Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Lemon blueberry bundt, with fresh bluberries and

lemon zest tucked in the center.

Last Friday, Carolyn invited a slew of people over for a hot dog cookout (really a weenie roast - so retro!). Armed with portable chairs, we sat in her backyard and ate, overlooking her chickens, ducks, and the wheat (?) field beyond her lawn. It was really nice.

There were, of course, hot dogs (though everybody wimped out and didn't cook them over a fire, choosing instead to grill them) plus sides that the guests supplied: chips, salad, pasta salad, lemonade, baked beans - it was a nice spread. For dessert, we toasted marshmallows over a fire and made s'mores (the best summertime treat) and for those who weren't interested in chocolate (or more accurately, wanted to load up on both) there was a lemon blueberry bundt.

Aside from the glaze (which was runnier than it should have been) the cake came together easily. It took a very long time to bake, much longer than the 50 minutes the recipe specified; maybe my oven is off again.

I really like the idea of a lemon cake studded with blueberries but this recipe, from Family Circle magazine, doesn't quite pull it off. I would have liked more of a lemon kick. Carolyn's mother, Liz, would have liked a bit more sweetness from the glaze. Maybe Martha's recipe would yield better results.

Looking over my shoulder just now, Shane asked if I wanted his opinion.

Knowing it wasn't going to be positive, I grunted an assent. He thought the cake was very dense, not sweet, and sort of bitter.

"It wasn't my favorite Laura dessert." (Perhaps the 8 hot dogs he ate threw off his sense of taste.) "Was that helpful?" he asked.

"Mmm-hmm," I replied.

Mentally, I gave him the finger. Eight-hot-dogs-eatin'-bastard.

Lemon Blueberry Bundt
2 ½ c. flour
1 ½ tsp. Baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 ¾ c sugar
4 eggs
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 ¼ c. blueberries

Glaze
1 ½ c. confectioner’s sugar
6 to 7 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp corn syrup
Lemon zest for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add lemon juice, zest, and vanilla, beating until combined. Beat in flour in three additions, alternating with butter milk. Beat for 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Fold in blueberries. Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan; turn out and cool completely.

For the glaze, mix together confectioner’s sugar, juice, and corn syrup in a mall bowl until smooth. Drizzle over top of cake and let it roll down the sides. Serves 16.

Grade: B-