It’s time for another of my favorite posts, our Vintage Recipe Swap!! Earlier in the year I was asked to join a recipe swap by Christianna from Burwell General Store, she had found a vintage cookbook, All Day Singin’ And Dinner On The Ground, a junk store find, and each month we get a vintage recipe from the cookbook, to update and remake as we interpret the recipe.. This time around, our recipe was for a “Jelly Cake”, an old-fashioned layer cake.
Although we get these recipes a few weeks ahead of time, I try not to think too much about the recipes until I actually need to make it, usually waiting until a day or 2 before its due to begin preparations for the challenge. I always work better under pressure!
While at the farmer’s market Saturday morning, they had local blueberries available, and I began to think about a blueberry cake, but it was supposed to be a jelly cake, so I needed some type of jelly to put in between the layers. Last years attempt at jelly making was less than stellar, but I needed a good filling to wedge between my luscious blueberry cakes. As I walked further into the market, one vendor had a display of very non local fruits, and the lemons began calling to me……..hmmmm, then it came to me lemon curd, and that I can make!
I did remember seeing an article on lemon curd on the Fine Cooking web site (one of my favorite magazines), and the writer had mentioned how her hairdresser had made her lemon curd with great success by treating it as though it was a cake. Now I’m all for making life easier, so I thought I would give it a try. What makes this recipe so different is the technique, instead of making it on the stove and risking cooking the eggs in the process, you simply make it all in your mixer then transfer it to the stove to finish thickening the curd.
What I did come up with was the best lemon curd I had ever made, it was so creamy and velvety that I wanted to just eat the whole bowl full! Feel free to use your own curd recipe, but do try the mixing method you won’t be sorry!
Blueberry-lemon cake
Blueberry Cake
Ingredients:
¾ Cup butter
1. Preheatoven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and Prepare 2- 9 inch round cake
2. Creambutter and add 3/4 cup of sugar until fluffy. Add salt and vanilla.
3. Separate eggs and reserve the whites.
4. Add egg yolks to the sugar mixture one at a time and beat until creamy. Mix greek yogurt with milk.
5. Combine flour and baking powder; add alternately with milk/yogurt mixture to egg yolk mixture.
6. Ina separate bowl, beat whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at
a time, and beat until stiff peaks form.
7. Foldegg whites into batter..
8. Add Flour to berries to coat and add into batter.
9. Add Batter into prepared pans, and sprinkle with tops with raw sugar. Bake at 350 degrees
for about 30 minutes or until done in the center.
Ingredients:
8oz. unsalted butter – softened
hours before using.
My friends this cake turned out exceptionally well, the crumb of the blueberry cake was dense, but not dry, it had a little more substance to it then just a yellow cake, and the sweet tart flavor of the fresh blueberries added to the experience. But I have to say that the star of the show was the lemon curd, not only did it compliment the cake so well, but the contrast in flavors made this cake into a symphony of flavors that just danced across the palate….sigh
This cake would make a wonderful coffee cake as well, just using the blueberry cake recipe, I would just cut it my one third and make one layer. Just dust it with confectioners sugar and you have a perfect breakfast treat! Although I do encourage you to give that lemon curd a try, you certainly won’t be disappointed!
Thanks for stopping by today and if you get a chance stop by Burwell General Store and see all of the other bloggers participating in the recipe swap. If you would like to join us next time, just send Christianna an email, we would love to have you!
Cheers
Dennis
Wow…this is GORGEOUS, Dennis! I love blueberries and lemon together :)! Hope you're having a lovely summer…
I see we had the same lemon curd idea! Although, yours probably tastes much fresher being homemade…and the blueberry complement sounds so good!
That sounds like one incredible cake! Gorgeous flavors… and lemon curd? Yummy! I would gladly eat that with a spoon! I bet it tastes fabulous with those blueberries… Great post as always, Chef Dennis! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This looks AMAZING! I wish I could be as creative as you!
Blueberry and lemon, what a combination. This cake looks amazing.
Look at that oozy lemon curd. Local or not, always a great choice!
Oh that looks divine, would be liking that curd as it dribbles on my chin
As always, I love your recipes. Thank you for being such a staple member of the recipe swap, it is such a pleasure to know you and follow your work!
I love that oozing lemon filling! Can I scoop it out of your cake?
I love popping by your blog, wish I lived closer to you to actually get to eat your delicious food. This looks amazing. I am so glad I came by. I am not a curd maker, it scares me. This seems like I could attempt it successfully. I may look into this recipe swap, just not sure someone at my level could do what you do. Still a novice.
I love this twist Dennis. Love that you used seasonal fruit and that it is so fresh sounding. I'm sure the flavors work together beautifully. Wish I have a GF version waiting for me for breakfast!
This cake looks amazing! I love blueberry and lemon together & lemon curd in cake… best idea ever!
Oh my gosh, I love this cake, it looks very delicious!!!
Bye bye from Italy ;D
Oh Lordy, that cake is fabulous! Extremely droolworthy and heavenly. A magnificent teatime treat.
Cheers,
Rosa
This looks lovely – such an excellent recipe swap post with beautiful photography.
Lemon curd is one of my absolute favorite things on the planet! What a great idea to use it with a blueberry cake. I love this. Excellent swap idea, as always!
Chef…I am drooling over the keyboard just looking at how the lemon curd oozing out….wonderful cake and it was a great idea to make lemon curd as a filling for your blueberry cake. Awesome !
Amazing, wonderful …yammmi!!! I love the lemon curd.!!! cheers!!!
Beautiful Chef Dennis, I made a lemon yogurt bread and added a few blueberries this weekend. I was able to pick blueberries in my backyard yesterday. I picked 3 quarts and froze them for future use. Thanks for the recipe and keep baking Andi thewednesdaybaker
What a great old time recipe! Yum!
I just love the combination of blueberry and lemon. I've never tried to make lemon curd myself. You've convinced me to give it a go. Ans since I, too, have loaded blueberry bushes in the back yard, I'm pleased to have another great recipe in my arsenal. Thanks.
Dennis, you could make this for me any day of the week and I'd be swooning! What a fantastic looking dessert!
OMG, this looks incredibly light and that lemon curd filling is a beautiful contrast with the blueberries. Beautiful, Dennis!
Fantastic! I love lemon curd, and could most certainly (by the looks of it) eat your entire batch straight from the bowl. What a perfect twist on a jelly cake. I'd be in serious trouble spending time around this dessert..
That looks and sounds incredible! Good thing I have a leftover jar of lemon curd in the fridge that I've been wondering what to do with. 🙂
LOL I do my best work under pressure too…I absolutely crave the combination of blueberries and lemon, I KNOW I would love this, you did a wonderful job Chef
Can't go wrong with Lemons and Blueberries! I've used this same method with lemon curd as well and it works fantastic, glad to see it worked for you too!
All I have to say is "YUM."
I have been on a kick lately of making items myself (i.e. those you would normally get at the grocery store, like bug spray http://mynaturallyfrugalfamily.blogspot.com/2011/07/fun-friday.html)
I will have to give this lemon curd a try. And I have plenty of blueberries from my CSA to make this cake.
Thanks Dennis for what looks like another homerun!
Sorry for the baseball analogy my Phillies have my excited and it just tends to make me equate things to baseball.
It looks beautiful how you dusted it in powdered sugar! I think I might actually try doing that on pancakes sometime for some nicer presentation. Have a great day Chef Dennis!
Now that I know we live so close to each other I'm going to do something completely selfless and volunteer to take leftovers. I know. I know. I'm such a good person. Seriously, if you are ever giving something like this tasty dish away please let me know. I adore all the flavors in this cake!
Blueberry and lemon is such a magical combo! How creative to use lemon curd instead of jelly! Happy Monday Chef!
Well let me tell ya this looks to die for delicious! I can't wait to make this at home. I love the technique for the lemon curd! Thanks for sharing this 🙂
Bluberries and lemons, what a perfect combination. I just love simple old fashioned home made cakes.
The lemon curd layer really put this over the top. Love vintage recipes-Yum!
Looks wonderful! I'd like a piece. 🙂
What a great cake! Love the idea of lemon curdbetween layers! Perfect with those berries!
This is a BEAUTIFUL cake!
There are few better and more refreshing flavour combinations out there, and your cake looks absolutely delicious! The lemon curd does indeed looks dreamily smooth, i am yet to make my own but am saving this recipe for when i do 🙂
I think lemon and blueberry would go really well together. Great pics as always.
This cake looks fabulous. I always love lemon in cakes .. kind of addicted to it:)
Indescribable!! I am sure it is sooooo delicious 😉
What a fun, fun cooking theme. I love it.
I am passing along your post to a friend. She was just recently standing over the stove stressing about her lemon curd. I need to pass the cake method along to her.
This cake looks divine. Absolutely divine.
Velva
I love blueberries and I love cake, but that lemon dripping out the sides made me melt! I cannot wait to try this!
This looks beautiful! Wonderful presentation and it looks delicious!
Googly moogly! Your lemon curd looks totally lip-smacking. Awesome cake, great take on a classic recipe 🙂
Fantastic! I love the combination of blueberries and lemon. Once you make your own lemon curd – you just can't use the store bought stuff! I am a huge fan (and mild collector) of vintage recipes and cookbooks…what a GREAT recipe swap!
Dennis this is a colourful cake looks beautifully delicious
regards Akheela
The cake is fabulous, but the lemon curd in between layers made me so wanting it right now, it's because your photos were amazing. Thanks for sharing.
what an interesting method, looks delicious 🙂
Seriously, how tasty does this look?? Great job on such a creative and fresh interpretation of the recipe! I love the vintage recipe swap idea. I recently started seeking out vintage recipes as well. This one is short and sweet! I love it.
Chef Dennis….CONGRATS !!!!! I knew this would be a winner coz you had me drooling all over the keyboard ! :p
This looks absolutely incredible, Chef! Lemon and blueberry are such bright flavors and to put them is such a rich but decadant cake…is perfect..absolutely. That is perfection in a cake, right there. Well done!
And congratulations on the Top9! Well earned, as always.
That is a seriously gorgeous cake. I love this Vintage REcipe Swap series, you all come up with such great twists on these old recipe.
that drippy lemon filling…OH MY GOD. I am drooling everywhere. That is gorgeous!
Chef Dennis,
I just wanted to let you know you are a friend in my head..This cake is marvelous to look at and dream about. Jackie
Allow me to use the words we food bloggers use all the time, drool-worthy, mouthwatering, yummy, delicious, divine. I'm sure I left a few out but I was in a hurry to Congratulate you on making it into Today's Top 9.
Beautiful Dennis! It reminds of something out of a southern novel typifying the lazy, hazy days of summer bliss.
Thanks for a great tip on the curd technique. Lemons and blueberrie show up often in my baking since I work for a blueberry canner, Oregon Fruit Products. I will be making this all year with the fresh lemons from my tree and the canned blueberries from my pantry!
Congrats on TOP 9!This berry cake looks fantastic and am loving the delicious lemon curd filling. I am sorry I missed this swap.
I'm so hungry right now I think I could eat the whole cake :o)
Oh i just love your take on the vintage recipe swap Dennis! The lemon curd sounds like the perfect accompaniment for this blueberry cake =)
Dennis look georgeous!!! and delicious! I love lemon, hope to make soon!!! gloria
I have so many blueberries in my freezer right now and I think this is going to be just the dish to use some of them 🙂 Another fabulous post Chef!!
I love this, Chef Dennis! The cake looks amazing and I really appreciate your exploration of vintage recipes. Lovely post and recipe – thank you!!
The vintage recipe swap sounds so cool! I think you nailed the interpretation, this looks too delicious!
Gorgeous cake, Dennis and beautiful photos, too. Lemon and blueberry are just perfect partners in flavor. And as far as one of us goes, there can;t be enough lemon curd, it makes the world a better place!
This is just perfect! I love it! Unfortunately I have a thing for cakes….and blueberry….and lemon…..and I love vintage things too!
The oozing lemon curd makes me want to stick my finger right in it and steal a lick.LOL.
I am looking and the cake thinking it looks like the rising agent was yeast.
This looks delicious
Thanks for sharing this one. It looks so divine. I love recipe that look pretty and taste good. Wish I lived near you. I would be stopping by your kitchen frequently.
This is a gorgeous cake. Can't wait to try the method for making the curd.
WOW! That looks incredible… I loooove the filling. Beautiful cake!
Congrats on top #1! 🙂
Basically, if a dessert has any kind of filling — custard, curd, cream, etc. — I have to choose it over the other options. Even donuts! This is definitely my style. Congrats!
The cake looks wonderful.
Just beautiful! I bought a cookbook from the 1940s and I can't wait to get in the kitchen with it! Thank you for sharing this classic recipe with me. I hope you are having a blessed week, my friend. Much love from the big state of Texas!
that recipe is what I am looking for, blueberry cake with lemon wow never I am searching for a cake with lemon and blueberry and then I landed here. Looks really delicious.
What a gorgeous cake, and lovely summer flavors!
Love these vintage recipes and this cake looks so scrumptious! Seriously drooling! You are killing me with this one! 🙂
blueberries, lemons…cake…so many of my favorites.
Love these old-school recipes. Lemon with blueberries is always a good idea. 🙂
That looks amazing!
I love this Dennis. Lemon curd is my absolute favorite condiment in the world. Well, that and homemade mayonnaise, but it's close. What a great method and a beautiful interpretation.
Looks fantastic, I love the combination of blueberries and lemon for the tart and sour.
Just beautiful Dennis! You did a wonderful job on your remake. I will definitely have to try that method for curd; it sounds so much easier!
This is such a great cake! I love how you changed the recipe – that filling looks to die for! I think I could just eat that 🙂
This cake looks fantastic! It looks very rustic and beautiful. The colors compliment each other very well. I've never made lemon curd but now I'm excited to try it with this new technique! Thanks for sharing!
I am slowly going around and looking at the recipes from the others in our group, and it has been really fun!
I love Cristianna's concept, and I am so glad that I decided to join:)
Your cake is right up my alley – I love tartness of the lemon curd and blueberries are one of my favorite fruits.
BTW, thanks for those links! I can't wait to spend some time browsing (that Suite 101 could be so right for me:)
Yummy! This is one of the best recipes in the swap for sure.
such a cool blog!!!
I added you in my blogroll!!
thanks for sharing all these great recipes!
I'm drooling all over my keyboard!!!
Chef Dennis, what a gorgeous cake ! My son loves lemon and I must make this for him soon. Thanks for sharing this…another great recipe in your awesome blog!
Chef Dennis, I have a couple questions about the recipe. Unfortunately, I’m in the middle of making it, so I guess I’ll have to wing it:(
In the cake ingredient portion, you list 3/4 cup sugar, but in the directions you mention creaming the butter with 1 cup sugar until fluffy. I’m going to go with the 3/4. Also in the ingredients, you list 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, but don’t mention it in the directions. I’ll whisk the yogurt into the milk before adding to the egg yolks? Or perhaps the yogurt goes into the egg yolks? Here’s hoping that mine comes out similar to yours! Please let me know your original intent so that I can adjust my recipe.
hi Sue
so sorry about the recipe, The whole amount of sugar is 1 cup, but split into two parts, 3/4 with the intial mix and 1/4 with the egg whites. Mix the yogurt into the milk and then follow the instructions that just list milk
let me know how it turns out. Just make sure you bake it long enough so it sets properly.
Dennis
It’s fun to see the older recipes isn’t it Dennis. I am a food columnist, author and the foremost New England Food Historian but I also have started researching Virginia food history and have come across some great old recipes. Thanks for sharing Chef. Take a peak at my blog, not only for the recipes, but historical food related items as well.