Blueberry Almond Sponge Cake

This blueberry almond sponge cake is simple to make but tastes absolutely wonderful with either coffee or tea. It’s the perfect lazy summer afternoon cake!

A slice of soft sponge cake enjoyed with a fresh cup of coffee or tea is one of life’s simple pleasures. A simple sponge cake or vanilla cake is one of the first things that I learned to bake. Once you have a basic recipe that works, it is so easy to experiment with flavors and add-ins. And what’s better than a berry-studded cake in summer?

Blueberries and strawberries are my favorite berries to use in baked goodies. They are naturally sweet and juicy, and baking only helps bring out their flavors better. One of my favorite tricks to add a burst of zesty brightness to my cakes is to use freshly grated lemon or lime zest. Just a pinch adds a lovely flavor; sometimes, I add a spoonful of the juice as well. The berries and the citrus notes complement each other so well, making this the perfect summer snack cake.

For this recipe, I scattered some blanched almonds on top of the cake batter. The batter also has some almond flour/meal in it which gives the baked cake a lovely nutty flavor. I have not used almond extract in the cake, but you can use it instead of vanilla extract if you like a deeper almond flavor. But I liked this cake just the way it is with the notes of vanilla, almond, lemon and blueberries. In fact, the only thing that I changed when I baked this cake again was to use chopped strawberries. Fresh raspberries would be lovely too, I guess.

This blueberry sponge cake comes out of the oven with the perfect golden crumb and a light, airy texture. The almond slivers add the perfect contrast of texture to the soft sponge. It’s such a beautiful cake; perfect for a summer dessert or even an indulgent breakfast along with your morning cuppa.

This cake does not need any frosting, just a light dusting of powdered sugar on top as a final flourish. If you have clotted cream or freshly whipped cream, you can serve a dollop on top of a slice of this cake. Cake, cream and coffee reminds me of mid-century Parisian romance novels and stories of dreamy midsummer soirees!

Here’s the recipe for my Blueberry Almond Sponge Cake.

Blueberry Almond Sponge Cake

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

This blueberry almond sponge cake is simple to make but tastes absolutely wonderful with either coffee or tea. It's the perfect lazy summer afternoon cake!

Author: Anjana Devasahayam

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: One 9" cake

You will need:

• All purpose flour - 1½ cups
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - ½ tsp
• Unsalted butter - ½ cup, softened at room temperature
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Eggs - 3, large
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp (see Notes)
• Lemon zest - 2 tsp
• Almond flour - ¾ cup, lightly packed
• Fresh blueberries - 1 cup
• Almonds - ⅓ cup, blanched and halved
• Powdered sugar - for dusting on top of the cake, optional

How to:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 deg.F. Grease and flour a 9" round cake pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
4. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest. Mix well to combine. Add almond flour and mix gently to combine.
5. Tip in the sifted dry ingredients and mix gently to combine. Do not over-mix. The batter will be very thick.
6. In a small bowl, toss the fresh blueberries in a tablespoon of flour. Fold the berries gently into the cake batter.
7. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Tap the pan a couple of times on the countertop to get rid of any air bubbles. Scatter blanched almonds on top of the batter.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake passes the toothpick test.
9. Remove pan from the oven and rest for 5 minutes. Remove cake from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
10. Dust powdered sugar on top of the cake, if desired. Serve cake slices with coffee, tea or milk.

Notes:

1. For a deeper almond flavor, use ½ tsp almond extract and ½ tsp vanilla extract instead of using 1 tsp vanilla extract.
2. To make the required amount of almond flour at home, pulse around ⅔ cup blanched and roasted almonds in a food processor or coffee grinder or spice mill until powdered. Do not over-process or run the motor continuously or you will end up with almond butter.
3. Tossing the berries with a little bit of flour will ensure that they do not sink to the bottom while baking. As you can see in the pictures, the berries are beautifully dispersed throughout the body of the cake.

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This cake is best enjoyed warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be covered and stored on the countertop for a couple of days, but do refrigerate for longer durations; i.e if the cake lasts that long!

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Do you like sponge cakes? What about blueberries or other berries in cakes? Do try this blueberry cake and let me know how you like it.

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