Blueberry lemon bundt

Frank says: “In the first few weeks of June, I start pestering the vendors at my local épicerie on rue de Bretagne with questions about when we might expect myrtille sauvage (wild blueberries) to come in. The tiny blueberries – usually from regions in the east of France like Vosges and Ardèche – are small in size, but pack an intense blueberry flavour. I call this a breakfast or brunch Bundt since it’s bursting with both blueberries and buttermilk. The lemon brightens things up and, if you decide to add the glaze, why not go all out and decorate with a crown of dark berries?”

Serves 12

Ingredients

For the blueberry lemon cake:

1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus additional for greasing
2¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon (352g) all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1½ teaspoons (6g) baking powder
¼ teaspoon (1g) baking soda
¼ teaspoon (1g) fine sea
salt
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
2 tablespoons (12g) grated lemon zest (from two lemons)
2 tablespoons (30ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ teaspoons (7.5ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups (10 ounces/280g) fresh blueberries, ideally wild

For the lemon glaze:

1⅓ cups (167g) powdered sugar, plus additional as needed
2 tablespoons (30ml) whole milk, plus additional as needed
1 tablespoon (15ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ cups (8 ounces/225g) dark summer berries, such as blueberries and blackberries

Method

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Grease and flour a 10–12 cup (2.4–2.8l) Bundt pan or use baking spray; set aside.

Set aside 1 tablespoon (8g) of the flour. Place the remaining flour in a medium bowl. Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about four minutes. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between additions. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, and mix until just combined.

In a small bowl, toss the blueberries in the reserved one tablespoon (8g) flour. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter using a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean and the cake is golden brown. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing from the pan to cool completely.

From Sweet Paris: Seasonal Recipes from an American Baker in France by Frank Adrian Barron (£20, HarperCollins), out now.

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