Lemon, Almond & Blueberry Cake

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150g unsalted butter (room temp)

150g caster sugar

1tbsp honey

2 large lemons (grated & juiced)

1tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs (beaten)

90g self-raising flour (sifted)

110g ground almonds

200g blueberries

70g icing sugar

1tbsp lemon juice

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Preheat the oven to 190°C / Fan 170°C / Gas 5. Grease and line a loaf tin 11cm x 21cm, and set aside.

Place the butter, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla in the bowl of a free-standing mixer with the paddle attachment, if not use an electric whisk to whip the butter. Beat on a high speed for 3-4 minutes, then lower the speed to medium - make sure it’s light and fluffy. Add the eggs, in small additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl. The mix may split a little, but that’s normal. Add the flour and ground almonds in three additions. Finally, fold in 150g of blueberries and pour into the prepared loaf tin.

Bake for 15 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining 50g of blueberries over the top of the cake. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes, until the cake is golden-brown but still uncooked. Cover loosely with tin foil and continue to bake for 25-30 minutes, until risen and cooked. Test by inserting a skewer or knife into the middle: it’s ready if it comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside, in its tin, to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the icing. Put the tablespoon of lemon juice into a bowl with the icing sugar and whisk until smooth. Pour over the (completely cooled!) cake and gently spread out.

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Recipe tweaked from Ottolenghi’s Simple