A bright blueberry almond lemon cake that serves equally well for breakfast as it does for dessert. It is light, refreshing, and will have you going back for just one more bite.
Just leaving this here in case you want to eat a little bit of sunshine today.
It is INSANE, but in kind of a minimalist way. Like, if you KonMari-ed all of the quickbreads you’ve ever eaten, I highly suspect it would turn out to be this blueberry almond lemon cake. IT’S JUST SO SIMPLY PERFECT with no frills or superfluous add-ins.
Perfect for this girl who is living on the minimal amount of sleep/day compatible with life. (Thank you almost-three-year-old waking up at 4:45 AM to “make me a snack for lunch” – ???!!!???)
So we’re in a bit of a sleep funk over here that is only going to be made worse by the time change this weekend, I’m sure. My strategy today (so that I could have five minutes of alone time to get this recipe to you) was to send daddy in. BIG SUCCESS. Remy usually totally rejects him and starts tantrum-ing at first daddy sighting but tolerated him today for some reason. I think she went back to sleep? IDK, she’s laying down quietly and I’m not arguing with that. PROGRESS.
So this cake/quickbread/breakfast/snack/dessert.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s the best. Deliciously moist with a bright lemon flavor and blueberry bursts in every bite. The lemon glaze is a must as it adds that intense sweet-tartness that really makes the cake. I made it with Meyer lemons because I find their pith to be way less bitter and thus work better in baked goods, but a regular lemon should be just fine. Oh, and I totally went with frozen blueberries here. The color will run a little bit more than it would with fresh berries, but no one is mad about that.
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 meyer lemons, finely zested and juiced to get 2 tbsp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup flour
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp almond flour
- 7 oz blueberries, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup + 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- Heat oven to 400F. Grease an 8x4.5-inch loaf pan. Line with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine the butter, sugar, lemon zest, 1 tbsp of the lemon juice, and the vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together on high speed for 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowls. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the flour, salt, and almond flour in three additions. Fold in three quarters of the blueberries and scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Place the cake in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the remaining blueberries on top. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the icing. Whisk together the remaining 1 tbsp of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Pour it over the cake and gently spread it out using an offset spatula. Slice and serve once cooled.
I’m sure there’s a scientific explanation for why blueberries and lemons are the perfect pairing, but i’m content to just proclaim their perefectness and have it accepted as truth.
Early morning wake-ups can be so hard. I think this blueberry almond cake would make me so happy!
This recipe, which is exactly as published in Ottolenghi’s cookbook, is missing 1-1/4 tsp baking powder to make it rise. I learned the hard way and ended up with a wet, flat loaf despite adding an extra half hour to baking.