Whiners.
I have been making this Blueberry, Almond, and Lemon Cake by Yotam Ottolenghi for a while. I have taken it to friends who are ill, served it as a breakfast cake with coffee and cocoa, at the brunch table, for afternoon tea, and as an after-dinner dessert. And not one guest has ever said: “It’s too sweet.” “There’s too much butter.” “The blueberries sank to the bottom.” “It needs almond extract to boost the flavor.” Everyone loved it. [Commenters on The NY Times thought otherwise — whiners!]
I think it is pretty perfect, as far ask cakes go. Mostly, I bake it in a loaf pan, as suggested in the original recipe. (It’s a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan.) But, when I started serving it for dessert, I wanted to present it at the table as a round cake. I simply switched from loaf pan to cake pan; it didn’t require any adjustments to the original recipe at all.
~ David
Blueberry, Almond, and Lemon Cake
To print this recipe, please click the small printer icon below.
Ingredients
- 11 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the pan
- 7/8 cup granulated sugar
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (vanilla essence)
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 cup almond flour (ground almonds)
- 1 3/4 cups fresh blueberries
- 2/3 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more juice as needed)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with butter, line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper. Set the pan aside.
- Place 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, scraping down the sides a couple of times, until light, then lower speed to medium. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times as necessary.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and almond flour. With the stand mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing just until no white specks remain. Fold in 1 1/4 cups of the blueberries by hand, then scoop batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries over the top of the cake. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes, until cake is golden brown. Cover loosely with foil and continue to cook for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside in its pan to cool for 10 minutes before removing cake from pan and placing 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; drizzle over the cake. Let icing set (about 30 minutes). Slice and serve.
- Serves 8.
- Minimally adapted from the recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi.
© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Mad Dog
May 11, 2024 at 5:53 amThat looks delicious!
Cocoa & Lavender
May 12, 2024 at 2:12 amThanks, Mad Dog!
Carolyne
May 11, 2024 at 6:21 amPerfect with your favourite cup of something warm.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 12, 2024 at 2:11 am… because you knew I would say hot chocolate, didn’t you? 😉
Karen (Back Road Journal)
May 11, 2024 at 6:41 amThis is definitely my kind of cake…I can’t wait to try it.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 12, 2024 at 2:11 amI hope you like it, Karen. It’s really become one of our favorites…
Gerlinde de Broekert
May 11, 2024 at 7:32 amThis is my kind of cake, perfect with a cup of tea.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 12, 2024 at 2:11 amIt is definitely a perfect cake for afternoon tea! Thanks, Gerlinde!
Barb
May 11, 2024 at 7:46 amVery versatile, my Mom will love it.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 12, 2024 at 2:10 amI never thought this might be the perfect cake for Mother’s Day! Let me know what you think, Barb.
Marilyn
May 11, 2024 at 10:56 amJust took this out of the oven and it looks great. Instructions are perfect. My husband is frowning because I told him it’s my contribution to tomorrow’s brunch.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 12, 2024 at 2:10 amThanks for letting me know, Marilyn! I hope everyone loves it at today’s brunch.
sherry
May 11, 2024 at 5:33 pmlooking delicious David! yes and the cake :=) I like the sound of this one. I must be out of the loop; I’ve never made an Ottolenghi recipe! I’ve enjoyed his tv shows tho …
cheers
sherry
Cocoa & Lavender
May 12, 2024 at 2:09 amThanks, Sherry. I completely fell for Ottolenghi‘s recipes so many years ago, and I’ve never had a dud. Definitely recommend!
Jeff the Chef
May 11, 2024 at 6:16 pmDavid! I’ve been looking for something blueberry to serve at my annual summer barbecue, and I think I’ve found it! This sounds divine! (Those NY Times commenters are such trolls!) I think I love it as a round cake, so I’m glad you discovered that it works that way.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 12, 2024 at 2:08 amI think this would be the perfect thing for you to serve, Jeff! It’s really very easy to make, and it tastes wonderful. Your guests will love it.
Ronit
May 13, 2024 at 8:30 amThis looks like a tasty cake to me, but to each their own. As long as you’re happy with it, that’s all that matters! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
May 18, 2024 at 5:46 amIt is a tasty cake, and “to each their own” is perfect. I slays change recipes to meet my tastes but I don’t say the recipe is wrong or bad. Just different from what I would do.
Pauline McNee
May 13, 2024 at 7:49 pmThis is my kind of cake David. I enjoy his recipes, and now I’m waiting for blueberries to be more reasonably priced here, but I’m sure I could use frozen blueberries, would you? I have seen this recipe before, and can remember wondering, could I really be bothered measuring our 11 tablespoons of butter? How did you go with that, ha, ha. Perhaps my apprentice (in my dreams) could do it. Still the cake looks so very good. Thanks for the reminder. Lovely photos too.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 18, 2024 at 5:45 amHi Pauline — yes, frozen(but not thawed) berries will work fine. It is easy to measure 11 tablespoons of butter for us as our stick of butter are calibrated. But if it makes it easier for you,7 ounces of butter or about 200 grams of butter should work. I think you will enjoy this cake p- it is so versatile! (Sorry for the delayed response — we were traveling back from France!)
angiesrecipes
May 18, 2024 at 6:26 amThat looks so pretty with icing! Blueberry and lemon are such a classic combo.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 18, 2024 at 7:16 amThey are, Angie — and a real favorite combination of mine. Add almond and it’s the perfect trifecta!
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
May 18, 2024 at 6:35 amI might be the only foodie on earth who isn’t into Ottolenghi. I generally find this recipes a bit too complex and fussy for the way I like to cook. But this actually sound quite simple, straightforward—and delicious! And that’s from someone who as you know doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 18, 2024 at 7:16 amHis are often recipes I need to doctor a bit for us — a lot of excess. But on occasion, he gets it spot on and we love it. When he did Plenty and Plenty More, we were just thrilled to have vegetarian cookbooks that were flavorful and beautiful. Moosewood was good for the 70s but, crikey, it’s 2024!
Valentina
May 18, 2024 at 8:50 amI love how (and why) you titled this post. 🙂 I also love your floral serving platter. And of course, last but not least, the cake sounds/looks amazing — lemon + blueberries is one of the most delicious combinations ever! ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
May 18, 2024 at 2:34 pmI imagine most food bloggers will understand my comment about whiners. 😊 The floral serving platter was a gift from our friend in Paris. It is definitely something we cherish. Blueberries and lemon? Awesome, and made so much better with the almond flour, too.
2pots2cook
May 22, 2024 at 3:59 amYou just cannot go wrong with this trio, right?
Cocoa & Lavender
May 23, 2024 at 7:36 amNope. It’s pretty perfect! Thanks, Davorka.
Raymund
May 22, 2024 at 4:07 pmNice adaptation David.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 23, 2024 at 7:35 amThanks, Raymund.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
May 22, 2024 at 5:22 pmThis cake looks and sounds wonderful! I love the combination of blueberries and citrus fruit; it screams “spring!” and “summer!” to me, as well as the addition of almonds. And while I haven’t tried it yet, I clearly see from the recipe that it should not be overly sweet which is a great bonus. But personally I’d swap lemon juice for limoncello in glaze, just for a little extra kick 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
May 23, 2024 at 7:34 amI can’t believe I just gave away my last bottle of limoncello (because we don’t drink it). I never thought of using it for a glaze… I’ll have to make more next year and save some! Great idea, Ben.