Lemons and Blueberries Make My Heart Sing!

There's just something about lemons and blueberries mixed together that make me happy! Maybe it's the vibrant colors or the way the flavors dance around on my palate, but I can't get enough of these two. Anytime I find a recipe for this delightful duo, I've got to try it.  Hence this 3 layer cake....

It's a LOT of work, but well worth it, so here we go...

THE CAKE

2 cups plus 6 tbsp flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Sift all together and set aside

In a small bowl, mix....
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp pure lemon extract
1 tsp lemon zest

Three cups of fresh blueberries tossed with 1 tbsp of the flour mixture                        

Fresh lemon zest

THE CURD

6 large egg yolks, separated
Zest of one lemon
1/2 cup of lemon juice
3/4 cup of sugar
1 stick of butter, cold, cut into pieces

Fresh lemon juice and zest

Cooking the lemon curd

Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar in a small sauce pan.   Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick. The curd should be thick enough to cover the back of the spoon, about 5-7 min.

Poor the curd into a shallow pan and cover with plastic wrap; directly on top of the curd to keep a film from forming.  Wrap tightly with plastic over the top and refrigerate until cooled.

FROSTING

1 cup softened butter
2 tsp lemon zest
5-6 cups powdered sugar
2 oz fresh lemon juice
6 tbsp whipping cream
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract
2 tbsp water
Pinch of salt
Yellow food coloring, optional

Cream the butter and lemon zest in a bowl, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed about 2 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and mix on high for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.

Layer the cake with the lemon curd between the layers. This is kind of tricky. I frosted the edges as I was doing this to keep the curd from oozing down the sides. Finish frosting after you've layered it all. Garnish as you please. I was so tired from being in the kitchen all day, I just sprinkled with some yellow sugar and added some lemon rind. Worked for me!

ENJOY!
It's SO good!