BBQ Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

This BBQ Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Cake is like nothing you have ever tasted before!! Cooked in individual cast iron pans on the barbecue it is a dessert everyone will be clamoring for again and again!

This is a great recipe that you could easily cook the night before and have it ready for breakfast the next day. Whether you are having it for dessert, breakfast, or in the afternoon you are going to be loving this cake!

The tangy tartness of the lemon pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the blueberries to create a wonderfully beautiful flavor in every bite. This is one of the best blueberry cakes that you may ever get to make. Best of all, it’s super easy, and the taste is incredible!

Why is buttermilk added to cake?

Buttermilk is added to cakes because it brings a pleasant tang to cakes, as well as bread, biscuits, and other family baking favorites. The bonus is that it adds very little fat to your dishes. Much like yogurt or sour cream, buttermilk is an acidic ingredient that helps tenderize gluten. This gives the things you bake a much softer texture with more body.

Not only does the buttermilk add so much to this wonderful cake, it helps to make it light and fluffy, creating a texture that is soft and luxurious. Every spoonful presents a flavor explosion in your mouth!

Did you know you can make your own buttermilk? When you come across a recipe, like this one, you don’t have to run to the store to pick some up, just make your own! There are a couple of ways, but the easiest method is to simply add a tablespoon of lemon juice to a cup of milk. Viola instant buttermilk, it’s that easy!

How to Make Lemon Blueberry cake

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Making this lemon blueberry cake is really as easy as pie, or should I say cake! Simply mix the ingredients and you are ready to go.

Ingredients

• Butter
• Lemon juice
• Sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Flour
• Baking powder
• Kosher salt
• Fresh blueberries
• Buttermilk

Start by creaming the butter and sugar using a stand mixer. Add the lemon juice, egg, and vanilla and continue to mix until well combined. You could use lemon zest if you like but I find that the lemon juice provides a more consistent flavor. Toss the blueberries with flour to coat them and set them aside.

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In a separate bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the buttermilk and flour mixture to the batter and mix to combine. Gently fold in the floured blueberries, make sure you leave the excess flour from the blueberries in the bowl, do not mix that into the batter.

Spray 4 six-inch cast iron pans with cooking spray to prevent the cakes from sticking and then divide the batter evenly between the pans. Just before they go on the grill you will want to sprinkle the tops with some sugar. The sugar will carmelize while the cake is cooking. Not only does this add some additional sweetness to the cake, but just a bit of a crunch as you scoop out a spoonful. Yummy!!

On to the Grill

You want to place the pans on the upper rack of your grill or use the indirect method of grilling. Otherwise, the bottoms of the cakes will end up being burnt but the actual cake will not be cooked all the way through.

Preheat your grill to 350 degrees F. It is very important to try to maintain a constant temperature on your grill. Keep the lid closed and make sure you monitor the temperature closely. If it does happen to start to get too hot you can lift the lid for a few seconds to release some of the heat.

The baking time will vary so you do have to really watch your cakes on the grill. The small skillets or cake pans really hold the heat once they have been on the grill for a while. The cakes should be done in about 30 minutes or so. I like to use a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake to check on them. They will be done when the toothpick comes out clean, with no batter sticking to it.

Why Individual servings?

When I first thought about this recipe I wanted to make it special. I thought why not make them in individual serving vessels rather than one large cake that you have to cut into pieces for everyone. I came up with the idea to grill the cake in individual six-inch cast iron pans. Although that was a little easier said than done!

So next, I was on the hunt for these cast iron pans. With wanting to locate these quickly, I went off to our local hardware store and looked in their kitchen section but didn’t see any. With a little search, I found them easily in the camping section. These would be great to make while you are camping too!

When I was home and thrilled with my purchase I also checked online and saw they had them, but in Canada, they are a lot more expensive than the ones I bought. In the US they are well priced. So look around locally if you are in Canada you will probably find them cheaper.

One thing about using a skillet on the grill, it gets really hot, so you need to make sure you have a good pair of oven or grill mitts on hand, and on your hands!! Allow the skillets to cool on a cooling rack until you are able to touch the pans. The last thing you want to do is serve it up and have someone grab a hot handle.

I remember one of my high school science teachers saying that hot glass looks just the same as cool glass. Well, it the same with cast iron, you can’t tell if it’s hot from looking at it!!

Serving the cake

You could simply serve the cake as is once it has cooled, it is lovely and moist and the taste, I know you are going to love it! But there are so many other creative ways to amp up the taste of this wonderful dessert! A scoop of vanilla ice cream or one of my favorites, maple pecan! How about some whipped cream and a handful of fresh blueberries sprinkled on top?

Serving the cake when it’s still slightly warm allows the ice cream to melt a little as you eat it. Nothing like having that wonderful creaminess soaked into this already moist cake!

Don’t you just want to reach out and take a bite?!?! This is a recipe that although is fairly simple it is one that you can make again and again. It doesn’t even have to be made on the grill. You could use a bundt pan, a loaf pan, or even a springform pan and cook it in the oven. The principles are basically the same, watch your time and make sure it is baked all the way through. The possibilities are really endless!

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