Blueberry Pound Cake

Frozen blueberries, sour cream and real butter
add body and flavor to this pound cake.

Blueberry Pound Cake

Pound cake of any kind is a favorite of mine. Rich, moist and essentially foolproof, poundcake doesn't require special flour, sifting or a lot of fussy preparation. The typical poundcake is baked in either a standard loaf pan or a Bundt pan. It doesn't need frosting, and it can be used as a breakfast bread or as a dessert.

This particular recipe contains sour cream and frozen blueberries. It tastes a lot like a blueberry pancake in loaf form. It is made for noshing with tea or a fresh cup of hot dark roast coffee.

Blueberry Pound Cake
3/4 c. butter (no substitutes)
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour 10x4 inch tube pan, Bundt pan or two 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inch loaf pans.

Using the microwave, melt butter in a large mixing bowl. Add granulated sugar and blend on low speed until sugar is dissolved. Add the vanilla and eggs, beating until thoroughly incorporated.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium mixing bowl. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding flour and sour cream. When all ingredients have been added, increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.

Pour 1/3 of the batter into prepared pans. Top this layer with 3/4 c. frozen blueberries. Add another 1/3 of the batter, and layer with 3/4 c. blueberries. Cover with final 1/3 of batter. If desired, swirl blueberries gently throughout the batter using a knife or spatula.

Bake in preheated oven - 45 to 50 minutes for loaves, 60 - 65 minutes for tube or Bundt pan, or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool slightly in pan before removing.

NOTE: Keep the blueberries frozen for this recipe, otherwise they will stain the batter blue.

Apple Carrot Bread

Apple Carrot Bread

The second wave of apples is ripening at my house. These are the heirloom variety, Pound Sweet, which live up to their name. The apples can weigh as much as a pound each, and the fruit is exceptionally juicy and sweet. The only downside is that these apples don't have that little bit of tart (malic acid) that characterizes the best eating and cooking apples.

Pound Sweet apples (and Golden Delicious, which shares a lot of the genetics) are very good for baking. They don't get mushy, and their size means that it doesn't require peeling and coring a lot of apples to have enough material for a recipe.  And since daytime temperatures have dropped from the high 80s to the mid-70s, I decided today was a good day to bake some loaves of apple carrot bread.

Is it bread, or is it cake? That's a difficult question. It doesn't require cake flour, but the texture and flavor are cake-like. It really doesn't matter, though, unless you are prejudiced against eating a piece of cake for breakfast.

NOTE: The flavoring I used in this is called Princess Cake and Cookie emulsion. This is a thick liquid that has a slightly floral flavor that combines vanilla and citrus. It can be purchased through Lorann Oils, or on Amazon.com.

Apple Carrot Bread

3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter (no substitutes)
1/2 c. solid vegetable shortening
2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. Princess Cake and Cookie emulsion (or substitute 3/4 tsp. vanilla and 1/4 tsp. lemon extract)
3 eggs
1 c. shredded carrots
1 c. grated peeled apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9 x 5 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.

In medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and shortening on high. Pour into bowl of stand mixer. Add granulated sugar and Princess Cake and Cookie emulsion. Using flexible blade, cream together until sugar is dissolved in shortening.

Alternate addition of eggs, grated apples and carrots and dry ingredients on low speed. After all ingredients are folded together, increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.

Pour batter evenly into 2 prepared loaf pans. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean and bread begins to separate from sides of pan. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack.

If desired, frost with cream cheese icing or drizzle loaf with confectioner's icing. Because the fruit in the bread keeps it very moist, it is prone to molding if left at room temperature. Store in airtight container(s) in refrigerator, or freeze for future use.