Cooking for friends and family has always brought me joy, and it’s what first ushered me into the restaurant business. Given the richness and complexity of Indian food, I often ended meals with simple desserts: fruit and custard, a trifle or a flan. Decades later, I still love cooking at home, but lately I’ve been searching for even simpler dessert ideas. Sliced mangoes or a bowl of cherries, unadorned, have become regulars in the rotation, as have pitted dates and good chocolate.
60 Min
GF
NF
Blackberry Cake
Here’s a dessert that’s easy to make, requires no stand mixer and showcases the flavor of local summer fruit. Blackberries and blueberries are in season, and this one-bowl cornmeal cake comes together with little more than a whisk and a mixing bowl. It’s best eaten with a spoon and served with unsweetened whipped cream or your favorite ice cream.
Cooking for friends and family has always brought me joy, and it’s what first ushered me into the restaurant business. Given the richness and complexity of Indian food, I often ended meals with simple desserts: fruit and custard, a trifle or a flan. Decades later, I still love cooking at home, but lately I’ve been searching for even simpler dessert ideas. Sliced mangoes or a bowl of cherries, unadorned, have become regulars in the rotation, as have pitted dates and good chocolate.
Here’s a dessert that’s easy to make, requires no stand mixer and showcases the flavor of local summer fruit. Blackberries and blueberries are in season, and this one-bowl cornmeal cake comes together with little more than a whisk and a mixing bowl. It’s best eaten with a spoon and served with unsweetened whipped cream or your favorite ice cream.
Cook Time
60 minutes + resting time
Serves
6
Directions
Step 1
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch cake pan or baking dish.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar and egg until smooth and well combined.
Step 3
Add the cornmeal, almond flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom. Whisk to combine, then whisk in the milk and vanilla until smooth.
Step 4
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Step 5
Arrange the blackberries around the outer edge of the batter. Most will sink as the cake bakes. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Step 6
Let the cake cool for at least 1 hour. Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes & Variations
- Placing the blackberries around the perimeter helps them cook evenly while preventing excess moisture from accumulating in the center of the cake.
- The cake is best served at room temperature or slightly warm. It will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Twelve ounces is roughly equivalent to two supermarket pints of berries.
- Blueberries may be substituted for some or all of the blackberries.
Ingredients
Step 1
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch cake pan or baking dish.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar and egg until smooth and well combined.
Step 3
Add the cornmeal, almond flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom. Whisk to combine, then whisk in the milk and vanilla until smooth.
Step 4
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Step 5
Arrange the blackberries around the outer edge of the batter. Most will sink as the cake bakes. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Step 6
Let the cake cool for at least 1 hour. Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes & Variations
- Placing the blackberries around the perimeter helps them cook evenly while preventing excess moisture from accumulating in the center of the cake.
- The cake is best served at room temperature or slightly warm. It will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Twelve ounces is roughly equivalent to two supermarket pints of berries.
- Blueberries may be substituted for some or all of the blackberries.
Tags:
60 Min
GF
NF
Tags:
60 Min
GF
NF
Bask in the berries!
There is so much to make with berries, not enough time! Here are some recipes to test out before the summer berry bounty is over.
