Blueberry Orange Pound Cake

It looks like spring has finally decided to stay for a while. I've had the windows open all day, and it has been glorious! The Geologist and I are now officially First Aid and CPR certified! Last step: homestudy, and all that that implies. Whew. The First Aid course was actually really interesting. I learned SO much!! Although with my ridiculously wimpy wrists... lets just say I hope there aren't any giant guys with tough ribcages collapsing in my vicinity, I may not do them much good.

It was a bit of a relief, actually, all that medical knowledge. I grew up with girls... and a little brother. Needless to say, his activities were highly influenced by us females! Ours wasn't exactly a rough-and-tumble household. Sure, we wrestled, and I have plenty of scars, but most of those were self/bike-inflicted. Then I married The Geologist, the second youngest in a family of seven... six of who were boys. The stories I've heard about their antics... well, any of you raising boys or growing up with boys can probably imagine. The one that haunts me most involves a piece of cardboard, golf clubs, and a head wound... *shudder* Needless to say, I've been a bit concerned about my boys after all those "do you remember"s. I feel much more prepared now. Head wounds, gashes, broken bones... Bring it on!!

No wait, I didn't mean that literally!! Please, DON'T bring it on if you can possibly help it!! But if you do, well, I'm ready.

Blueberry Orange Pound Cake
Printable Recipe

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
Zest from 1 orange
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Juice from 1 orange
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt or tube pan. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl and set aside. Rub the orange zest into the sugar another bowl.

Beat the butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl until smooth, about a minute. Add the orange sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping the bowl between each. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix just till combined. Slowly add the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl down and beat until smooth and fluffy (about 30 seconds). Gently fold in the blueberries. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to knock out any air.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (or just with blueberry goo) Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes and carefully invert the cake onto a plate. Let cool completely before glazing.

Whisk the powdered sugar and 2 Tb orange juice together until smooth. It should be just thin enough to pour, but not watery. Add juice, a little at a time, to thin. Add more sugar to thicken. Pour or drizzle over the cake, and let set before serving.

Now THAT is what bundt cake icing is supposed to look like!! And isn't my blue cake stand beautiful?? I adore it, but this is the first time I've been able to use it! So pretty :)

Oddly enough, it was snowing when I made (and photographed) this bright and summery cake. But then again, that's been the story of my life this spring. And it was time to bake something that wasn't chocolate or cinnamon!

Perfect pound cake texture: rich and soft, without being wet or dense. Buttery and moist and sweetly orangey, full of plump, juicy blueberries. Summer on a cake stand. You could do this in so many combinations! Raspberry lemon, blackberry lime, cranberry orange... blackberry lime sounds especially good to me!

And like all bundt cakes: effortlessly beautiful. And of course, completely delicious. Welcome back, Spring!! Stick around for a while, will ya??