Tom Moore and Rebecca Wellman tell the story about their Blackberry Almond Snacking Cake: “Where I grew up, we had some lovely friends, the Olsons, who lived down the road. They had an orchard in their backyard, full of trees teeming with deep-red plums, plump orange apricots, and gorgeous Mission figs. Every year they would generously share their bounty with us, either in raw form or in a selection of wonderful baked goods.

And man, could Mrs. Olson bake! One way she would use up her abundance of fruit was to make a simple white cake, toss a bunch of fruit on top, and let it bake into a big, delicious pudding. That’s what this [blackberry almond] cake is all about. Simply made, quickly tossed together, and ready for snacking any time of day.” – Tom Moore and Rebecca Wellman write.

Where can you buy ready-made blackberry juice?

Three blackberry juices we recommend:

LaHave River Berry Farm Pure Blackberry Juice is made from organic blackberries with no added sugar, water or preservatives.
Danube’s 100% Nektar Pure Blackberry Juice is cold-pressed with blackberry pulp minimum 50%, water and sugar.
Just Juice Organic 100% Pure Organic Wild Blueberry Juice has no added sugar, water or preservatives.

Blackberry Almond Snacking Cake

Tom Moore and Rebecca Wellman

This simple white cake is the perfect way to use up an abundance of berries. A 50/50 mix of all-purpose flour and almond flour creates a tender crust with a subtly nutty flavour. Fresh blackberries are used for this snacking cake that's quick to come together. Blackberry icing is the finishing touch.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Equipment

10-inch (25 cm) square baking pan

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour (see note)
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup almond flour lightly packed
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
3 eggs room temperature
½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1½ cups fresh or thawed frozen blackberries divided (see note)

Blackberry Icing

1½ cups icing sugar
3 tbsp fresh blackberry juice strained of any seeds
1 tbsp unsalted butter melted
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray or brush a 10-inch (25 cm) square baking pan with a neutral oil and line it with parchment paper.

Cake

Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the flour and baking powder into a medium bowl. Stir in the almond flour.
In a stand mixer, combine the butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Using the paddle attachment, beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat until well mixed and pale, about 2 minutes.
With the machine running on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl so everything is incorporated. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix on low speed until fully combined, about 30 seconds.
Remove the bowl from the stand and fold in the flour mixture until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth the top with a spatula. Evenly distribute 1 cup of the blackberries on top.
Bake for 40 minutes, rotating it after 30 minutes to help it bake evenly, then cover loosely with foil and bake for another 10–15 minutes or until the cake has begun to rise a bit in the center and doesn’t wobble, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean (see note). Be sure not to stick a skewer into a blackberry! Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Blackberry Icing

In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, blackberry juice, butter, and lemon juice until dissolved into a smooth icing.
Smear the icing over the cake and cut into sixteen slices. Serve cold or at room temperature with the remaining blackberries.

Notes

This cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze it for up to
1 month before icing it. Thaw the frozen cake in the fridge overnight before icing and serving.

Keyword blackberries, snacking cake