Freshly baked: How to elevate your fruit cake with blueberries

We often wait all year for baked goods with seasonal fruits. My favourites are those with wild blueberries. However, before they appear on the bushes, I use cultivated blueberries. Cakes made with these fruits can also be delightful, and you don't need to have great baking skills to prepare them successfully. This recipe is a perfect example.

Looking for a delicious cake to accompany weekend coffee? You can always go for a simple fruit cake, but I assure you that a slightly more challenging cake won't cause any trouble either. And the taste? In my opinion, it's richer, and the blueberries immersed in yogurt take it to new heights. But let's take it step by step. I propose a cake with a shortcrust pastry base, a yogurt layer, and fruits.

The base of this dessert is shortcrust pastry. The key here is to use cold, high-quality butter. Knead it quickly so it doesn't warm up during the process. This way, after baking, it will be perfectly crumbly and delicate.

Ingredients:

For the shortcrust base:

• 2 cups of flour,
• 3.5 oz of butter,
• 4 egg yolks,
• 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar,
• 1 tablespoon of cream,
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder.

For the yogurt mixture:

• 21 oz of natural yogurt,
• 2 packs of sugar-free vanilla pudding,
• half a cup of sugar (to taste),
• 2 egg whites.

Additionally:

• 11 oz of blueberries,
• 1 flat tablespoon of potato starch.

Instructions:

1. Start with the shortcrust pastry for the base. Quickly knead the dough using flour, butter, sugar, egg yolks, baking powder, and cream.
2. Form the dough into a ball and chill it in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.
3. Roll out the dough into a rectangle matching the size of a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
4. Transfer the rolled-out dough to the tray and prick it with a fork. Bake in an oven preheated to 355°F for about 20 minutes until it is golden brown. Then take it out and allow it to cool.
5. Prepare the yogurt mixture. Briefly mix the natural yogurt with sugar and pudding, just to combine the ingredients.
6. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and whip until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the yogurt mixture and gently combine with a spatula. Spread the mixture over the cake base.
7. Mix the blueberries with potato starch and sprinkle them over the yogurt mixture.
8. Place the cake in an oven preheated to 320°F and bake for about 60 minutes. Serve chilled.

Cultivated blueberries are ideal for cakes. They are not overly juicy, so they maintain their consistency and flavour in practically any dessert. Additionally, they are rich in nutrients, including vitamins A, C, E, B group vitamins, and minerals such as magnesium, copper, selenium, iron, and calcium.

Blueberries possess antioxidant properties due to the presence of anthocyanins, making them an essential component of cancer prevention. The polyphenols they contain help lower blood pressure, strengthen blood vessels, and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. Anthocyanins also improve concentration and memory, protecting brain cells from aging.