Wild Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
This cake may have just taken the top spot in my favorite bakes of all time. It is so incredibly good! I used wild blueberries in this recipe because they are smaller and a bit sweeter than regular blueberries. They add the most perfect texture and taste to this cake. Combine that with the bright and fresh lemon plus the crunch of the poppy seeds and every bite is quite literally magic.
Servings : 9-16
Prep Time : 25 minutes
Bake Time : 35 - 45 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups (280g) 1:1 gluten-free flour, See Recipe Notes
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
zest of 1-2 lemons, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup (210g) granulated cane sugar
1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup (60g) vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup (120g) buttermilk
1/2 cup (120g) sour cream
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 cup frozen wild blueberries
1/8 cup (17g) 1:1 gluten-free flour
For The Lemon Syrup Glaze
1/4 cup granulated cane sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon lemon zest, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. With your hands, rub zest into sugar until fully combined. Whisk in the eggs. Then, add the sour cream, buttermilk, oil, butter, lemon juice, lemon extract and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in the poppy seeds and allow them to sit for about 5 minutes to soften.
Toss the frozen blueberries with the 1/8 cup of gluten-free flour. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake during baking.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold together until just combined. Then, gently fold in the frozen blueberries. Be careful not to over mix the batter or the muffins may come out denser and not as fluffy.
Transfer the batter into your prepared pan and carefully smooth out the top.
Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes turn the oven temperature down to 350°F. Don’t open the oven door. Bake for 30-45 more minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with only a few crumbs attached. If the top is browning too quickly towards the end of baking you can tent the pan with foil.
While the cake is baking, prepare the lemon syrup glaze. Combine the sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to a small heat safe bowl and stir in the optional lemon zest. Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake right when it comes out of the oven.
Allow the finished cake to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
I recommend using Cup4Cup multi-purpose gluten-free flour for this recipe. I have not tested this recipe with other gluten-free flours.
