Here’s a tall tale for you: I was hiking the Profile Trail in Pisgah National Forest, when I ran smack dab into a budding blueberry bush, that sent me down an exciting path with black bears, and ultimately led to the baking of my Blueberry-Lemon Sour Cream Cake. That’s a fairy tale, here’s the truth:

Actually, I was poking around the woods (behind the Ninth Green), looking for my lost golf ball, when – scout’s honor – I crawled under a blueberry bush with little green blueberries budding on the branches. The ball was lost, but the inspiration was found!

It will be a while before those blueberries are ready for pickin’, so a quick trip to the farmer’s market (or grocery store) is just about all you need for this yummy snack. I stick the blueberries in the middle and top of the cake, but you can stir them right into the batter if you like.

The only thing you absolutely cannot do, is NOT bake this cake! I won’t make you eat the whole thing instead, BUT I WILL suggest you bake the cake, and take half to a pal who needs to smile. You never know when even a small act of kindness can make a large difference in someone’s day! It’s perfect for a morning snack with your piping hot cup of coffee, an afternoon bite with a chilled glass of lemonade, and an after-dinner treat with a soothing cup of tea. Guess this makes it a must-bake cake for all occasions.

Blueberry-Lemon Sour Cream Cake

serves 8 to 10

15 minute cuisine, plus about an hour to bake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup sour cream

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Juice from 1 Meyer lemon, about 2 tablespoons

Zest from 1 Meyer lemon, about 1 tablespoon

2 pints fresh blueberries

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 375°. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl. Use an electric mixer to combine the eggs with the granulated sugar until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Mix in the sour cream, oil and vanilla. Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Stir the dry ingredients into the batter.

Stir the cornstarch into the blueberries. Pour half of the batter into a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper. Top with half of the blueberries. Pour the remaining batter on top and sprinkle the rest of the blueberries over the top. Bake until a tester inserted into the cake comes out with crumbs, (it will mostly come out with melting blueberries, but you can see crumbs rather than batter) about 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.