Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

If you like raspberries (or blueberries) this Raspberry Buttermilk Cake may just be for you. It's from the June 2009 issue of Gourmet Magazine and can also be found here. I really couldn't imagine that this cake was worthy of all of the raves it was receiving, so satisfied my curiosity this morning by making it under the guise of a "breakfast cake". (Yes, we did eat cake for breakfast!) It was great! It did not turn out of the pan though, well, half of it did, and fortunately I was able to carefully put that half back into the pan and serve from there. I think a parchment round would aid in a successful removal the next time. I added a few scrapings of fresh nutmeg to the flour mixture and 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract along with the vanilla since I think almond goes so well with raspberries. It's a keeper, and next time I think I'll try it with blueberries. 

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.

Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plat e.

This post is linked to:

Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars

It's cookie baking time, and, as I do every year, have started my holiday baking.  How long this burst of seasonal energy will last is anybody's guess, but I've been hard at it, preparing various holiday tidbits and packaging them for the freezer.  The hope of course is that, come late December, I'll be able to kick back and relax smugly knowing I have a freezer full of soups, casseroles, appetizers and desserts so I'll not have to cook a thing, and am well prepared for anything.  That's the hope, not the reality, but I digress.

Here is my first cookie of the season, an easy recipe of my own creation born of my love for the combination of chocolate and raspberry.

Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 12 oz. package Nestles milk chocolate morsels, divided

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 12 oz. jar seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan.

Beat butter in a large mixing bowl until creamy.  Add flour, sugar, and salt, and continue beating until combined (the mixture should be crumbly).  Measure out 2 cups of the mixture and press onto the bottom of the baking pan, covering completely (It helps to flour your hands).  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  Remove from oven and carefully spread half of the jar of raspberry preserves on top, spreading to cover.

Combine 1 cup of the milk chocolate morsels with the can of sweetened condensed milk in a small, heavy-duty saucepan.  Melt over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and pour over the raspberry layer, carefully spreading to cover.

Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the chocolate layer.  Drop remaining raspberry jam by teaspoonfuls over crumb mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining morsels.  Put pan back into the oven and continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set.  Cool completely on wire rack.  When cool, use a sharp knife around the edge to loosen, and then cut into squares.

Makes 2-3 dozen bars depending upon the size cut.



Hot from the oven.



This post is linked to 12 Weeks of Cookies.