When blueberry season hits, I love to eat them fresh, in sauces and also in bakes! The ooziness of the blueberries combined with the scent of vanilla and crunchiness of the pecans will make this a family favourite in no time at all!
Serves: 12
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons demerara sugar
- 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup white caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1 ½ cups plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt, sifted
- ½ cup almond meal
- 250g fresh blueberries
- 1/3 cup pecans, halved (can sub flaked or sliced almonds) Icing sugar, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin. Lightly grease the paper again and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the demerara sugar around the tin (reserving the other tablespoon for later).
- Beat the butter, olive oil and caster sugar for 5 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating for about a minute after each addition. Add the vanilla bean paste and beat again.
- In the meantime, sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add the almond meal and whisk together to break any remaining lumps.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture until only floury streaks remain. Add the blueberries and fold in until just combined.
- Place the batter in the tin, level the top, scatter the pecans over the top and finally sprinkle over the reserved tablespoon of demerara sugar.
- Pop in the oven and bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before placing the cake on a wire rack (top side up) to cool.
- Dust icing sugar over the top, cut into wedges and serve alone or with thickened cream or quality vanilla ice cream.
