Blueberry Lime Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

I’m so excited that Summer is almost here, and all the beautiful berries and other Summer fruits are coming into season. I just wish this crazy NYC weather would sort itself out! One day it’s hot and sunny and the next (like today) it’s a lot cooler and raining. There is so much fog today you can’t see the top half of the Empire State Building! Anyway, these dreary days are perfect for baking, which makes me happy. 

Lemons and blueberries are such a classic combination, but for this cake I wanted something with a little more zing. Enter the lime! This Blueberry Lime Bundt Cake is full of juicy blueberries and fresh lime zest AND juice, which gives it an irresistible tartness that balances the sweetness really nicely. The cake itself is on the dense side, but has a very moist crumb and a lightness that will make you want a second piece. It’s topped off with a truly delicious cream cheese icing, that also contains lime juice. Another piece please! 

Ingredients:

2 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 & 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 & 1/2 tablespoons lime zest (read important note below recipe)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained (but not dried)
Extra blueberries and lime zest for decorating (optional)

Icing:

3 oz (85 grams) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon (16 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius). Spray a bundt pan well with cooking spray and then dust with flour and shake out any excess. 
2. Make the cake: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix with a fork and set aside. 
3. Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture and set aside. 
4. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and lime zest until it is very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add butter and mix until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir the lime juice into the buttermilk.
5. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add in 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined. Repeat process with flour and buttermilk mixtures once more. Add last 1/3 of flour mixture and mix until barely combined. Add blueberries, folding them in carefully with a spatula, being careful not to over-mix. 
6. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen cake and invert onto the rack. Allow to cool completely. 
7. Make the cream cheese icing: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until soft and fluffy. Sift in the confectioners sugar and add the lime juice and mix until light and fluffy. Spread icing over cake and decorate with blueberries and lime zest if desired.

Notes: Very important for the lime zest: be very careful to only grate the green part of the skin, and to not get any of the white part (the pith) as this will cause the cake to have a bitter taste. If not serving right away, cake is best stored in the refrigerator and then brought to room temperature before serving. Slices from the refrigerator can be warmed in the microwave individually, for about 15 seconds each.