Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

Blueberries are nature’s candy.  Sweet, tart, firm to the bite, they are easy fast food, fun to pop straight in the mouth. Yet the comparison to candy stops there, as blueberries are also a nutritional treasure chest. Rich in Vitamins A, C and E as well as beta-carotene, manganese and fiber, blueberries are an anti-oxidant powerhouse, providing more anti-oxidants than many fruits and vegetables.  That’s a lot of nutritional punch for a little dark berry.

Blueberries are delicious eaten just as they are, or sprinkled over yogurt or ice cream.  Grab a handful and add to cereal, pancake batter or smoothies.  Or, better yet, use a whole pint or two in a tart or pie: they will cook down into a silky, rich, inky-blue filling guaranteed to bring you back for seconds.  Blueberries are especially satisfying to bake with, because they are not overly sweet, and their tartness and firm texture add a nice foil to sweet pastries, cakes and breads.  This Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake takes the traditional sweet pound cake and adds mildly tart blueberries and bright, citrus-y lemon zest for a deliciously fresh tea cake.

Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

Makes 1 loaf

3 eggs
1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup  unsalted butter, softened
2 cups blueberries

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.)
Lightly butter a loaf pan.  Line bottom with parchment paper.  Butter and flour parchment. Combine eggs, yogurt and vanilla in a medium bowl.  Lightly whisk to combine. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix one minute at low speed to combine. Add butter and half of the egg mixture to the flour mixture.  Mix at high speed for one minute. Add remaining egg mixture in 2 batches, mixing 30 seconds after each addition. Batter should be light and fluffy. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Remove from oven and run sharp knife around edges of cake. Let rest 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack and cool completely.