Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

Last summer I bought a bunch of fresh blueberries from an outlet in Michigan that were so good that this fall I put in an order for some frozen blueberries to have in the freezer this winter. I like to have them on hand for smoothies and muffins, and if there are any left later this winter when I have the time, I want to make some blueberry jam.




The other night my oldest son asked me to make a cake, so I went through my recipes on Pinterest and came across one on Who Needs a Cape’s blog for a lemon blueberry buttermilk cake. I had all the ingredients on hand, so I thought I’d give it a try.

As soon as the cake was cool enough to cut, the kids (and hubby) were into it. They didn’t even wait for me to make the glaze for the cake because it smelled so delicious. The cake lasted all of 10 minutes before there was nothing but crumbs on the plate! I guess that means it was a hit, but next time I’m making them wait until I get the glaze on the cake. Take a peek on her website—you’ll find lots of yummy recipes there.

Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1-3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon good vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups blueberries (I used frozen)

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon softened butter

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.

Combine 2-1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and the lemon zest. Add the butter, and cream mixture on medium speed for about 3 to 5 minutes until thoroughly combined.

Reduce speed to low, and add in the eggs one at a time, mixing for a minute between adding each egg. Scrape down sides of the bowl, and add the vanilla.

Add in some of the flour followed by some of the buttermilk, and mix until combined. Repeat until all flour and buttermilk have been added.

In a separate bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of flour and the blueberries. Toss to coat berries. Gently fold the blueberries into the cake batter.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan, and smooth out the top of the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes (mine took about 65 in my oven), or until it tests done with a toothpick. Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack, then turn out onto a serving plate. Let cool completely before glazing.

To make the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and butter. Glaze should be thick, but you can add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time to make it thinner.

Cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature—if yours lasts that long!

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Herb Chicken With Lemon Cream Sauce

Chicken thighs are often on sale at my local grocery store, so I tend to stock up when it’s a good deal. That said, I’m always on the lookout for new and different ways of making chicken because the kids get tired of the same-old-same-old. I always turn to Pinterest for new recipe ideas, and I’ve got hundreds and hundreds of recipes on different boards that I’ve pinned to try down the road. If you’re looking for a good source on Pinterest, feel free to follow me there because I’m always adding something new that I’ve found.


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Anyway, I found this delicious-sounding chicken recipe that uses lemons, lots of herbs and cream. What’s not to like? I found the recipe at Damn Delicious, and this is a great blog with tons of wonderful recipes that I can’t wait to try, especially in her Quick & Easy Category.

This recipe is super easy to pull together, and the chicken tastes divine. You can, of course, use fresh herbs instead of the dried if you have them. Just increase the amounts if you do, as you always use fewer dried herbs than fresh. The original recipe called for skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, but I used skinless, boneless and baked mine, making the sauce separately. I’d planned on using my cast iron skillet to sear the chicken first and then finish the chicken off in the oven while cooking in the sauce, but I’ll be darned if I can find that dang cast iron skillet after we moved 🙂 Oh well, it turned out just as delicious baked in a glass 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sometimes you just have to improvise. Feel free to prepare this whichever way is easiest for you. It’s perfect for just your family or if you’re having guests over for dinner. Just don’t tell them how easy it was to prepare—they’ll think you slaved over this to get these flavors 🙂

 

herbed chicken with lemon cream sauce

 

Herb Chicken With Lemon Cream Sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (can use bone-in, with skin if you prefer)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

 

For the Lemon Cream Sauce:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, mustard, lemon zest, thyme and rosemary. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, work the mixture onto both sides of the chicken. Place chicken pieces in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, heavy cream, lemon juice and basil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces in the baking dish. Bake chicken until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about 25 to 30 minutes.

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