Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake

I seem to be on something of a blueberry kick lately. I also seem to be on a bake-every-cake-Martha-Stewart-ever-came-up-with kick. The two are linked, clearly. I love my kale and quinoa and strawberries as much as the next person (and maybe even more…mmm, kale), but every few weeks I am possessed with the immediate need for cake. I start scouring the fridge and kitchen cabinets for things that look like they might want to be turned into cake. And Martha never lets me down.

I can’t remember which came first: the blueberries or the idea, but just like the chicken and the egg question, the most important point is that it led us to where we are now. I discovered as I was putting this cake together that I did not, however, have any sour cream. Blast! I also did not have any yogurt. Double blast! The internet told me that I could I just put a bit of lemon juice in some whipping cream, and, voila, sour cream would emerge. The internet was fantastically correct. It was the most delicious sour cream I’ve ever tasted. I shall never buy sour cream again! (Key fact: we always have whipping cream on hand because of my ice cream addiction).

I also came up with my own little idea to solve one of the most pervasive of Bundt problems: the bottom of the cake, which is at the top of the pan when you’re baking, always ends up getting kind of mushy after a few days under the weight of so much sugary goodness. I can’t handle soggy things, so I decided to sprinkle a hearty layer of oats on the top/bottom to absorb the moisture after flipping. Reader, it worked like a charm. No more soggy cake!

Because the sky is blue, I put a hefty dose of walnuts in. No crunchy, no eaty. The cake was moist and lightly tangy, and the brown sugar gave it a rich flavor not unlike that of French toast. Only the best French toast you’ve ever had. I’ll happily eat cake any day of the week, but the summer ones are extra special.

Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake
Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 teaspoon for blueberries and zest
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 cups blueberries
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest Nonstick cooking spray, for pan
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
Oats for sprinkling over the top

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk 2 1/2 cups flour with baking powder and salt; set aside.
-In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of sour cream.
-In a bowl, toss blueberries and zest with remaining teaspoon flour; gently fold into batter. Mix in nuts. Coat a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with cooking spray. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle oats over the top.
-Bake cake on bottom rack of oven until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes. Invert onto a rack; cool completely, top side up. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving, if desired.