Serves 8
For the cake
6¼ oz / 180g softened butter
7oz / 200g caster sugar
2 medium lemons, zest of 2 and juice of 2 (for a less lemony cake, just add zest of 1)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1½ tbsp poppyseeds
9½ oz / 270g almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
3½ oz /100g blueberries
For the topping
5½ oz / 150g softened butter
10½ oz / 300g icing sugar
2 tsp limoncello
2¼ oz / 70g mascarpone
4¼ oz /120g washed blueberries, to decorate
Lemon zest, to decorate
Edible flowers (optional), to decorate
To prepare the cake, brush a 9½ inch / 24cm springform tin with butter and line the base with parchment.
Dust the sides with almond flour.
Preheat the oven to Fan 320°F / gas 4 or Fan 160°C/gas 4.
Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and whisk until pale and fluffy.
Add the lemon zest and juice.
Add 1 egg at a time and whisk in between.
Add the poppy seeds, almond flour, baking powder and blueberries and fold in.
Add enough milk to form a stiff cake batter.
Transfer into the tin and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
Check that it is cooked by inserting a skewer. It should come out clean bearing in mind that you may pierce a blueberry.
Transfer to a cooling rack. Leave in the tin for at least 20 minutes before unclipping, run a thin palette knife around the edges and then unclip.
The cake must be totally cold before icing it.
To make the topping, combine the butter, icing sugar and limoncello together and whisk until light and fluffy.
Fold in the mascarpone by hand.
Place the cake upside-down on a stand, spread over the buttercream.
Scatter the blueberries on top.
Add lemon zest and edible flowers and enjoy!.
