Recipe: Easy Lemon Almond Cake with Blueberry Sauce (using almond paste)

EASY LEMON ALMOND CAKE

"Here's an elegant and sophisticated cake that's easy enough to prepare, even on a weeknight. It's good year around I serve it in late summer and early fall with plum sauce, in winter with lemon ice cream, in summer with blueberry sauce, and in springtime it's perfect with sliced ripe apricots. A heavy duty mixer is not necessary, but it's useful for beating the almond paste."

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed almond paste, at room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
Confectioners' sugar (for dusting)
Blueberry Sauce (optional, for serving, recipe follows)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter an 8 by 1 1/2 inch round cake pan with straight side, line the bottom with parchment or wax paper, and butter and flour the paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Whisk the milk, zest, lemon extract, and vanilla together in another small bowl.

Beat the granulated sugar, almond paste, and butter with an electric mixer on low speed in a large bowl until the mixture begins to come together. Increase the speed to medium and beat, scraping down the side of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture in batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes and turn out of the pan onto the rack to cool to room temperature. Remove the parchment paper and invert the cake.

Just before serving, lightly sift the confectioners' sugar over the top of the cake. If desired, serve with Blueberry Sauce.

BLUEBERRY SAUCE

1 pint fresh blueberries, picked over
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)

Cook the blueberries, sugar, and water over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, in a large saucepan, for 5 minutes, or until berries are softened and a sauce is formed. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the lemon juice to taste. Cool to room temperature. (The sauce will keep for 1 week, covered, in the refrigerator. Reheat gently.)

Makes 8 servings
Adapted from source: Luscious Lemon Desserts by Lori Longbotham