Berry Patch Cake - Pink Saturday

It's not my habit to make berry cakes in October. This one was the result of my inattention. I had pulled what I thought was a bag of cranberries from the freezer, only to discover my labeling system had failed me and I actually had raspberries that now had to be used. While I had planned to make a flan, I decided to use this cake as a stand-in. It's very old-fashioned and one of the first cakes I learned to make. I love to add blackberries or raspberries to the batter. It's an everyday snack cake meant for family and close friends. It's a bit like a Swedish Visitor's Cake, but it's not as refined and it's much quicker and easier to make. It can be oven ready in 15 minutes. It is best frosted when slightly warm and I prefer to eat the cake the day it is made, as it stales quickly. Here's the recipe.

Berry Patch Cake

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Icing

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-4 tablespoons milk

2 cups raspberries

Directions:

1) Adjust a rack to middle third of oven. Preheat to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch square pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment or waxed paper. Grease and flour paper. Set aside.

2) Place butter and sugar in bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add egg, vanilla and milk. Beat just until combined.

3) Mix flour with baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into wet mixture with a large spoon, until well blended. Do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared pan. Scatter raspberries over top. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake and continue cooling on a cake rack.

4) Meanwhile, combine confectioners' sugar with butter and beat until smooth and creamy. Add salt, vanilla and milk, a tablespoon at a time, until frosting can be easily spread.

5) Transfer cake to a serving plate. Frost top with icing while cake is still slightly warm. Some icing will spill over sides. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

This post is being linked to Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

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