Buttered Grapes: Blueberry and Mint Bundt Cake with Lemon Drizzle.

I am a very firm believer in the idea that there is so much beauty everywhere......but sometimes we just have to look that little bit harder to find it. This week my life has surprisingly slowed down a little bit from the normal pace of running around like a mad woman, and I've had time to stop and contemplate all the little lovely things going on in my life. They ranged from good thrift shop stores to bundt cakes....and I'd love to share them with you!

A few lovely things to share with you:

The other day while I was waiting for my tram I did a huge sneeze. A guy driving past with his window down looked over at me and called out "Bless you!" I called back thank you. He told me that I was welcome, and drove off.

My sugar cookies continue to sell at Little Cupcakes. I take so much joy in selling each and everyone of them to customers. Every time one sells, I want to run over to the customer and say "Please, please, enjoy this. I put a lot of love into it," and once they are done demand to know if they liked it (and how much they would rate it on a scale of one to ten?)

Cute conversations, with cute people that make you smile like this.

(Enough said)

Staying at hone all day on my day off and painting, while sipping green tea. These are the little pictures I did for my room.

Thrift shop finds. Ok so I'm totally friends with the girl at the cutest vintage store in Melbourne, and she gives me amazing deals on amazing clothes. (So sorry about the posed photo!)

But most importantly.........Lets talk cake!

I've never made a bundt cake before, but I just love how they look (I also love the way the word is spelt. Whats with the extra 'd'?) So on my day off yesterday (a day in which I was not meant to be spending money) I went down to the shops and bought my first dundt tin (thats an investment right there) and some ingredients to make something beautiful and tasty.

I felt like the pink cake mould was very me.

Blueberry and Mint Bundt Cake with Lemon Drizzle

You will need:

250g of room temperature butter
1 and 3/4 cups of caster sugar
2 sprigs of mint
2 cups of self raising flour
1/2 cup of plain flour
Zest of half a lemon
1tbs of lemon juice
3/4 cup of milk
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence
2 cups of blueberries

For the Drizzle:

I cup of icing sugar
1 tbs of lemon juice
1/4 zest of a lemon

What to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 180, and if using a silicon cake mould (like myself) spray the mould with oil. Alternatively if using a tin, oil it and sprinkle with a little bit of flour.

2. In a food processor add the sugar, lemon rind, and mint leaves. Buzz this on hight speed until the mint is finely chopped (this is how you make flavoured sugars. It can be done with vanilla and other flavourings as well......fancy tip!)

3. Place the butter and sugar into an electric mixer (or use an electric whisk) and cream together until it is pale and thick.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

5. Add the lemon to the milk and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes (This is how you make buttermilk! I never have any on hand so I sometimes do this instead......another fancy tip!)

6. Sift the flours together.

7. Fold in 1/3 of the flour, then 1/2 of the milk mix, 2/3 of the flour, the last of the milk mix and then the remainder of the flour (This ensures that the batter doesn't split.)

8. Fold through the blueberries and vanilla and spoon into the tin.

9. Place in the oven and bake for half an hour, then turn down the oven to 160 and bake for another half an hour. Test the cake with a squire and if it comes out clean the cake is done! If not, just give it a little bit longer. When it is ready no wet batter will stick the the squire.

10. Turn the cake out on a cooling wrack and allow to cool.