Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 240 g blanched almond flour
- 40 g cornstarch
- 8 g baking powder
- 2 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 2 lemons, zested
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 2 ml almond extract
Add-ins
- 150 g fresh blueberries, washed and dried completely
- 5 g cornstarch
Lemon Glaze (Optional)
- 100 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy removal.
In a small mixing bowl, toss the washed and dried blueberries with 5 grams of cornstarch until evenly coated. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, 40 grams of cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to ensure no lumps remain, then set aside.
Using an electric mixer in another large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Mix in the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.
Gently fold the cornstarch-coated blueberries into the batter using a rubber spatula, distributing them evenly without crushing them.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake at 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the cake out and transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
If making the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the completely cooled cake before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- Rubbing the lemon zest directly into the granulated sugar before creaming with the butter releases essential oils, dramatically intensifying the citrus flavor.
- Almond flour cakes rely heavily on eggs for structure since there is no gluten. Ensure your eggs are truly at room temperature so they emulsify properly into the batter without curdling the butter.
- Do not substitute almond meal for blanched almond flour in this recipe; the skins in almond meal will make the cake heavy, coarse, and prone to falling apart.
- If you only have frozen blueberries, do not thaw them first. Toss them in cornstarch straight from the freezer and fold them in quickly to prevent streaks in the batter, though baking time may increase by 5 to 10 minutes.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container to maintain moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag.
