home...and eating blueberry cake with cream cheese frosting

After a lot of packing and travelling I am now home sweet home and it's time for some real baking. Super excited I again live in a home with an oven...oh the possibilities! 

One thing that I began to appreciate while away is New Zealands' cafe and restaurant culture. We really are spoilt for choice when it comes to quality food and beverages. On my first cafe outing since being home we went to six forty six in Whangamata. I loved how the menu was written on huge brown paper rolls that were fixed to the walls. It gave you the feeling it wouldn't be the same the next time you visited. They had a large variety of choices from a tasty Thai green curry (Mum's choice) to yummy blueberry pancakes with lemon maple syrup and cream (My choice). 

I enjoyed my pancakes and it got me thinking about blueberries and a cupcake recipe I had been wanting to try in cake form. So today I got to work and am happy with the results - Soft cake, juicy blueberries and sweet cream cheese icing...what's not to love!

Recipe: Blueberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

60 grams butter (At room temperature) 

3/4 cup sugar 

2 large eggs 

1/3 cup sour cream  

1/4 cup vegetable oil 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I use the one with the seeds in because it looks pretty)

1 3/4 cups flour 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2/3 cup milk 

1 cup blueberries (I used frozen - just rinse and dry before putting in the mixture)

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and line 2 small round cake tins.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

4. Beat in the sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. 

5. Gradually add in the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

6. Stir in milk until batter is smooth. 

7. Mix in the blueberries.

8. Split the mixture between your 2 cake tins and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when pricked in to the centre. 

9. Remove from the oven, transfer cakes to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

230 grams cream cheese (At room temperature) 

60 grams unsalted butter (At room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Again with the seeds in)
3 cups icing sugar

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.

2. Beat in the vanilla and icing sugar. If it is too soft, add more icing sugar until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Or, if it is too stiff, add a little milk until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

3. Once the cakes are cool, spread frosting on top of one of the cakes. Place the second cake on top of the frosting. Continue to frost the rest of the cake as desired and decorate with a few fresh berries.