XVII

One of the joys of summer is being able to eat fresh berries. Blackberries and raspberries are my favorite to consume and I like blueberries but they are rarely on my shopping list. However, after walking by them week after week at the Union Square Greenmarket, it was time to incorporate them into my daily diet. My usual standby is to eat berries with yogurt for breakfast but after I saw a buttermilk cake recipe make its round through the food blogs, I knew that was what I wanted to use the blueberries for. The recipe is from Gourmet Magazine and it originally called for raspberries but like any great recipe, it's versatile in that any berry can be substituted. It's so simple to make and the lightness of the cake makes it perfect for dessert for the summer. I've also eaten it for breakfast because well, who doesn't like cake for breakfast?

The cake is relatively thin so next time, I'm going to double the recipe in order to yield a cake that provides more substantial slices. I know it's summer but that's not a valid excuse to slack on portion sizes. I should know. After all, I made this last year and I finished it in two days...on my own. I wish I was kidding.

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen via Gourmet

Serves 6

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, optional**
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Butter a 9-inch cake pan and line with parchment; butter parchment.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. With a standing or hand mixer, beat butter with the 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and egg, beating thoroughly. Turn speed to low and alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, mixing until just combined. Spread batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top. Scatter the raspberries evenly over the top (no need to push them down) and sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake at 400º for about 20-25 minutes or until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

*I forgot to sprinkle the cake with sugar and it wasn't missed

**I used 1 teaspoon of lemon as I like the lemon flavor to be more pronounced when combined with blueberries