Cream Cheese and Blueberry Pound Cake

ingredients

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 3/4 oz)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 lb. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, slightly soft
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh or frozen wild blueberries

method

Put oven rack in middle of oven and heat to 325° F.

Spray an 8x5x3 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well mixed. Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese and the butter until very pale and little tails have formed. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat well until slightly fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl well.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating until blended before adding the next. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, lemon zest and dry ingredients and mix until almost incorporated but not quite. Switch from the mixer to a stiff rubber spatula and mix just until the batter is well blended and smooth, taking care to scrape the bowl's bottom and sides. Gently fold in the berries.

Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs sticking to it, 60-65 minutes if using fresh berries or 75-90 minutes if using frozen. Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes and then invert the pan and lightly tap it to release the cake. Let cool completely on a rack before serving.

Adapted from a Fine Cooking recipe