Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease an 8.5"x4.5" loaf pan and line with parchment (see note). Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt). Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (at least 3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Alternate additions of the dry ingredients and the buttermilk: half the dry ingredients, followed by the buttermilk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Only mix until just incorporated and no more.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, about 75-80 minutes. Allow cake to cool in the pan at least 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. (Refrigerate overnight for even better crumb!)
For Whipped Cream:
Combine crème fraîche and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Keep in the refrigerator until needed.
Pulse freeze-dried blueberries (see note) in the bowl of a food processor until ground into powder.
Combine cold heavy cream and blueberry powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start the mixer on low speed, and gradually increase the speed to high. Whip until the cream thickens and forms peaks.
Add the blueberry whipped cream mixture to the crème fraîche mixture in three additions, carefully folding in each addition with care to ensure you don't deflate the cream.
Spread the whipped cream on top of the cooled pound cake, or dollop it on top of slices. Add fresh blueberries, if desired.Enjoy!
Notes
Note on cornmeal: Using fine cornmeal will keep your pound cake from being gritty. I usually have to buy mine online because my local grocery store tends to carry medium and coarsely ground cornmeal. If you’re interested in getting yourself some, this is the kind I use here.Note on buttermilk: For best results, I do suggest that you use buttermilk! That said, you can make a quick substitution if you don't have it on-hand. For this recipe, put ½ teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup, then add enough milk (I find that 2% milkfat or greater works best) to come up to the ½ cup line. Let sit for 5 minutes, then it's ready for use!Note on parchment: Lining your pan with parchment makes it easier to remove the pound cake later! I buy pre-cut nonstick parchment sheets that work really well. If you’re interested in checking them out, you can find them here.Note on freeze-dried blueberries: Make sure to use *freeze-dried* blueberries, as they are free of moisture and will process into a powder along with the sugar. If you can’t find them at your local grocery store, they are available here.