At the cabin: Blueberry-Lemon Sour Cream Cake

Blueberry season means Blueberry-Lemon Sour Cream Cake.

Blueberry-Lemon Sour Cream cake, cooling on the counter.

By Rick Nelson

True confessions: I would probably never bake this cake at a cabin (although never say "never," right?), because it requires a food processor and an electric mixer, and it leaves a clean-up in its wake that is best dispatched with a dishwasher.

I would, however, bake this cake at home the day before leaving for the cabin, as I did last weekend. Why? For starters, it travels well; just stick it on a plate, cover it with plastic wrap and carry it to the car. But the main reason is that it's one of those cakes that actually tastes better the day after it's baked. Who knows why? Maybe it's the moist factor; there's a heck of a lot of butter and sour cream in it, and the four eggs don't hurt. Looks-wise, it also makes a pretty impressive first impression. Oh, and it tastes even better than it looks.

This cake has been in my baking repertoire for about five or six years, and I almost always whip one up after I've been blueberry picking at the spectacular Rush River Produce in Maiden Rock, Wis. I haven't made it down to that part of Lake Pepin yet this summer, but when I spied the beautiful blueberries at the Country Lane Farm stand last week at the University of Minnesota Farmers Market, I knew that I'd be buying sour cream.

Straight out of the oven.

BLUEBERRY-LEMON SOUR CREAM CAKE

Serves 12 to 16.

Note: A tube pan (also known as an angel food cake pan) works best. If using a tube pan with a removable bottom, set pan on a large sheet of foil, then fold foil up around sides of pan before filling it with batter. From "Here in America's Test Kitchen" by the editors of Cook's Illustrated (America's Test Kitchen, $29.95).

For streusel

3/4c. flour

1/2c. packed dark brown sugar, divided

2tbsp. ground cinnamon

2tbsp. unsalted butter , cold, cut into 2 pieces

1c. pecans , chopped

1 c. fresh blueberries

For cake:

12tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 tablespoons softened butter for greasing pan

4 eggs

1 1/2c. sour cream, divided

1tbsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4c. sugar

1tbsp. baking powder

3/4tsp. baking soda

3/4tsp. salt

Directions

To prepare cake batter: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 10-inch tube pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, 1 cup sour cream and vanilla extract until combined. In a medium bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add butter and remaining 1/2 cup sour cream; mix on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened and mixture resembles wet sand, with few large butter pieces remaining, about 1 1/2 minutes. Increase to medium speed and beat until batter comes together, about 10 seconds; scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Lower speed to medium-low and gradually add egg mixture in 3 additions, beating for 20 seconds after each and scraping down sides of bowl. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until batter is light and fluffy, about 1 minute.