Believe it or not, it’s been five years since the launch of Ottolenghi SIMPLE. To celebrate this global bestseller, Penguin Random House has shared a crowd favourite from Ottolenghi’s cookbook: the blueberry, almond and lemon cake.
Ottolenghi’s Blueberry, almond and lemon cake
For all the tins, trays and moulds that can be used to great effect in baking, there’s nothing quite like a simple loaf cake to reassure one that all is okay with the world. This is timeless, easy and also keeps well, for 3 days, stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Serves eight
- 150g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
- 190g caster sugar
- 2 lemons: finely grate the zest to get 2 tsp, then juice to get 2 tbsp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 90g self-raising flour, sifted
- 8 tsp salt
- 110g ground almonds
- 200g blueberries
- 70g icing sugar
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Grease and line a loaf tin 11 x 21cm, and set aside.
2. Place the butter, sugar, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and vanilla in the bowl of a free-standing food mixer with the paddle attachment in place. Beat on a high speed for 3–4 minutes, until light, then lower the speed to medium. Add the eggs, in small additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl. The mix may split a little, but don’t worry: it’ll come back together. Add the flour, salt and almonds in three additions. Finally, fold in 150g of blueberries, by hand, and pour into the prepared loaf tin.
3. 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 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.
4. Meanwhile, make the icing. Put the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice into a bowl with the icing sugar and whisk until smooth. Pour over the cake and gently spread out the blueberries on the top of the cake will bleed into the icing a little, but don’t worry, this will add to the look.
Other Penguin Random House cookbooks to look out for this spring
The Farm Table by Julius Roberts. Published 26 Septmeber 2023
The first book from TV chef and farmer, Julius Roberts. Offering simple, rustic seasonal recipes and stories from his Dorset small-holding, The Farm Table will appeal to buyers of Nigel Slater’s The Kitchen Dairies, The Naked Chef and Jamie at Home, and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s River Cottage Cookbook. Passionate about seasonality, Julius shows us how to make the most of produce, from crisp, crunchy apples in autumn, pink rhubarb in winter, asparagus in spring and the first summer strawberries.
Texture Over Taste by Joshua Weissman. Published 17 October 2023
Fresh off of his #1 New York Times bestseller, Joshua Weissman: An Unapologetic Cookbook, Joshua Weissman is back with a bold and exciting new cookbook that will take your cooking to an entirely different level! Everyone knows flavour is important, right? But what turns flavour into something even more spectacular? Texture! When flavour meets textures like creamy, crispy, or crunchy, the taste experience can evolve into something entirely new and utterly fantastic. Joshua Weissman introduces you to elements of flavour, but then digs deeper by explaining how flavour interacts with six fundamental textures.
Classic by Julie Goodwin. Published 17 October 2023
In this ‘best of’ collection, Julie shares tried and trusted recipes you’ll want to make again and again for your own family and friends. With comfort food, hearty family feasts, quick mid-week meals and the bakes and treats she is known for, as well as celebration show stoppers and an indispensable collection of condiments and sauces, this is classic Julie Goodwin at her best.
Smash Hits Recipes by Nat’s What I Reckon. Published 14 November 2023
Eat like an absolute legend with 45 of Nat’s all-time best recipes. Filled with hits and memories plus a solid dose of good times, rest assured, this cookbook has your back! Life’s tricky, cooking doesn’t have to be. Nat’s here to take the nonsense out of the kitchen with Smash Hits Recipes.
Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers by Rick Stein. Published 7 November 2023
From bestselling cook and food writer Rick Stein, comes the iconic Simple Suppers – a joyful collection of over 100 genuinely easy and delicious recipes paired with stories that celebrate the simple things in life. Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers is your new go-to cookbook. A collection of stylish, easy recipes for midweek, weekends and every eventuality in between.
Visit Penguin Random House for more fabulous books.