Blueberry-Lemon Cake

Today marks the third month since I started this blog. I registered this blog back in December 2008, but then I pondered for a while on what to do with it. I knew at that point I wanted to blog about food, which I am very passionate about, but I faced my first problem: I am not a good writer. I don't write good essays, even back in my school days. I have never been a 'literature person'. I am trained as a chemist and an engineer. Good in maths, bad in languages. Can't have it both.

So how can I possibly start a blog when I can't even write?

Then came the second problem. English is not my first, not my second, but my third language after Malay and Chinese (that includes Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien). Although I studied English as a language subject in school, I didn't find the opportunity to speak or write in English until I entered university. Writing in a language that I didn't grow up with is difficult so please bear with my grammar and spelling mistakes!

After procrastinating for almost 5 months, I decided to post my first recipe online, and then the second, third and the rest is history. It takes triple the time for me to write a post than for anyone else. But I always try to do my best. What I am lacking in English, I try to make up with good recipes and mouth-watering photos.

Three months ago, I posted my first recipe Apple and Cinnamon Cake on my blog. Three months later - today - I am posting another of my favourite cake recipe - Blueberry-Lemon Cake.

Blueberry-Lemon Cake Recipe

(Adapted from The Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Cookbook)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups blueberries

Lemon Glaze:

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
2. Grease and flour 9" by 5" metal loaf pan.
3. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In large bowl, in mixer at low speed, beat margarine and sugar just until blended.
5. Increase speed to medium; beat about 5 minutes, until light and creamy.
6. Reduce mixer speed to low; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition until well blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
7. Alternately beat flour mixture and milk into egg mixture, mixing just until blended.
8. Gently stir in blueberry.
9. Spoon batter into loaf pan.
10. Bake loaf 1 hour 5 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
11. Place sheet of waxed paper until wire rack.
12. Cool loaf in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
13. Remove from pan and place on rack.
14. With cake tester or skewer, prick top and sides of warm loaf all over.
15. Prepare Lemon glaze: In small bowl, mix lemon juice and sugar. With pastry brush. brush top and sides of warm loaf with lemon glaze.
16. Cool loaf completely on rack.

Applying A Glaze: Besides adding flavour to a cake, tea bread, or tart, a glaze can give a smooth, lustrous finish and seal in its moisture. Glazes can be as simple as melted jam, or a mixture of sugar and liquid. Set the cake over waxed paper to catch drips. For a flavor that permeates, prick the cake all over, then brush glaze over the top and sides of the still-warm cake.