Our contributor, Tessa Huff, is back with another tempting cake recipe….

Spring is the season for brunching.  Good friends, daffodils, pastries, and mimosas- there is no better way to celebrate renewal, bright blooms, and warmer weather.  Amongst the danishes, donuts, and other sweet treats, cake does not seem to make many appearances on the brunch menu.  But what not bring cake to the breakfast party?  Coming from someone who believes a nice layer cake is appropriate for all occasions, lets break the boundaries and eat cake for breakfast!

Whenever I make pancakes, they are never ready all at the same time, especially when serving a crowd.  I typically serve my guests the fresh, warm pancakes, while I either snack on the oddly-shaped ones in the kitchen or eat alone once everyone else is served.  With this Blueberry Breakfast Cake, everyone can enjoy the nostalgic flavors of blueberry pancakes all at once.

For this recipe, I deconstructed one of my favorite brunch food items and used the flavors to create a new dessert.  It uses all of our favorite early morning flavors that leave us feeling warm and fuzzy all day.

A blueberry-studded buttermilk cake serves as the base for this creation, with a sprinkle of cinnamon for a touch of warmth.  Fresh or frozen blueberries will work, but keep them frozen to prevent bleeding in your cake batter.  I was inspired by the luscious pats of butter and ooey syrup found atop stacks of pancakes for the filling.  The browned-butter is slightly nutty and pairs wonderfully with the addition of pure maple syrup.  Since the buttermilk cake is on the heavier side and browned-butter filling is fairly rich, the final cake is iced with a light, cinnamon whipped cream frosting.

BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST CAKE
a recipe by Tessa Huff

3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups blueberries, frozen

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare 3 X 8” baking pans.
2. Sift dry ingredients and set aside.  Toss frozen blueberries in a separate bowl with just enough flour to lightly coat and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed with a paddle attachment.
4. Add sugar. Mix again until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes)
5. With the mixer on medium-low, add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time.  Turn mixer off and scrape the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
6. With the mixer on low, carefully add about half of your dry ingredients until just combined.
7. While the mixer is still running, stream in the buttermilk.
8. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix until combined.
9. Removed the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the blueberries.
10. Divide batter evenly between the three cake pans and place in the oven.  Bake until a wooden skewer comes out clean or with little crumbs from the center of the cake, about 20 minutes.  Rotate pans halfway through baking.
11. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before inverting.

for the Maple Browned-Butter Filling

3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons milk

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Continue to cook until the butter becomes an amber brown, about 10 minutes.  Stir frequently to avoid burning the butter.  Once browned, remove from heat and cool.  After the butter has cooled, stir in the remaining ingredients.  Gradually add in the milk and adjust amount according to desired consistency.  Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container.

for the Cinnamon Whipped Cream

2 cups cold whipping cream
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Using the whisk attachment, beat the cream mixture on high until stiff peaks form.  Be careful not to over-mix.  Use immediately.

	Tessa Lindow Huff Tessa Huff is a professional cake designer and lover of all things art and design.  She particularly enjoys creating edible decorations, sugar flowers, and unique flavor pairings with fresh, seasonal flavors. Read more about Tessa on her bio page.

Summer might be coming to a close but there’s still time to enjoy the fresh berries that the season has to offer!  Today’s cake is a great way to do just that.  It’s a fresh and vibrant take on the oh-so-popular rainbow cakes!  Shaded blue, filled with lemon curd and topped with berries, this cake is the perfect combination of blueberry and lemon.  A treat for both your eyes and your mouth, check out this Blueberry Rainbow Cake created by Lisa Lundqvist of Sockerrus (a Swedish blog named Sugar Rush)….

I absolutely love the bright blue building into the deep dark blueberry top!  You could also do this cake in shades of pink, topped with raspberries for a gorgeous lemon and raspberry creation!

A few thoughts from Lisa about her cake:

“I wanted to create a simple and beautiful cake anyone can make at home. A cake that would take your breath away even though it doesn’t have any fancy decorations. The moist white velvet cake melts in your mouth and together with lemon curd and blueberries, it’s heavenly.  If you like lemon, you’ll love this cake.”

There might be six shades of blue in this cake, but it will make you feel anything but blue!!  A very special thank you to Lisa Lundqvist of Sockerrus for sharing her Blueberry Rainbow Cake recipe with us today!  Happy Baking!!

Blueberry Rainbow Cake

For the White Velvet Cake
135 gram egg whites (about 4 1/2 large egg whites)
240 gram milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
300 gram flour (plain)
300 gram sugar
1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
170 gram butter, soft
Blue icing color (I used Wilton sky blue and royal blue)
300-600 grams lemon curd (I used 300 grams for half a batch white velvet cake)
Blueberries

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F)

1. In a small bowl, whisk together egg whites, milk and vanilla. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the soft butter and mix on low speed. Add 1/3 of the egg mixture and mix until well combined. Repeat twice.

For 3 layers: Divide the batter into three bowls. In the first bowl add a tiny drop of icing color. In the second bowl add two tiny drops and so on. Use 8-inch cake pans and bake in the oven for 25-30minutes.

For 6 layers: Divide the batter into 6 bowls. In the first bowl add a tiny drop of icing color. In the second bowl add two tiny drops and so on. Stir and pour into 6-inch cake pans (about 15 cm). Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean

For 12 layers or 2 small cakes: Divide the batter in 12 bowls. In the first bowl add a tiny drop of icing color. In the second bowl add two tiny drops and so on. Use 4-5-inch cake pans (10-12cm) and bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a small spatula and invert cakes onto wire racks.

Place the layer who only had one tiny drop of color on a cake plate. Spread lemon curd with a spoon or small spatula over the first layer, make sure it’s well covered . Repeat process with the layer who hade two tiny drops of color and so on. Finish with a layer of lemon curd on the top and decorate with blueberries.

Vendors & Credits:
Cake & Recipe: Lisa Lundqvist of Sockerrus

This weekend is the 4th of July and here at Half Baked, we’re ready to go!  You may have spotted our Stars & Stripes Cheesecake Shots over at Hostess with the Mostess. (Yay! Thanks for the feature Jenn!)  I created this cheesecake shot recipe for the Milkaholic Baby Shower that I hosted a few months ago and was thrilled to recreate these treats with a patriotic twist.  Cold shot glasses filled with creamy cheesecake filling, graham cracker crumbs and topped with berries.  To give it an extra special touch for the 4th of July, I added small puff pastry stars.  And to wrap up a great week, I have the recipe for those stars!

Frozen Puff Pastry (Pepperidge Farm), thawed overnight in refrigerator
Sugar
Sanding Sugar
Cream Cheese Filling – Recipe HERE ( it’s the same filling as the cheesecake shots!)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a board dusted with sugar until it is 10 by 12 inches.  Sprinkle entire sheet with sanding sugar.  Using a star shaped cookie cutter, cut stars and gently move onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  If puff pastry is warm from handling it, refrigerate entire tray for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes until puffed and sugar is slightly browned and caramelized.  Cool for a few minutes and then remove from tray and cool completely.

For Large Star Sandwiches: Separate top from bottom by cutting star in half using a serrated knife (think oreo cookie halves).  Spread cream cheese mixture onto both halves and put back together.  Using a piping bag with small round tip helps to keep your final treat neat and clean around the edges.  {For an extra special treat, add a layer of fruit in your sandwich like sliced strawberries or small raspberries and blueberries.  So delish!}  Refrigerate 4 hours or until cheesecake mixture is firm.  Serve chilled.

For Small Star Toppers: Keep sealed in an airtight container until ready to use.  These make the perfect little topper for our cheesecake shots (recipe HERE), cupcakes, ice cream cones and more!

A special thank you to Jenn and her team over at Hostess with the Mostess for featuring our Stars & Stripes Cheesecake Shots!  If you missed it, you can find the post and recipe HERE.  Wishing everyone a safe and fun filled 4th of July Weekend! 

Enjoy!

	Carrie Sellman is the Founder & Editor of The Cake Blog. Her work has been published in BRIDES Magazine, The Bride and Bloom, on DIYnetwork.com, TLC’s Parentables and more. Read more about Carrie on her bio page.