in cold water several times until they are defrosted, and the water is relatively clear when you drain them. As they defrost, the water may start out dark blue, but will gradually lighten to a watery reddish blue. 
Dry the blueberries well with paper towels by spreading them out evenly on them and pressing another layer on top. Press gently and leave until you need them. 
Before adding the defrosted blueberries to the batter, coat them on a tablespoon of flour (be sure to stir gently when folding them into the batter).

Baker’s Tips:
When baking with sour cream, it’s important to use full fat sour cream, not low fat or fat free. Low fat and fat free sour cream liquefies when heated and turns watery.
Be careful not to over mix the batter: Once the flour is added to the batter, try mixing with a wooden spoon instead of with a mixer. Over mixing will result in a tough dense cake.
You can substitute sour cream in this recipe with buttermilk. You can use store bought buttermilk or make your own by mixing 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice with ½ cup of whole milk.
For maximum flavor, let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before using it in a recipe.
This cake batter will be very thick (if none of your butter melted during the softening); be very gentle when you fold in the blueberries so that they don’t get damaged.
Testing to ensure the cake is fully cooked: The middle of the cake should spring back when you gently press your finger against it. I use this method of cake testing along side inserting a cake tester for this cake.
Use foil to avoid over browning the cake. Starting at half way through the baking time, check to see if the cake is getting too brown (you should never open the oven before half way through the baking process). If so, cover with foil and return to the oven to finish baking.
Don’t forget to leave some fresh blueberries to decorate the top!
This cake can be frozen (without the icing) well wrapped or in an airtight container for up to three months.

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Best Blueberry Cake {EVER}
This indulgent, easy summer bake is loaded with blueberries and has cream cheese added to not only the icing, but the better too!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberries, cake, dessert
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 
Calories 492 kcal
Author Erren

Ingredients
For the cake:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ¼ cup cream cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups blueberries washed and dried
For the icing:
  • ¼ cup butter melted
  • ½ cup cream cheese softened
  • ¾ cup confectionery sugar sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 - 5 tablespoons milk
US Measurements - Metric Measurements
Instructions
For the cake:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350f/175c Grease a 9-inch spring-form pan and set aside.
  2. In a small heat-safe bowl, soften the butter and cream cheese together in the microwave until very soft, but not completely melted (don't worry if some of the butter melts).
  3. Mix all the wet ingredients and sugar with the cream cheese mixture until combined.
  4. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients by hand.
  5. Fold in the blueberries (reserving some of them for after the batter is added to the pan).
  6. Add the batter evenly to the pan and then place the blueberries evenly across the top of the batter.
  7. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean, and when gently pressed, the middle of the cake should feel firm & springy. 
  8. If the cake starts to brown to much cover in foil and return to the oven.
  9. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring to a wire rack.
For the icing:
  1. In a mixing bowl whisk together the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
  2. Add the milk as needed 1 tablespoon at a time until it is the desired consistency.
  3. Once the cakes has cooled, drizzle with the icing and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Best Blueberry Cake {EVER}
Amount Per Serving
Calories 492Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 15g75%
Cholesterol 109mg36%
Sodium 223mg9%
Potassium 219mg6%
Total Carbohydrates 61g20%
Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Sugars 40g
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A17.9%
Vitamin C4.5%
Calcium9.5%
Iron8.7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.