Two Out of Three Works for Me: Blueberry, Almond and Lemon Cake

When I saw a photo of Yotam Ottolenghi's Blueberry, Almond and Lemon Cake on Instagram, I knew I had to make it. The vibrant color was enticing, and blueberries, almonds, and lemons are all on the list of flavors I love.

The recipe is simple. You beat room temperature butter with sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla until light; add eggs; mix in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and almond flour); and fold in fresh blueberries. I transferred the batter to a parchment-lined loaf pan, and partway through baking, I sprinkled more blueberries on top of the loaf. I cooled the loaf completely before topping it with a glaze of lemon juice mixed with powdered sugar.

My loaf didn't rise that much and looked a bit squat; the top wasn't rounded at all but I didn't feel too bad about it because the loaf pictured alongside the recipe looks similar. While some of the blueberries in the batter sank to the bottom of the loaf, adding additional berries on top partway through baking helped ensure that there was a nice distribution of fruit throughout. I really liked this loaf. It was soft and intensely flavorful. While the juicy blueberries and lemon came through loud and clear, I couldn't taste the almonds, even though there is more almond flour than wheat flour in the batter. Still, the lack of almond flavor didn't make me enjoy the loaf any less. This cake is a quick, easy, and lovely summertime treat.

Recipe: "Blueberry, Almond and Lemon Cake" from Yotam Ottolenghi, from The New York Times.