For Those Small Victories: Norwegian Blueberry Almond Tea Cake

By Jeannette Ordas of Everybody likes Sandwiches


I love cakes that are low maintenance. The thing is, these types of cakes aren't lookers. They don't have fancy frostings, luscious ices or decorative baubles. But I'm okay with that because this isn't a cake for a special occasion, unless you're celebrating that you made it through a rough work day or didn't have to run for the bus that morning. This cake is perfect for those small, nearly invisible victories. It's like a delicious pat on the back.


This cake doesn't get much rise, but there's also no butter or fats to weigh it down. It's got a crusty topping and the texture is slightly chewy so it reminds me a bit of a macaroon - I think that it's because the only liquid besides a bit of flavouring, comes from 1 large egg. But despite the odd ingredient list, somehow this cake works. And it works really well!


I usually make this cake with apples in the fall and I think this would work well with cherries and sliced peaches too. It smacks heavily of almonds and I decided to pair it with the gorgeously fresh BC blueberries that have been filling up the local markets. Oh, and ice cream makes a wonderful pairing along with fresh berries scattered alongside. Something to remember for that next small victory celebration.

Norwegian Blueberry Almond Tea Cake
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch each of ground nutmeg & cardamom
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup fresh blueberries (frozen would work well too - don't defrost)
1/4 c sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom & nutmeg. Break an egg into the centre of the dry mix along with the vanilla and almond extract. Stir well until the mixture comes together into a thick, heavy batter. Carefully stir in blueberries and almonds.

Butter and flour a 8" round cake tin and dump in batter, using a scraper to add all the dough into the tin. You can try to spread it around, but don't worry if all of the batter doesn't run towards the edges - it will head there while it bakes. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting. Serve with ice cream and fresh berries.