Life becomes very casual at my house during the summer. Meals on the patio and days at the beach call for recipes that are quick and easy to fix and pack well for a few hours in the car. I took this delicious loaf cake with me to the beach several weeks ago and was sorry I didn’t make several more. It disappeared in a flash. Blueberries and lemon are made for each other and the sour cream in the batter keeps it moist and fresh for several days…if it should last that long.
I’ve been lucky enough to see many wonderful places in the world, but my favorite place is almost in my own backyard…Oregon’s North Coast Beaches. We spent a week there at the beginning of July at a beach house overlooking the ocean with eight days of 75 degree weather. This stretch of beach is at Arch Cape, just a few miles south of Cannon Beach. It’s a small residential community that doesn’t attract tourists at all. All the holiday festivities and crowds were in Cannon Beach.
We spent a big part of every day sitting in our folding chairs looking at the ocean. The lawn in front of the house was large enough to play lots of ladder ball, but we were content to just sit and visit most of the time. Only two of my three children were with me that week because my daughter, Erin, also a food blogger, and my two grandchildren are in Peru for the summer doing volunteer work at an orphanage in the city of Cusco, elevation 11,000 ft. It’s a fantastic experience for them to learn about Peruvian culture and they have visited places like Machu Picchu. a World Heritage Site, and Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in South America. They will be home in a few weeks and I can’t wait to hear their stories and see the photos they’ve taken. We keep in touch daily through Facebook and the photos we have seen thus far just leave us in awe. They are having the experience of a lifetime and we missed them.
We were in Arch Cape over the 4th of July weekend and, sitting on the little cliff overlooking the ocean gave us a front row view to their spectacular fireworks display. We had heard that it was something else and felt we could almost reach out and touch the jaw dropping display of light and color. It was thrilling to say the least. You can see all the beach fires in the photo. The night was warm and comfortable (which means very little wind) so there were lots of folks on the beach.
Well… getting back to this cake ~ it’s perfect beach food because the flavors and texture are wonderful, it stays nice and moist, and can be picked up and eaten on the go. I usually thaw frozen blueberries until they have just a few ice crystals left, but I read a recipe that suggested using them right out of the freezer. Just toss them in a little flour and add to the batter. This will prevent the color running into the cake. What the heck…I tried it but wasn’t too happy with the results. The berries sank to the bottom (which didn’t hurt the flavor at all) and the batter around the frozen berries took extra time to bake, a few minutes too long for the rest of the cake. It’s just a little detail but partially thawing the blueberries is the way to go.
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup sour cream
- Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons whipping cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 9x5-inch loaf pan with shortening or cooking spray.
- In medium bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs, vanilla, sour cream, lemon peel and juice. Stir in flour, baking soda and baking powder. Fold in ¾ cup of the blueberries. Spoon batter into pan. Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup blueberries on top.
- Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely.
- In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle glaze over loaf. Let stand until set before slicing.
Looks delicious.
What beautiful weather. Add 20+ degrees to that 75 and that’s what it has been in MS. Plus, it’s a moist heat. VERY HOT!
It’s hot here too Ramona when we get away from the coast. It was 103 degrees at 9:00 last night. Geez, we aren’t even into August yet.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Lemon Blueberry Loaf
What a grand summer you are enjoying. I am so pleased to hear things are going nicely for you, and what a terrific experience for you daughter. I did not know she was also a blogger. I must check her out. Thanks for mentioning her.
This Lemon blueberry cake is gorgeous. Lemon and blueberry are such a terrific combo. This is one of my husband’s favorite cakes.
Have a terrific summer!
Best,
Adri
I hope your summer is going well too, Adri. Ours is just flying by and it will be back to school time in the blink of an eye. Thank you for your comment.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Lemon Blueberry Loaf
The family ..:) So cute w/ hats and all..
What an adventure for your daughter..she is a kind person!I know dentists that go to Peru too.
The loaf is lovely..Life is so nice at the beach♥
Monique recently posted..Gorgeous Beets~
Hi Monique – My daughter is a middle school counselor…she loves all the kids she works with so she is in the perfect place for her to do volunteer work. They have fit right into the community where they work in Cusco and have made many friends there. I was nervous about them being so far away from home but everything is going very well and it’s the experience of a lifetime for them.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Lemon Blueberry Loaf
You might just LOVE Friday Night Lights..
Tami Taylor (Connie Britton)..is a counselor..after several episodes… and her husband Eric Taylor.(Kyle Chandler).is a coach.
I love their relationship..love them as actors..and the kids..well you just feel for them..more and more..
you must be very proud of your family:)
Monique recently posted..Gorgeous Beets~
Yum, this sounds delightful as does your time on the lovely coast. I can see why this bread disappeared, love the combination of lemon and blueberry!
It’s one of our favorites, Chris. We had a wonderful time at the beach…it is truly the best therapy when life gets too busy.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Lemon Blueberry Loaf
The cake looks great Cathy, love the icing! Sounds like you’re having a fun summer-enjoy:@)
What a scrumptious loaf! Lemon and blueberry is such an irresistible combo. Hope I get a chance to make this winner soon 🙂
Liz recently posted..No-Bake Dessert Round-Up
That looks like a magnificent view and a spectacular place to watch the fireworks. I love a good lemon blueberry cake and you’re reminding me I haven’t yet made one this summer.
Cathy, what a wonderful summer for your daughter and your grandchildren must be having! They will have a lifetime of memories of the great work they are doing. Kudos to them! I would love to visit the Oregon coastline one day. It is absolutely magnificent and so is your lemon blueberry loaf to bring there to enjoy a picnic and beautiful fireworks. Great shots, Cathy.
Susan recently posted..Pistachio and Olive Tapenade
Cathy, I would be perched on my chair every day too, perfectly content looking at that beautiful view! You are one fortunate person to live among all that natural beauty, and one heck of a baker also!
I know it’s Thanksgiving week but I couldn’t resist making this refreshing loaf! My house smells amazing and I can’t wait to take it to the office tomorrow for my coworkers and I to devour! 🙂