This week, not only are we doing things different with Mom making the cake, we also decided on its donation ahead of time. The Home Alone Day, sponsored by Hunters Chapel Assembly, is bringing food to shut-ins and those who are still struggling as we continue to weather the Covid storm. It just so happened that this fell the weekend of a large winter storm that is sweeping the Southeast. Between power outages and hard roads, many people will be in need of a hot meal. All the better when is cooked with loving hands and delivered with a smile and prayers.

And let me tell y’all, the hands don’t get much more loving than my mothers.

From taking in her adult daughter and grandchildren when my health failed, to praying on the side of the road for the people who hit her car, my mother is always willing to give from the seemingly endless fountain of love inside of her. Making food for the Home Alone ministry is just another facet of spreading that love. Which is why she isn’t just making them this cake, but 5 dessert.

When she volunteered to do the cake this week (also spreading love by giving me a few much needed days off in a row) and take my preteens (“We can bake together!”), I decided to let her pick what she wanted to make and she chose the Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake. How funny that what tickled her fancy was a cake distinctly similar to her birthday cake! *wink wink* Am I good or am I good?

Beyond the initial “Oooh, yum” factor she also chose this cake because it is a cake from a mix. As with all the recipes in 52 Pounds, liberties are clearly taken with these cake mixes. It’s something that I am still working on being comfortable with. The best things about them are that they tend to be easier to put together, take less time to bake, and are nearly fool proof.

Who wouldn’t want a decadent cake like this that just wont fail? Everyone. And since this should be something that everyone gets to try, we are providing you the recipe!

Happy eating!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

½ c granulated sugar +additional

3 eggs

1 (8 oz) block of cream cheese, softened

½ c vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 c fresh blueberries

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prep your pan- Spray a tube, loaf, or bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle some granulated sugar in the bottom and sides of pan. Set aside.

Mix all ingredients except the blueberries together in a large bowl on low until well blended, then mix for 4 minutes on medium and then high.

Gently fold in the fresh blueberries. The batter will be thick. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan.

Bake 55-60 minutes for a tube or bundt pan, or 60-70 minutes for a loaf pan.

Let cool in pan 30-45 minutes before turning out to serve.

*this cake can also be frozen for a make-ahead dessert. Allow to thaw completely before serving.