Lemon and Blueberry Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

Mise en Place
Preheat oven to 160 degrees C
Line 2 20cm cake tins on the bottom and the sides
Sift the cake flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
Add the zest and lemon juice to the buttermilk and set aside.
Roll the blueberries in a thin dusting of cake flour and set aside.

Instructions: 
In the bowl of your stand mixer beat your eggs till VERY fluffy and pale using the whisk attachment. Slowly add the sugar while beating the eggs. Do not add the sugar too quickly as your eggs will deflate and the sugar will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Continue to mix the sugar and egg mixture till thick and voluminous.

Add your oil in a slow steady stream and stop mixing when all the oil has been incorporated.

Switch your whist attachment out for a flexi paddle. Mix VERY slowly while adding your sifted flour in a few spoons at a time. Stop when half the dry ingredients have been added.

Slowly pour half the buttermilk and lemon juice in while mixing on low and stop when half has been added.

Add the remaining dry ingredients in and continue with the wet once the flour has been fully incorporated.
NOTE: Adding the flour too quickly will result in flour clumps forming in your batter. Take care to not over mix your batter as it will deflate and if you process the flour mixture too much, gluten will begin to form and result in a tough rubbery cake which would be tragic. (we want a soft and airy crumb on this cake)

Pour your cake batter between the two cake pans and then add your blueberries on top. No need to push them into the batter. While the cake rises, the blueberries will be enveloped in the batter.

Bake for 25- 30 mins until a skewer or cake pin comes out clean from the middle. Bake longer if the time has elapsed and the cake is not cooked yet but check on it every 5 mins.

Invert your cakes from the tin onto a cooling rack and peel away the baking paper. (Baking paper is very important. It creates a barrier between the cake and the tin to ensure your cakes do not caramelize too much in the oven as well as do not stick to the pans)

Wrap your cakes in food safe and heat safe cling wrap and place in the fridge to cool. This may take anything from 1 hour to 3.
NOTE: Wrapping it in plastic before placing it in the fridge will ensure the moisture stays within the cake and protects the cake from drying out or taking on any scents from inside the fridge. 

Prepare your cream cheese icing by mixing your cream cheese, butter and icing together in a bowl on low speed till all is incorporated.

Scrape the bowl down and add your vanilla.

Mix again on low till well incorporated.

Place icing in a piping bag and set aside.
NOTE: Do not mix this too fast as you want to avoid creating big air pockets in your mixture. 

Prepare your blueberry sauce by adding all the ingredients in a heavy bottom saucepan and cooking on a low heat. Stir occasionally to avoid any scorching.

Remove from heat once the mixture is thick and shiny. This can be jarred and stored in the fridge for 1 week. For a smoother sauce, pulse in a food processor and strain before placing it in a jar to cool.

Assembly:
Remove the cakes from the fridge and carefully remove the brown caramelization on the top and bottom of the cake with a serrated knife.

Place one player on your presentation board and pipe your icing in dollops around the outer ring of the cake layer and then pipe an even layer of icing to cover the top of the cake.

Spoon your blueberry sauce as desired and place your last cake layer on top and press slightly to secure it in place.

Pipe your dolops of icing around the outer ring of the cake layer and fill the cake top with more icing and spoon the blueberry sauce as desired and garnish with flowers and glass lemons.

Keep your cake moist by eating it all right away or place in an airtight container at room temp for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4.