Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

Today I pulled out my June Gourmet magazine and flipped to a page I’d put a little yellow sticky tab on.

Raspberry Buttermilk cake.

What a great way to honor the gone-away days of summer than to make something with raspberries.

This is a fairly simple cake to make, a great breakfast cake, or just simply something for when you’re not wanting a dessert that’s too sweet.

Begin by preheating your oven to 400º.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup of flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

In another mixing bowl, add 1/2 stick of UNsalted butter.  I usually use salted butter in everything, but there was a faint taste of salt when the cake was done, so I would not use it here.  Also, dump in 2/3 cup of sugar. Save an additional 1 1/2 tablespoon for later.

Mix these together for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed until they are pale and fluffy.

Let us pause for a moment.  We’re pausing in honor of this stuff.

Mexican vanilla.  How I love this stuff.

Melisa gave me half of her jar and it came at just the right time as mine was gone.  It’s a bad thing to be out of Mexican vanilla.  However, Gourmet’s recipe just calls for pure vanilla extract, so you can use that.

Add in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Add in your one large egg.

Mix well, about a minute.

Measure out one cup of your buttermilk.  Also, have your flour mixture on-hand.  Turn your mixer on low-speed.  You’re going to alternate adding your flour mixture and your buttermilk 3 times.

Start by pouring 1/3 of your buttermilk into your mixer.  Just eyeball it.

Now add approximately a third of your flour mixture.

Do this same process two more times.  Add buttermilk, then add flour mixture.  Add buttermilk, add flour mixture.  Just mix until it looks well-blended.

Spoon your batter into your prepared cake pan.

You know I never do anything the way I’m told, right? I doubled the recipe and poured it into a springform pan as I wanted a big puffy Raspberry Buttermilk Cake.

Smooth out the top and then take a cup or so of raspberries and evenly distribute that over the top of the cake.

Don’t worry.  They aren’t going to stay there!  They’re going to sink down into the batter while baking and make gorgeous yumminess!

Now, remember that sugar you reserved? Now is the time to use it. Sprinkle it evenly over the top of the cake.  Add a little bit more if you’re feeling naughty.  When the cake bakes, this will make a delicious crunch on the top of the cake.

Pop your cake into the oven and bake it 25-30 minutes or until you stick a fork in the center and it comes out clean.

Remove your treasure from the oven.

Let it set for about 10 minutes.  Then remove it from the pan to cool.

Pause and sigh and inhale the glorious smell.

Let your cake rest about 15 minutes, then transfer to a plate.

While it’s cooling, why not make some homemade whipped cream?

Pour about a cup and 1/2 of heavy whipping cream into your mixing bowl.  Add about 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.

And also spoon in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.

As you can see by the pictures above, it’s not rocket science.  I didn’t even use a measuring spoon.

Now whip your cream until it gets little peaks starting to form. It takes a few minutes.   DON’T overwhip it or you’ll get butter though!

By now, your cake is ready for a taste-test.

Cut a big wedge and put it on a pretty plate.

Spoon a dollop of whipped cream over top.

Pat yourself on the back over a job well-done and enjoy the simpleness of this earthy cake.

Cooking with Love,

~Katie