Ingredients:
Small amount of vegetable shortening and flour for preparing pans
Fruit:
1 cup fresh blueberries
Batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1½ cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Tip: Use a citrus zester and citrus juicer for fresh zest and freshly squeezed juice. Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scales for accurate measuring.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare one 9x5x2¾ inch loaf pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening and dust with flour.
Fruit:
- Rinse berries, dry on paper towels, set aside.
Batter:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and baking powder; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, orange zest, and sugar until light and fluffy.
Tip: To cream, start by placing the butter and orange zest in the bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed begin by beating the butter and orange zest about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color.
With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar to the butter, either one tablespoon at a time, or in a very slow steady stream, taking from 4 to 8 minutes to add all of the sugar, and beating until the butter and sugar are fully incorporated and the mixture is a light, or pale yellow color, with a fluffy texture. While adding the sugar, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed. Add the vanilla and orange juice along with the last egg. The batter may be curdled but this will be corrected when the flour is added.
Tip: For each egg, crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to thoroughly break up the egg before adding to the creamed mixture. Start with the mixer on low speed so the liquid from the egg doesn’t splatter, once the egg is partially mixed increase the speed to medium. Each egg should be fully incorporated into the mixture before adding the next egg, taking about one minute to blend in each egg.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add about ½ of the flour mixture, mix just until blended, and then add the remaining half, mix just until blended.
- Spoon 1/3 of the batter evenly in the bottom of the loaf pan; use the back of a large spoon to smooth the top. Scatter ½ of the blueberries on top. Spoon 1/3 of the batter evenly over the blueberries, and scatter the remaining blueberries on top. Spoon the remaining batter on top and use the back of a large spoon to smooth the top.
Bake:
- Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top and begins to come away from the sides of the pan, and a long toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert the pan to remove the cake from the pan, place cake top side up on the wire rack to finish cooling.
Tip: Serve cake using a pretty cake plate and cake server for a delightful presentation.
TheBakingPan.com
Source:
Walter, Carole, Great Cakes, Random House, New York, 1991
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