A Very Blueberry Cake

Every visit home to Pennsylvania always involves lots of great eating and this trip was particularly focused on desserts.  The abundance of fresh blueberries, black raspberries, watermelon and peaches yielded some excellent after dinner treats.  My mother and my sister-in-law are both avid bakers, something which is definitely not my forte, so I always appreciate their efforts.  I really wanted to post the recipe for my mother's black raspberry pie, but it was devoured before I even got to take a picture.  My other favorite was my sister-in-law Missy's Very Blueberry Cake which I was able to snap a quick shot of the very last piece before it got finished off.  Not my best photo, but the cake was to die for.  I also love the combination of blueberries and lemon and this moist, delicious cake really complements both of them.  You might remember Missy's recipe for Pumpkin Roll that I published over the holidays...

Very Blueberry Cake

Cake
½ cup butter softened
½ cup shortening
1-½ cup sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ t. baking powder

Filling
1 T. all purpose flour
2 t. cornstarch
1 t. quick cooking tapioca
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 t. grated lemon peel

Glaze
1 Cup confectioner sugar
2 T. Milk
1 t. lemon juice

In mixing bowl cream together butter, shortening and sugar.  Beat in eggs on at a time, and then mix in extracts.  In another bowl, combine flour and baking powder, mix and add to creamed mixture, blending well.  Spread 2/3 of the batter in a greased 15x10 pan, reserving the other 1/3 for the end.

For filling combine flour, cornstarch and tapioca in a large bowl.  Add ½ cup blueberries, mash with a fork and stir well.  Add lemon peel and remaining blueberries, toss to coat.  Pour blueberry mixture evenly over batter in pan. Drop remaining batter in rounded tablespoons over filling.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes until golden brown.  Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm cake.

Missy's Pumpkin Roll

Dessert at my parent's house on Christmas day always presents a dilemma as we have to chose between my mother's fresh pumpkin and apple pies as well as my sister-in-law's homemade pumpkin rolls. But since we are all such good dessert-loving-sugar-addicts, everyone take a small piece of all three ("small" being defined very differently between the males and females of the family), topping off the pies with a little whipped cream or ice cream. I always save roll for last, the moist pumpkin spiced cake with its silky cream filling melt in your mouth and make it the perfect end to the perfect meal! Thanks Missy for sharing your recipe!

Ingredients:
Cake
-3 eggs

-1 cup sugar

-2/3 cup pumpkin

-3/4 cup all-purpose flour

-1 teaspoon baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

*you will also need a clean dish towel sprinkled with powdered sugar to keep from sticking)

Cream Cheese
-1 cup powdered sugar

-1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened

-2 tablespoons butter

-3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

-Powdered sugar for topping (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar and pumpkin.
2. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well blended.
4. Line a 10 1/2" by 15" jelly roll or cookie sheet with wax paper that extends over the lip of the pan. Pour the batter onto the cookie sheet, spreading evenly.
5. Bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Prepare a clean kitchen towel by sprinkling heavily with powdered sugar.
7. After baking, turn the cookie sheet onto the towel, the cake should slide out onto the towel. Keeping the wax paper, start at one end and roll up the cake up lengthwise into the towel. Cool 30-40 minutes.
8. While the cake is cooling, make the filling, by stirring together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and butter. Mix well.
9. After the roll has cooled, unroll it, removed wax paper and spread the filling evenly over the cake. Roll back up without the towel. Wrap in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or until filling is firm.
10. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving if desired.