This little loaf cake is simple to throw together, and yields delicious results. The almond flour lends a moist and rich crumb, while the copious amount of blueberries burst with bright flavor. I tweaked Yotam Ottolenghi‘s famous recipe, reducing the sugar and bumping up the lemon flavor slightly. This cake is perfect for breakfast, tea time or dessert, and embodies the bright flavors of early Summer. Enjoy!
Blueberry-Almond Loaf Cake
Adapted from a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi via the New York Times
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 3 tablespoons (150 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pan
- 2/3 cup (130 g) grams granulated or superfine sugar (caster sugar)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (or more juice as needed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (vanilla essence)
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour, sifted, plus 1 tablespoon for blueberries
- 1 1/2 cups (200 g) fresh blueberries, washed and air-dried
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (110 g) almond flour (ground almonds)
- 2/3 cup (70 g) confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)
Serves 8
Heat oven to 375 °F/190°C. Grease a 9- or 8-inch (21-cm) loaf pan with butter, line it with a parchment paper sling. Set the pan aside.
Combine butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes. Lower speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
Pour the blueberries into a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon flour until all the berries are coated (this will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the pan); set aside
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and almond flour. With the stand mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until just combined. Fold in about 3/4 of the blueberries by hand, then scoop batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake in hot oven for 15 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining blueberries over the top of the cake. Return to the oven for another 15–20 minutes, until cake is golden on top but still uncooked. Tent with foil and continue to cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, until a knife or wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Gently remove cake from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
When cake is cool, make the icing: Add lemon juice and icing sugar to a bowl and whisk together until smooth, adding a bit more juice if necessary, just until the icing moves when you tilt the bowl. Pour over the cake, gently spreading if necessary. Let icing set for about 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
