Fresh Blueberry and Lemon Cake Recipe

There are very few organic items that are naturally blue. In the food category, there are a number of things which we refer to as "blue", but which are not really blue. Blue cheese is actually grey or green, blue crabs lose their color when cooked, blue potatoes are actually purple, and blue kale is actually green. Blue corn is usually purple, although some of it is legitimately blue.

On the other hand, there are a number of edible blue items that are artificially flavored – blue curaçao, one of my favorite spirits, is made from the dried peel of bitter oranges and is dyed an electric blue. Incidentally, it changes color inside your body (as my friend Jana and I can attest). There was also Bridget Jones’ famous blue soup, discolored by melted plastic; and blue colored M&Ms and smarties, which have recently been banned in the UK since they are artificially dyed.

Psychologists say blue is a relaxing color with a positive influence on mental and physical performance. Some weight loss plans suggest serving food on a blue plate since it is reported to be an appetite suppressant.

My favorite "blue" food is blueberries. Despite the fact that they aren't really blue, they star in this week’s recipe.


Ingredients
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure lemon oil
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup milk (skim, whole or soy)

Directions1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a bundt pan with butter and then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour.
2. Mix 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add lemon oil.
5. As you stir, add half the flour mixture, then milk, then remaining flour mixture.
6. Toss blueberries in remaining 1/4 cup flour. Dredging fruit keeps it suspended in cake batter and prevents it from sinking during baking.
7. Fold blueberries into batter and pour into bundt pan.
8. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes, and turn onto a wire rack to completely cool.

10. Optional: dust with powdered (confectioner's) sugar when cool. The best way to get an even dusting is to put the sugar into a sieve or a tea infuser and tap lightly over the cake.

The cake should last about 5 days if wrapped in saran wrap and placed under a cake dome or in an airtight container.