Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake

Hello Morning! I happily greet you today with warm sips of caffeinated fuel, and a thoughtfully witted book I find highly entertaining. But that's nothing too out of the ordinary for us, is it Morning? Just our usual routine to help align our day in the right direction. Oh but Morning, that's not all that's in store for us, is it? No. This amazing composition of heavenly goodness wishes to join us for a bit... I think we can manage a slight adjustment to our routine, don't you? Hmm. I welcome this special guest with open arms and an empty tummy. Welcome Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake! Thank you for stopping by and do promise that you'll return again soon!!

Ok, I haven't completely gone insane. I just thought I would share the conversation that went on in my head when I sat down to enjoy this delectable cake with my morning coffee. Delightful! I love berries and I love coffee cake... so when I came across this recipe, I immediately patted myself on the back for having picked up a fresh carton of blueberries the other day. The almonds were a splendid match. This cake is amazingly fluffy. I think I finally grasped the concept of "stir just until moistened." For a while I struggled with this when it came to muffins or pancakes. I just have a hard time leaving lumps in a batter. But magically enough, sometimes lumps are not a bad thing. :) Matt and I both enjoyed this little cake (very much!), and I do plan to make this again soon. Perhaps next time I'll make it with strawberries. Yum! I also might add a little more cinnamon sugar topping next time. I love for cinnamon to bite back when I gobble up a piece of coffee cake. I've provided the original dose, so you can choose for yourself if you would like to add more. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
Yields 9 servings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 cup fresh blueberries, divided 
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-in square baking dish with baking spray; set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk, butter, and extracts until blended. Stir in dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in 2/3 cup blueberries.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining blueberries. Combine the almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Source: The Taste of Home Baking Book