OTTOLENGHI'S BLUEBERRY, ALMOND AND LEMON

OTTOLENGHI'S BLUEBERRY, ALMOND AND LEMON CAKE

I admit it. This recipe isn't mine. It belongs to the gloriously talented Yotam Ottolenghi, aided by the also glorious and talented Tara Wigley and Esme Howarth. I found this recipe in SIMPLE, one of the four books of theirs I own. And this recipe, while divine, lives up to the name of the book. It's simple! Imported blueberries are plentiful in Kuching (which is, sadly, more than I can say for raspberries which I love and miss) so Kuching followers of this site... you have no excuse. Rush out and buy those berries and make this. It is, as Tina Turner would say, simply the best.

INGREDIENTS

150g unsalted butter at room temperature

(plus extra for greasing loaf tin)

190g caster sugar

2 lemons, to make 2 tsp fine zest and 2 tbsp juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs, beaten

90g self raising flour, sifted

1/8 tsp salt

110g ground almonds

200g blueberries (2 punnets to be generous)

70g icing sugar

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a loaf tin (11 x 21 cm) and then line it with baking paper.

Place butter, sugar, lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice and vanilla in the bowl of a free-standing food mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on a high speed for 3 or 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Lower speed to medium. Add the beaten eggs, in small additions, scraping down sides of bowl. The mix may split a little but don't worry, it will come together. Add the flour, salt and ground almonds in three additions. Finally, fold in 150g of the blueberries by hand.

Pour into prepared loaf tin. Bake for 15 minutes, then sprinkle remaining 50g blueberries over top of cake. Cover loosely with tin foil and continue to bake for another 30 or 35 minutes, until risen and cooked. Test by inserting a knife into the middle: it's readyif it comes out clean.

Remove from oven and set aside, in its tin, to cool for 10 minutes.

Remove from tin and place on wire rack to cool completely...

...meanwhile make the icing. Put the remaining 1 tbsp lemon juice in a bowl. Add the icing sugar and whisk until smooth. Pour over the cake and gently spread out. The blueberries may bleed a little into the icing. And if anything like mine (see pic) the icing will slither down the sides of the cake but, hey, it all adds to the look!