Meyer Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake

Good afternoon great foodie friends…..
It has been sometime since my last blog post…. Busy lives get in the way and when it’s with your family, it is a good thing in my book! They are my inspiration!

Meyer lemon blueberry coffee cake

Meyer lemons are a treat and seasonal so when you see them, buy them!
This little gem is well known as

the chefs choice

A Meyer lemon is not as tart as a lemon and not as sweet as an orange. In fact the Meyer is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange.
What is a Meyer lemon and where did it come from?
The Meyer lemon flesh is a light orange-yellow color, with juice sweeter than that of most lemons. This compact dwarf citrus tree grows well in most U.S. climates, but is not often commercially cultivated. The main reason for this is its thin skin, which makes the Improved Meyer Lemon difficult to ship safely.

Introduced to the United States (from China) in the early twentieth century, it was discovered by Frank N. Meyer, who was on assignment from the USDA as an agricultural explorer. Meyer was originally hired by the USDA as a gardener and worked his way up the ranks in the USDA by studying flora in Mexico at his own expense. By the time his career was over, Meyer had introduced more than 2,500 plants to the United States.
This recipe is a play off a Martha Stewarts recipe but as I always mention, I made it my own!

What you will need:
The Cake:
*5 Meyer lemons, cut into paper-thin slices, ends discarded
*2 cups all-purpose flour
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
*1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
*1 cup granulated sugar (I use organic raw)
* finely grated Meyer lemon zest (approx 4 to 5 lemons)
*2 large eggs
*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
*1 cup sour cream
*3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

The streusel:

*1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
*3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
*1 teaspoon coarse salt
* 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter
Make the streusel before starting the cake and then put it in the fridge.

Make the streusel:
Mix together flour, brown sugar, and salt. Use a fork or your fingers, cut butter into the flour mixture until small to medium clumps form. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use to finish the cake topping just before you put into the oven to bake.

Making the cake:

what to do:
*Cook lemon slices in a medium saucepan of simmering water for approx 2 minutes and drain.
*lay lemon slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Butter a 9-inch angel food cake pan. *Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
*Beat butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest with a mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
* With the mixer running, add eggs, 1 at a time, then the vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture 1/3rd at a time, alternating with sour cream.

*Spoon 1/2 of the batter evenly into cake pan. Arrange 1/2 of the lemon slices in a single layer over the batter and then evenly spread the blueberries on top of the lemon slices.

*Now spread the remaining batter evenly over the top and cover with the remaining lemon slices in a single layer. *Now evenly sprinkle the chilled streusel evenly over the batter.

*Now put the cake into the oven and bake until cake is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
*Transfer the pan to a wire rack set over a baking sheet, and let cool in pan for 15 minutes.
*Now run a knife around the edges of the pan, and remove outer ring. Let cool on rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the center tube. Slide 2 wide spatulas between the bottom of the cake and the pan, and lift cake to remove from the center tube.
*Now let cool completely on rack.

Before serving make the glaze and drizzle it over the top of the cake….some of the glaze will drop down the sides which is normal.
Making the glaze:

*1 cup confectioners’ or icing sugar
*3 to 4 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
Simply mix the icing sugar & add the lemon juice to a smooth consistency.
Pour over the top and allow to set for approx 7-10 minutes before cutting.

mmmm delicious… You Gotta Try This!