Blueberry Almond Cake with Lemon Drizzle

This cake is the epitome of summer.  Blueberries, lemon, and almonds?  Oh and let's not forget to mention that this cake even has a hidden layer of cheesecake goodness inside and not called out in the name.  It's like a secret weapon.  But with all these deliciously fresh flavors, what more can you really ask for?

I made this cake to bring up to my husband's mini-family reunion earlier this month.  It was well received but in my personal opinon a bit too lemony.  I guess that's what you get when you just squeeze in a whole big juicy lemon without regard for the size and how much juice is contained versus actually measuring it.  Whoops!  Note to self, not all lemons are created equal and baking really is a science, not an art.

Speaking of lemons, for whatever reason, my lemond just DID NOT want to zest.  Maybe it's the fact that I don't own a microplane (sad face!) so I use the fine side of my grater.  It probably also doesn't help that said grater is also beginning to break.  Yeah, time to invest in that microplane.

I also kind of read the instructions wrong and accidentally mixed the blueberries into the cream cheese mixture instead of scattering them on top.  Thankfully I had just a few extra berries to scatter on top after I realized my mistake.  Same taste but I think it caused me to need to bake it longer before the cheesecake part set and didn't quite look as pretty as it really should have.  (Check out Beantown Baker's post on this recipe...hers looks so great!)

I think I'll leave this post relatively simple and sweet.  The picture kind of speaks for itself.  Delicious.

One Year Ago: Here's a few of them since I've sucked so bad at blogging lately!  Then again, as I look at the history August must be historically bad for me since there actually is only ONE recipe posted last August, too!  Honey Lime Grilled Chicken, Chicken Lo Mein, and Grands! Taco Melts (AKA Homemade Hot Pockets)

Blueberry Almond Cake with Lemon Drizzle
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Yields: 1 9-inch cake with 12 Servings

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• A pinch of nutmeg, freshly ground
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Topping

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp flour
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Glaze

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9-inch round cake or spring form pan.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add 1 cup brown sugar and beat for approximately one minute until light and well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for approximately two minutes after each addition. Alternately, add one-half of the flour mixture and one-half of the yogurt, beating briefly on low after each addition. Repeat. Stir in the lemon juice and almond extract. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon flour, 1 egg, and the lemon zest for approximately two minutes until very smooth and creamy. Spoon this cheese mixture over the cake batter and spread, leaving a one-inch margin of cake batter exposed around the perimeter of the cake. Sprinkle the blueberries over the cream cheese mixture and the sliced almonds around the perimeter of the cake.
5. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake to room temperature and serve.
6. For the glaze, whisk together the lemon juice with the powdered sugar and drizzle the mixture over the top of the cake.

Source: Originally from Modern Comfort Food as adapted by and seen on Beantown Baker