The smell of fresh lemon and sweet blueberries filling my kitchen creates an inviting atmosphere that instantly lifts my spirits. I’ve always loved how simple coffee cakes are to make, yet they look like you spent hours in the kitchen. This makes it the perfect treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee on a cozy afternoon.

Written for sea level and high elevation; I live at 7,300 feet.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes

Serves: depending on size 12

Ingredients:

Streusel topping:

1/4 C. All-purpose flour

1/2 C. Sugar

1/2 C. Almonds, finely chopped

3 T. Butter, melted

1 Tsp. Lemon zest

The Cake:

2 C. Blueberries, you can leave them all whole or mash 1 cup or both cups. Also, if you want some for the top, save about 1/2 cup or so.

2 C. All-purpose flour

2/3 C. Sugar, (1 C. plus 1/3 C. for sea level)

1 Tsp. Baking powder, (2 tsp. for sea level)

1 Tsp. Salt

4 eggs

1 C. Oil, if used advacodo oil

2/3 C. Plus 2 T. Milk, (2/3 milk for sea level)

2 T. Lemon zest

6 T. Lemon juice

For the sugar glaze:

1/2 C. Powdered sugar

1 T. Vanilla extract

1 Tsp. Lemon zest

Water or milk, if needed, to thin out.

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a nonstick 8-inch square pan’s bottom with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine all streusel ingredients with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add your cake ingredients and mix well. Spoon half of the batter into the bottom of your pan, then half of your streusel topping. Then your blueberries. Spread the remaining batter over the blueberry topping, then the remaining streusel topping. If you saved extra blueberries, then spread them out. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. While the cake cools, make your glaze.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and vanilla extract. Mix until a thick, pourable icing forms, adding water or milk as needed. It should not be runny. Drizzle over the warm cake, ensuring coverage from side to side. Let cool completely and serve.