Blueberry and Lemon Drizzle Cake

I think I may be a little obsessed with blueberries. I have a handful on my porridge or cereal most mornings.  I love that gorgeous juicy explosion as you bite into them.  I also loved them baked in a cake or muffin and they taste particularly good with a little bit of added citrus, lemon and orange are wonderful additions to any blueberry recipe.   

They were just reducing a whole pallet of Blueberries when I went to the supermarket the other day... What a great excuse to buy a couple of boxes to bake into these delicious Blueberry & Lemon Drizzle Cakes.

As you can see this recipe will make two 1lb loaf tin cakes.  I lined them the easy way using Lakeland's loaf tin liners ( no going back to the old method for me).  The recipe is the all in one sponge mix, so very easy.... just make sure your butter or margarine ( I used Stork) is at room temperature before you start to mix.


Ingredients for 2 loaf cakes

6 large eggs,
400gms of  Fresh Blueberries  ( just under1lb)
3 large lemons zested
350 gms caster ( superfine) sugar   ( US one and a half cups)
350 gms Self raising flour ( US 2 ½ cups)
350 gms softened butter of margarine ( I used Stork)   (US 3 sticks)
3 level teaspoons baking powder  ( measure this carefully too much will cause the cake to rise quickly then fall )
2 Tsps Vanilla Extract 
a little milk if needed ( see the recipe below)

The Drizzle

150 gms caster sugar 
the juice of 2 lemons 

The Glaze  (optional) 

3 heaped Tbsps icing (powdered) Sugar
enough of the remaining lemon juice to make a pourable glaze

Method:-

Heat the oven to 160c (fan)/ 325F  / gas mark 3

Place all of the dry cake ingredients into a mixing bowl.

Add the eggs and softened butter (margarine), Vanilla and lemon zest. Don't add the blueberries just yet.

Slowly whisk together with a hand held beater until everything is combined.   

If the mixture falls easily from a spoon then it's fine... if it doesn't then slacken the batter with a touch of milk.

Sprinkle a little flour over the blueberries then fold them into the batter.

Place the batter in equal proportions into the prepared tins.

Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the cake is springy to the touch and an skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Whilst the cake is baking prepare the syrup, place the sugar & lemon juice for the drizzle in a pan and heat through until the sugar dissolves.  Remove from the heat.

Remove from the oven and poke little holes through the cake whilst it's still warm and pour over the lemon syrup.

Leave in the tins until the cake is quite cool.

Glaze with a little lemon icing if wanted and decorate with a few blueberries  (optional)

    
This cake freezes perfectly well, we have already eaten one...it was yummy... the other is in the freezer ready for any expected visitors