Lemon and blueberry cream cheese pound cake

Name: Lemon and blueberry cream cheese pound cake
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 240g plain flour (plus extra, for dusting the tin); 1 tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp fine sea salt; 230g unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus extra 30g, for greasing the tin); 240g castor sugar; zest of 2 lemons; 100g cream cheese, cubed, at room temperature; 4 eggs, at room temperature; 1½ tsp vanilla extract; 200g blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Helen Goh

April 23, 2019

Lemon and blueberry cream cheese pound cake (pictured with an optional lemon icing).William Meppem

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:10

The cream cheese in this cake contributes both tenderness and a finely textured crumb. I like to use a beautifully elaborate bundt tin, but keep the rest very simple with just a light dusting of icing sugar to serve. You could also make a simple icing to drizzle on top: combine the juice from one of the lemons used for the zest in the batter (or some blueberry puree) and add enough sifted icing sugar to form a nice drizzling consistency to glaze the cake when cooled.

Ingredients

240g plain flour (plus extra, for dusting the tin)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
230g unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus extra 30g, for greasing the tin)
240g castor sugar
zest of 2 lemons
100g cream cheese, cubed, at room temperature
4 eggs, at room temperature
1½ tsp vanilla extract
200g blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175C (155C fan-forced). Soften the extra 30g butter and use a small pastry brush to paint the inside of a bundt tin very thoroughly. Sprinkle in the extra flour and tap all over so it adheres to the buttered surface. Turn upside down and tap over sink or bin to remove excess. Place in the freezer for the time being.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl and set aside. Combine the butter, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of a cake mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until well mixed. Add cream cheese (mixing it in when it is at room temperature ensures it will be soft; firmness would result in a lumpy cake) and beat until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well, then add the sifted dry ingredients in three batches. Beat until just combined, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl regularly to ensure the batter is evenly mixed. Toss in the blueberries (if they have been frozen, mix a tablespoon of plain flour through to absorb some of the moisture) and fold in very gently with a rubber spatula.
3. Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and place in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes. A skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean when the cake is cooked.
4. Place on a cake rack for 15 minutes before inverting onto the rack or a plate to cool completely.
Find more of Helen Goh's recipes in the Good Food Favourite Recipes cookbook.