I thought of making Italian Cake for Nona but my best one has two cups of sugar and she doesn’t like overly-sweet American desserts. I had two pints of blueberries from a buy-one-get-one sale, and got this idea from a Flouring Kitchen recipe, that I simplified and cut way back on the butter and sugar (Nona doesn’t like butter – or mayo, poor girl). If at any time you make a mistake, just keep plugging along, and don’t let cooking the berries for the filling intimidate you, I added a video to show how easy it is.
Blueberry Cake
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup oil (I use avocado)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon (~1 Tablespoon)
3 1/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Blueberry Filling
2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup blueberry filling
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4-5 cups powdered sugar (5 if more than two layers
8 oz cream cheese
Cake Directions
1. Set out your cold ingredients to bring to room temperature and make room in your fridge.
2. Preheat oven to 350 and either grease or parchment-line your baking pans: you can use up to three 8” pans.
3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine butter, oil, sugar, and salt. Beat 1 minute until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, combining after each one.
5. Mix in vanilla, sour cream, lemon juice, and zest.
6. Stir in baking powder, baking soda and 1 1/3 cups of flour. Stir in the buttermilk. Then stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour.
7. In a separate bowl, coat 1 1/2 cups of blueberries with 1/2 T flour and mix to coat the berries. Add just the coated berries to the batter and fold in with a spatula.
8. Divide the batter into the baking pans. Bake two 9” pans or three 8” pans 25-30 minutes, then start checking to see if they’re done. Two 8” pans could take up to 40 minutes. A toothpick should come out of the center with only a crumb or two attached, no batter. Let pans cool 5-10 minutes then run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake. Flip cakes out onto rack or plate with wax paper to cool.
If you have two 8” layers and want a 4-layer cake, take your cutting wire and cut the two layers and separate them to make sure they’re cool.
Filling Directions
1. Put 2 cups blueberries in a small pot with the brown sugar, 2 T of lemon juice, cornstarch. Keep aside 1/4 cup of berries to decorate the top.
2. Set heat to medium and when it starts to bubble, keep stirring until it looks like pie filling. Most of the blueberries will burst. Put it in a bowl but separate out 1/4 cup in a separate bowl for the frosting, and put them both in the fridge to cool.
Frosting Directions
1. Beat a softened stick of butter with the cream cheese.
2. Add the powdered sugar about a cup at a time blending each time, then whip up the frosting a few minutes until it’s smooth.
3. Beat in the 1/4 cup of cooled blueberry filling you set aside, then stir with a spatula, making sure it’s all incorporated.
Assembly Directions
1. If this is a 4-layer cake, put your first layer round-side down so you have a flat surface to put a layer of frosting. Add the next layer cut-side down so the bottom is facing up.
2. Make about a 2” ring of frosting around the edge of the layer that’s about 1/2” high. This will help hold the filling in the center and will help hold the next cake layer in place. (I think of this like putting pavers around a garden to hold the mulch in the bed.)
3. Spread about 1/4 cup of filling in the center, gradually add more if there’s room, but keep it under the height of the frosting edge, so that the frosting edge can do its job.
4. If at any time you need a break or things look wobbly, stick the cake in the fridge and let it firm up. Repeat with the last layer(s). Frost the sides and then decorate the top edge with the berries you set aside. If something goes awry, like your filling starts to drip over an edge, then drip it over other edges to make it look intentional.
