It’s blueberry season, time to make the most of a local ‘Super fruit’.  Blueberries are popular (sales estimates for local farms are near $4 million) for their tart flavor and brilliant color. Medical researchers have linked blueberries to decreased inflammation, cancer fighting, improved memory and reduction in stroke risk.  

There is no shortage of blueberry recipes; they are good in pies, muffins, shortcakes and even savory applications like salads and sauces. For this recipe, I modified a pound cake by adding yogurt and punched up the flavor with lemon.

Blueberry Lemon Cake

2 sticks butter

2 Cups sugar

Zest of 2 lemons

3 eggs

1 Teaspoon vanilla

3 Cups flour

1 ½ Teaspoons baking powder

½ Teaspoon salt

1 pint blueberries

¾ cup (a 6 ounce container) non-fat, Greek yogurt

½ Cup milk

Lemon Glaze

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 ½ Cups Confectioner’s Sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt or tube pan.

Cream butter, sugar and lemon zest together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, when light and fluffy add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Measure flour into a large measuring cup or small bowl. Wash berries, pat them dry, and then dust with a bit of the flour (this keeps the berries from sinking in the cake.) Whisk baking powder and salt into flour. Add yogurt to butter mixture, mix to incorporate, and then add flour mixture alternately with milk, mixing just enough to combine. Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold berries into batter, fill cake pan with batter and smooth top. Bake 1 hour. While cake is baking, whisk glaze ingredients together. When cake is done, run a knife around edge of pan, cool in pan 15 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour glaze slowly over top, allowing time for it to seep into cake. Glaze that drips off can be spooned back onto cake. Pouring the glaze over the warm cake results in a glazed donut-like texture, if you prefer a more frosting-like glaze, wait until the cake is cool.

When completely cooled, transfer to serving plate.

Serve as is or topped with more berries or ice cream. This cake makes a nice breakfast treat, too.

Update: I used this recipe to make 24 Firecracker Cupcakes for the 4th of July - I omitted the blueberries and baked 20 minutes at 350 degrees. The frosting is 2 sticks of butter beaten with 6 cups of confectioner's sugar and the juice of 2 lemons.