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Lemon Blueberry Cake

Little bursts of blueberries color and flavor this fresh and fruity cake that is both moist and melt-in-your-mouth light. A lemon-scented beauty, it is Passover-friendly, gluten-free, and nondairy. Big plump berries tend to sink to the bottom, so save them for garnishing servings and use your smallest berries for the cake batter. To have a pretty top, I save a handful to just lightly press on the top of the cake before baking. After you zest the lemons, juice one (and the second if needed)—you’ll need 2 tablespoons of juice for the cake and a little more than ½ tablespoon for the glaze.
Print Recipe
Servings 8 to 10 slices (pareve)

Ingredients
  

For the Cake

  • Cooking spray for greasing the pan
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • ½ cup potato starch with 1 teaspoon of it set aside in a small bowl
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup plus ¼ cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or flavoring
  • Zest from 2 large lemons 1½ to 2 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1¼ cups fresh blueberries washed and patted dry, plus additional for garnish if desired

For the Glaze

  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • Pinch not more than 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract or flavoring
  • ½ tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom of an 8.5-inch springform pan. Insert the paper and then coat the inside of the pan with cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl or on a piece of wax paper, whisk together the flour, starch (except for 1 teaspoon, which should be set aside in a small bowl), baking powder, and salt.
  • Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a medium-to-large bowl and the whites in a separate clean large mixing bowl.
  • Whisk the egg yolks and ½ cup of sugar until pale and creamy, about 45 to 60 seconds. Whisk in the vanilla, zest, and juice. Use a spoon to fold in the flour mixture.
  • Beat the eggs whites using an electric mixer on medium-high speed. When foamy (after about 30 to 45 seconds), increase speed to high and gradually pour in the ¼ cup of sugar. Beat on high speed until the mixture is glossy and holds stiff peaks or sticks to the back of a spoon turned upside down, another minute or two.
  • Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture in three additions, gently turning the batter until the egg whites are nearly fully incorporated before adding the next addition. Pour into the prepared pan. Gently toss the blueberries with the reserved 1 teaspoon of starch to coat them well. Reserve about 15 berries and scatter the rest over the top of the batter. Gently press them down into the batter just enough to smooth the top. Add the reserved berries on top, evenly spacing them and pressing so just about half of each berry is in the batter.
  • Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (or, preferably, all but a tiny bit clean). Remove to a cooling rack. After about 5 minutes, run a knife between the edge of the cake and the pan to loosen any sides that aren’t already pulling away from the pan. When the cake is cool, remove the sides of the springform pan. Invert the cake on a plate, remove the pan bottom, and discard the parchment. Reinvert the cake on another clean plate.
  • Make the glaze by whisking the confectioners’ sugar, kosher salt, vanilla, and lemon juice in a medium bowl until smooth and pourable (add additional juice a drop at a time if needed). Drizzle the glaze in a loose pattern over the top of the cake. If the glaze is not drizzling nicely, stop and whisk in another drop or two of juice. After serving, cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator since it is a very moist cake.

Notes

If, like me, you aren’t good at drizzling glazes, here’s a trick—hold the bowl of glaze right over the cake. Take a small spoonful of glaze and start the drizzle in the bowl (that first drop is usually the one that lands as a big puddle) and then gently move the dripping spoon over the cake in a back-and-forth motion (or whatever pattern you like).