Fresh Summer Berry Cake

June 30, 2011 · 0 comments

Adapted from Whole Grains for Busy People

This moist whole grain cake is topped with fresh fruit and mildly sweet. It’s healthier than your average cake recipe since it uses nut oil in place of butter, whole grain flour and quite a bit of fresh fruit. Perfect for your July 4th festivities!

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons walnut oil
Zest of 1 lemon
1-1/2 cups whole grain cake mix
4 ripe strawberries, thinly sliced
1/2 cup blueberries, picked over
1/2 cup raspberries
Creme fraiche, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by coating it with walnut oil.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the beaten egg with the buttermilk. Add the walnut oil and lemon zest and whisk once more to blend. Add the cake mix. Carefully fold the mix into the batter until just combined. Take care not to overmix. If the batter seems dry, add another splash of buttermilk and gently incorporate.
Spread the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Wash the berries and dry them very well. Be sure to look for blueberry stems and remove them. Using a decorative circular pattern, arrange the cut strawberries along the edge of the pan. Follow with the blueberries and finally the raspberries.
Bake on the middle rack for 12 minutes. Rotate the pan, then bake for another 10 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool on a rack. Remove the springform sides and using a spatula, gently separate the bottom of the cake from the pan and slide it onto a serving plate.
Serve with creme fraiche.
Quick Tips
1. The first time I tried this, I used a 9-inch cake pan. Big mistake. I couldn’t get the cake out. The next time, I used a springform pan and greased it a bit more heavily. In addition to the walnut oil listed in the recipe, I also coated the sides and bottom of the pan with cooking spray. That is the secret.
2. You can really top this cake with just about any ripe yet firm fresh fruit. I’ll be posting another iteration or two as the summer goes on. Stay tuned! Or just get creative on your own.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 22 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

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