July 2012
When my next oldest sister made arrangements to take off three weeks fromwork for a family vacation, her employer told her, “consider this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!” Though her employer’s words were masking an impending stinginess with vacation days, his phrasing was right! She had indeed experienced the trip of a lifetime. Her winter planning resulted in a three-week-long road trip from the Philly area to Nebraska and back, from sister (me) to sister (the middle one) with a brother in between.
She and her three kids stayed at an inn converted from an old prison. They walked the Gateway Arch. They stared up the seemingly infinite facade of the Sears Tower (and stubbornly called it the “Sears Tower”). They clung to tubes behind a boat in Iowa. They went to the Pony Express station in the tiny, Midwestern town where I entered the world. They presidents immortalized in stone. They followed plans and changed courses spontaneously. Fortunately for me, I was a convenient stopping point on both legs of the trip. My sister’s birthday fell right in the middle of their wanderings, which meant their return to Pittsburgh called for a cake!
Incidentally, this was also the cake that convinced me to buy an air conditioner. You’ll note I added “melted white chocolate” to my cake batter. Though it did make for a subtle sweetness, this choice was both an experiment and the result of the ridiculous temperature of third-floor living in the height of summer. Feel free to use solid chips, should you live in a kitchen that doesn’t melt your chocolate and liquify your coconut oil. As I learned, this cake requires a lot of almond flour, so stock your cupboard accordingly should you want to this cake to be completely gluten free. That was my intention, but after all, life requires frequent changes, and I am the daughter of invention!
Blueberry Almond Cake
(makes 1-9inch bundt cake)
Inspired by this recipe on the beautiful Roost blog, though I veered at the many forks in the road.
Cake Ingredients
4 1/2 cups Bob’s Redmill organic almond flour
1 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour*
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
6 eggs (local/free-range)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cups honey
2 tsp pure almond extract
2 tsp organic vanilla extract
3/4 cup white chocolate, melted
1 pint fresh blueberries
For the Cake
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease a 9-inch stone bundt pan.
Combine dry ingredients into a bowl.
Whisk wet ingredients in a separate bowl then add to dry ingredients until a smooth batter has formed.
Stir in the melted white chocolate.
Gently fold blueberries into batter and pour into greased pan.
To prevent the cake from browning, cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the tinfoil and continue to bake for another 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes.
Flip cake onto a cake stand or plate and drizzle with glaze.
Coconut Butter Icing
Ingredients
8 oz Neufchatel cheese (rBST free)
1/2 cup organic mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup wildflower honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Use an electric mixer to combine all the ingredients until thoroughly combined and creamy.
Garnish
Top with fresh fruit (strawberries, peaches, raspberries)!
And remember…
Just because a cake is rather regal, doesn’t mean you have to be! Go craaaazy!
Happy Birthday Tosha!
