Blueberry-Lemon Semolina Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup semolina flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 4 oz (1 stick) butter, room temperature
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • zest & juice, room temperature Meyer lemon (or regular lemon)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • ½ cup light cream (or sour cream)
  • 8 oz (1½ cups) fresh blueberries

To Prep Pan

  • nonstick cooking spray
  • granulated sugar

Garnish Suggestions

  • confectioners sugar
  • crème fraîche
  • fresh blueberries
  • fresh mint leaves
  • candied lemon rind

Equipment

  • fine mesh strainer/sifter
  • stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • microplane/grater
  • parchment paper
  • 9” springform pan

How-to

Mix Dry Ingredients

  1. Preheat the oven to 350º
  2. Using a fine mesh strainer, sift together dry ingredients into a medium bowl and set aside

Mix Wet Ingredients

  1. In a stand mixer, cream the butter with the paddle attachment. Add sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 7-8 minutes
  2. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla
  3. Add eggs, one at a time, and egg yolk and mix until eggs are incorporated
  4. Add light cream. Mix on low speed until blended, about 10 seconds

Combine Ingredients

  1. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the batter all at once.
  2. Beat on low until the flour is almost mixed in – only 10 seconds
  3. Add the blueberries to the batter, and mix in for 5 seconds

Prep Cake Pan

  1. Coat a 9” springform pan with nonstick cooking spray
  2. Add some sugar to the pan and work it around the sides and on the bottom, pouring out the excess
  3. Cut a circle out of parchment paper the size of the bottom of the pan and place the paper inside. Lay parchment paper in the pan and spray and sugar again. Tap out excess sugar

Bake & Serve

  1. Finish hand folding your ingredients together very gently with a spatula
  2. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan. Bang the pan on the counter a couple of times to knock out remaining air bubbles
  3. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes
  4. Flip the cake onto a platter so the beautiful blueberries show on top
  5. Sprinkle confectioners sugar on top, and add any other garnish you like, slice and serve

Note - This recipe can be doubled, still using the same cooking time & temperature - using a larger springform pan or a bundt pan - with the same great result!


Recipe courtesy of Marjorie Druker
New England Soup Factory