BlueBerry cake with lemon Rose glaze
This blueberry cake is a vibrant slice of heaven with hints of sweetness and zing!
Blueberry cake is the perfect treat to enjoy year-round, but it truly shines as we transition between seasons, because of its versatility. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply indulging in a sweet craving, this cake brings the freshness of juicy blueberries to your table. I think blueberries capture the essence of both winter and spring. It offers a burst of flavour that brightens even the coldest days and reminds us of warmer days ahead. Try this delicious blueberry cake recipe to enjoy a delightful blend of indulgence and seasonal flavours.
I decided to use beetroot powder the first time I made this, but I chose rose powder instead to give the cake a slightly floral flair alongside the heart-shaped baking mould.
This year has already been lovely and positively eventful for me, but it's also been quite pressing with heaps of changes workwise for many of us and around the world. I don't know what you have planned for the weekend, but I hope this makes you smile even a wee bit. Perhaps, as you enjoy your tea or coffee today you can carve out a moment of gratitude, or think of one good thing that has happened to you so far, even if it's just waking up every day. Savour it!
This Emile Henry (EH) Heart baking pan is from the new Madeleine collection, a beautiful scalloped line of bakeware that includes, a loaf dish, serving plate, round cake dish, and heart-shaped cake dish in rose candy (featured in this post) and clay. As with all stunning EH bakeware, these pieces are easy to use, and no fuss clean-up, which is one of the amazing features for everyday bakers, baking professionals, and home cooks alike.
I decided to make a blueberry cake because I had loads of blueberries to use. Infused with a zesty brightness of fresh lemon, and studded with blueberries, the blending of flavours will excite your palate. Feel free to use fresh or frozen blueberries, both will work well. Each bite will give you a burst of tanginess and sweetness balanced with a twist of rose.
A few things to note:
If you don't have this baking dish for this blueberry cake recipe, you may use any round cake tin, or round spring-form baking pan (around 9.5"-10" or 24cm-26cm).
The wonderful thing about this cake, and all of my bakes is that you can easily make it sugar-free or low-sugar, if needed. In fact, I do that first before creating a regular bake because we have several others in my family who are keto, and paleo eaters.
For the icing and glaze, I do recommend using both methods that I mention, dusting the top of the cake with icing sugar (or Confectioners' sugar alternative). Then use rose powder and lemon juice to make the rest of the glaze. This is also what makes this simple cake look complex and have a bold presentation.
I have been using this rose powder for many years now and still love it. You can buy rose powder here, or you can get the brand that I used in this recipe here with an additional 15% off using my code: MADISON15. I like to make lattes with it and enjoy using it quite a lot in my baking. Let me know how you use it?
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This blueberry cake is a semi-sweet and tangy cake topped with luscious lemon and rose glaze to brightness! Make this cake for a morning indulgence, afternoon treat, or light and fluffy dessert!
This blueberry cake is a semi-sweet and tangy cake topped with luscious lemon and rose glaze to brightness! Make this cake for a morning indulgence, afternoon treat, or light and fluffy dessert!
Equipment:
- Small bowl
- Pastry brush
- Kitchen mixer or beater
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl(s)
- Silicone spatula
- Baking pan
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon plain flour (all-purpose)
- 1 3/4 cups (210 g) plain flour (all-purpose) (plus up to 2 tablespoons to coat the blueberries)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup (30 g) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (114 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil (or neutral oil like canola)
- 1 cup (236 g) light brown sugar, packed (or granulated sugar-free sweetener *See FAQs)
- 2 large eggs (about 115 g), room temperature
- 1 to 2 lemons (you'll likely need 1 ½ lemons. If you have small lemons then use 2)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180g) plain yoghurt (or sour cream)
- 2 cups blueberries, frozen but not thawed (See *note 1.)
- 3/4 teaspoon rose powder (or beetroot powder)
- 4 tablespoons icing sugar (powdered sugar) (for dusting the top of cake)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Prep:
- In a small bowl, add 3⁄4 teaspoon of rose powder, and 4 tablespoons of icing sugar. Whisk until incorporated and there are no lumps. Set aside separately with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. We will use this for the rose icing and glaze.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- In a small bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour, mix until the flour is blended into the butter. Generously grease a cake tin or cake mould with the butter mixture, making sure to cover the sides of the cake tin/pan.
*Tip: Use a pastry brush to grease the pan, or with a small piece of baking parchment dip your fingers in the butter mixture and spread it in the pan with the baking parchment.
- Making the cake:
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and cornflour through a sieve. Add the salt, and use a whisk to mix (a light stir is fine). Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add the butter, oil, and light brown sugar. Use a hand mixer on medium speed to cream together, until everything is incorporated, and the butter is creamy and light, about 2 minutes. Then, add each of the eggs to the bowl, one by one. Mix well between each time you add an egg to blend.
- Next, whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and yoghurt. Mix well until incorporated.
- Using a silicone spatula, add the pre-sifted flour mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients (the egg mixture), do not overmix, fold in the ingredients until just incorporated.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour to a bowl of blueberries and toss them until they are evenly coated with flour.
- Add 1 cup of the coated blueberries to the cake batter and gently fold once or twice with a spatula until combined, do not over mix. *(This will prevent the batter from changing colour).
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan, gently using a spatula to ensure the batter is evenly dispersed. Then, place the remaining coated blueberries on top of the cake batter. With both hands holding the cake pan, tap the pan a couple times on a flat working surface (or kitchen counter) to get any air bubbles out before baking. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to completely cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour, before removing from the cake pan, or if using a springform cake pan, wait for at least 30 minutes before removing.
- For the rose icing & glaze
- In a sieve or tea strainer positioned over the cake, add 1 tablespoon of the prepared rose sugar mixture to generously dust it over the top of the cake. Now add the 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the remaining bowl of rose sugar (powdered sugar) mixture. Whisk until it’s smooth and a beautiful pink-reddish hue.
- Use a spoon to drizzle the rose lemon glaze over the cake. Slice and serve the cake with your favourite coffee, tea, or with a scoop of ice cream.
- If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them out beforehand. Follow the recipe as described but leave the blueberries in the freezer until you get to step 6.
- If you don’t have beetroot power or rose powder, you can just dust icing sugar on top. I like to use both methods of icing sugar and the lemon-rose drizzle for taste and effect. This cake makes a very light lemon-rose glaze for a bold presentation since it’s also dusted with icing sugar (powdered sugar). If you want a thicker glaze, you may use less lemon juice, and/or more icing sugar to taste.