MIL Blueberry Cake
Or cranberry if you prefer...
This is the blueberry cake my mother in law made on repeat, and the first recipe that she shared with me, when it became evident I wasn’t going anywhere. And if she couldn’t get rid of me, at least I could make one of her son’s favorites.
My version adds lemon zest, and salt. Her’s called for “shortening” but I only ever use butter. Since we’re at the winter solstice, finding good, fresh blueberries is near impossible. Frozen berries work perfectly, but this cake is flexible. Use your own inclusions. The cranberry pecan version below is perfect for this time of year.
MIL Blueberry Cake
212 grams granulated sugar
114 grams unsalted butter- softened
zest of one lemon
2 eggs
226 grams all purpose flour
1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
1 tsp (5 g ) kosher salt
114 grams whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
175 grams blueberries
Confectioners sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Prepare baking pan by spraying with pan spray. I used a 6 cup Nordic Ware bundt pan, but this cake bakes up perfectly in an 8” round cake pan. If using the bundt pan, make sure to lightly coat with flour as well as spraying to ensure clean removal. For the 8” round pan, coat with pan spray only and line with a parchment circle.
Add the sugar to the bowl of a Kitchen Aid mixer. Zest the lemon zest directly over the bowl, so none of the oils are lost. Stir together.
Add softened butter and cream with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating only until combined.
Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add vanilla to the milk.
Alternate between adding dry and wet ingredients in increments, starting and endign with the flour, scraping down between additions.
Stir in blueberries. Transfer to baking pan, and smooth the top. Bake at 350˚ for 35-45 minutes. The 8” cake will bake faster than the bundt pan.
Cool in the pan to set the cake, if using the bundt. It should not be hot, or it will be more fragile and risk breaking.
Turn out the cake and dust with confectioners sugar.
Cranberry Pecan Version
This is not an overly sweet cake. I make this version with only flavor swaps, however the cranberries are very tart. For those with a bit more sweettooth, I would suggest increasing the granulated sugar to the same weight as the flour- 226.
Use the zest of 1 orange in place of the lemon.
Substitute 100 grams of fresh cranberries for the blueberries.
Toast 75 grams of pecans in a sautee pan over medium heat until fragrant and slightly darker in color. Cool, and chop finely. Add the cranberries and pecans after mixing and before transferring to the baking pan.
Cake can be dusted with confectioners sugar as in the blueberry version, but I like to use some of the left over orange juice with the confectioners sugar to make a glaze. Add liquid very slowly until a pourable consistency has been reached. Drizzle over the cooled cake.