Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake
When we saw this Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake in the New York Times, we knew it was worth a try. Lemon and blueberry complement each other perfectly, and the almond flour adds additional depth of flavor to the cake. We modified it slightly by using Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour along with the almond flour. We also added a bit more fresh lemon juice than is recommended. The extra lemon juice amps up the flavor and keeps it moist.
The recipe suggests you make a parchment paper “sling”. A sling is simply an extra long piece of parchment paper that extends out over both of the long sides of the loaf pan. This gives you “handles” and makes it easier to pull the cake out of the pan. You will butter both the pan and the parchment paper, so the cake comes out nice and easy and allows for a beautiful presentation on your favorite platter or cake stand.
The icing is a bit thicker than a glaze. Made with just lemon juice and confectioners sugar, it is also significantly lighter than a traditional buttercream frosting. This Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake is the perfect summer treat to enjoy with morning coffee, afternoon tea, or a post dinner limoncello. Light, fresh and oh-so-flavorful.
Feeding a crowd for a summer cookout? Give this Lemon Blueberry Cake I posted last year a try. It’s a larger, frosted cake that makes sense when you need to feed more people.
Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup plus 2 tbsp room temperature unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar or superfine sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs beaten
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour, sifted or gluten free flour (Cup 4 Cup or similar)
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1½ cups fresh blueberries
Icing
- 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh
- ⅔ cup confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Butter a 8 or 9 inch loaf pan, then line it with a parchment paper sling. Butter the parchment paper sling. A sling is just an extra long piece of parchment paper that extends out over the two long edges of the loaf pan. This will give you "handles" to help you pull the cake out of the pan easily.
- Place room temperature butter, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla in a bowl and mix well. If have stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
- Beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
- In another bowl, add all purpose or GF flour substitute, almond flour, baking powder and salt and whisk together. Add the dry ingredients, one third at a time, to the wet ingredients until just mixed.
- Fold in 3/4 of the blueberries by hand. Pour batter into the parchment-slinged loaf pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 375°. Remove from oven and sprinkle the last of the blueberries over the cake. Bake for another 15-20 minutes. The cake should be a light golden brown color. Cover loosely with foil and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until it rises up and is fully cooked. Test for doneness by inserting a knife in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove the cake onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
- Make the icing once the cake has cooled. Whisk together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. You might need to add a bit more lemon juice so that the icing is thinner than frosting, but not as loose as a glaze. It should be just barely pourable.Pour the icing over the cake and carefully spread it out. It's best if it sets for about 30 minutes before serving.