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Quick Berry Cake

Fresh blueberries and raspberries, brown sugar and sour cream create a delicious not-too-sweet snack cake.
Course Dessert, Snack
Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the pan
  • 2 cups plus two teaspoons unbleached white flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature (1/2 stick)
  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1-1/2 cups blueberries
  • 1/2 cup raspberries

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhangs on the long sides so you can lift out the bread once it is baked. Oil the paper and the pan.
  • In a small bowl, sift together the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set the bowl aside for the moment.
  • Put the butter and the 1/4 cup olive oil in a medium bowl. With a hand mixer, beat them together until fairly well blended—it’s okay if the butter is in bits. Add the brown sugar and continue to beat until well blended and creamy. Add the eggs, lemon extract and vanilla extract, and beat again just until the mix is smooth and uniform.
  • Add the flour mixture and the sour cream in alternate batches, mixing on a low speed and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth and uniform.
  • In a small bowl, sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons of flour over the berries and stir together to coat them—this will help stop them from sinking to the bottom of the bread, kind of. Yes, you may use your hands for this.
  • Gently fold the berries into the batter. Try to ensure a uniform distribution of fruit throughout the batter. Finally, spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  • Bake for 45 – 55 minutes, until the bread is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan and the top is nicely golden. An instant read thermometer slid into the center should read between 190º - 220ºF. Let the baked loaf cool on a rack—you may remove it from the pan after 15 minutes, lifting with the parchment paper.

Kitchen Notes

Liz’s crockery Corner. This feather edge flow blue platter sees lots of action in our kitchen. It was made in England the early 19th century, designed for families of limited means hankering for a bit of elegance. You’ll find it’s full story—and a recipe for a banana bread with a miso umami twist—right here.