Allo Darlin' and a Dark Dark Dark Blueberry Dichotomia Cake

October is here and I'm not quite ready to leave berries behind. As a last hurrah, I decided to bake a cake using those beautiful blueberries that J-Fur and I picked back in May. This cake, which meshes the flavors of blueberry, lemon and coconut, was based on something my mom made for Labor Day. I cut down the coconut (because I'm not a fan) and added the lemon. The result? A dessert that was all mine:

Blueberry Dichotomia Cake with Lemon Icing
(printable version)

-2 cups flour
-1 cup sugar
-3 tsp. baking powder
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/2 cup vegan shortening
-2 eggs, beaten
-1 cup milk
-2 cups blueberries
-1 cup coconut
-8 oz neufchatel cheese
-1/4 cup butter
-2 Tbs. lemon juice
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-1 cup confectioners' sugar

1. To make the cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt).

2. Cut in shortening using a fork (or pastry blender if you have one). Set aside.

3. Combine the eggs and milk. Stir egg and milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold in the blueberries carefully (so as not to break them) and coconut.

4. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 25 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Set aside to cool.

5. For the icing: Mix neufchatel cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, butter and vanilla until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar (half a cup at a time). Beat until creamy. Cover cooled cake with the icing.

There is something glorious about the combination of blueberries and lemons. The same can be said about songs that compare hearts to drums. It worked for the Avett Brothers and it works here with Allo Darlin'. I posted a live version of the song because Allo Darlin' will be bringing it to a few of the bigger cities in the US (along with Somerville and New Brunswick) starting October 16.

Studio version: Allo Darlin'-My Heart is a Drummer.

I feared an overabundance of lounge shtick when I heard the first few chords of "Daydreaming" by the dichotomically fueled Dark Dark Dark. Thankfully, as things progress, it becomes apparent that Dark Dark Dark is less Richard Cheese and more Regina Spektor.