Summer's Best Blueberry Pound Cake

by Kara Kimbrough

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon milk, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups frozen blueberries

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-x-5-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer beat butter until creamy; gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking powder and salt. Add alternately: 1/2 of the flour mixture, the milk, then the remaining flour, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with half of the blueberries. Gently spread remaining batter over blueberries, then sprinkle remaining blueberries over the top. Tap the pan briskly on the counter top to settle the batter. (The blueberries will distribute themselves throughout the cake during baking.)

Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn out and cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. In a small bowl combine confectioners’ sugar with the remaining teaspoon milk. Brush or drizzle over cake.