July 22, 2009 - Raspberry Goodness & A Sweet Story

After picking loads and loads of Raspberries and making jam, jam, jam, I found a wonderful recipe which seemed like just the perfect weekday dessert. Of course, Nikki instantly took over measuring ingredients and placing the raspberries one by one in a perfect pattern.  

After only 20 minutes of raspberry placement her cake was ready to bake.  

Once baked, Nikki calls this cake her "Raspberry Surprise" cake - since the raspberries almost disappear during baking.  It is light, not too sweet, moist - a little slice of heaven if you ask me.

Looks good, doesn't it.  Wish you could taste via my blog, but hey I told you  to buy raspberries. The recipe is from fabulous blog http://www.smittenkitchen.com  - and is adapted from Gourmet magazine.  Here it is for those of you eager to get baking.  

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake 

Makes one thin 9-inch cake, which might serve eight people, if you can pry it from first two people’s grasp -  It will be gone in one serving for a family of four - I assure you :-)

1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (56 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (146 grams) plus 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional) - I added this it goes wonderfully with raspberries
1 large (57 grams) egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk - see "make your own buttermilk" if you don't have this item in your fridge
1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 oz)

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

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup (146 grams) sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about two minutes, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter (see Note) raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

Make your own buttermilk: No need to buy buttermilk especially for this or any recipe. Add one teaspoon tablespoon [updated, as an astute reader pointed out that the larger amount is more common] of vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of milk and let it sit until it clabbers, about 10 minutes. Voila, buttermilk!

For the end of my post, I leave you with this sweet photo and a sweet story to boot.  This is Nikki reading a bedtime story from one of her favorite books to her dolls.  Now ordinarily, many of you might think - this happens everyday in my house.  But this was a long awaited moment for her.   On a spring yard sale adventure this May these lovely old doll bunk beds were discovered in an old barn in the country.  Nikki fell in love with them, despite the fact that they were covered in years of dirt and webs, seriously broken, unusable and even had rusted screws.  But being the creative one that she is, she insisted that we take them home, informing me that "Daddy can fix them, mommy."  She even negotiated with the barn owner and took them home for free (she explained that they would require lots of work - I think the lady just wanted them out of her barn).  After nearly 2 months (mostly thinking time), George finally finished them last night .  Nikki promptly pulled out scraps of fabric, made beds with pillows and said her dolls were so happy to finally have their own beds and that for their first night she should read them a story - she of course chose one of her favorites - Little Bear.   This morning she said her dolls "slept great" and gave Daddy a big hug.