Although I loathe mornings in general, my preferred time of day is amazingly the half-hour after my alarm rouses me at 6:45…and again at 7:00 (thank god for Snooze). I pour coffee, lighten it with a heavy-handed splash of milk and collapse to my sun-warmed dining room floor. For 20 minutes, coffee in hand and surrounded by a potpourri of toys and foil balls and twist ties, I lazily play with my kitties, Mochi and Wasabi – a purr, a rub behind the ears, a gentle bite, a pounce.

This morning, as they dashed about their kitty tent (yes, they have too many things!), I realized this moment merely lacked a wedge of almond-covered blueberry coffee cake.   Coffee, cake and kitties, oh my!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8” springform pan.
2. Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt
3. Combine zest, egg, buttermilk, butter and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and gently stir to combine – don’t overmix.
4. Spoon 2/3 of the batter into pan. Sprinkle 1 T. flour on blueberries to avoid them sinking. Cover batter with brown sugar and blueberries. Spoon the remaining 1/3 batter on top. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and sliced almonds.
5. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm.