4th of July Berry Cake

This is your typical summer berry cake.....easy to make and always a crowd pleaser.
There's nothing fancy going on here, it's just about the summer berries.

Raspberries would be extra good in this recipe, but I had blueberries and strawberries.

With some whipped cream on top, we can call it a red, white and blue-berry cake.

It's important here to use an 8" springform, because the batter makes a small cake....(you can also use a 9" Pyrex glass pie plate, for some reason, these 8" cakes come out nicely in the pie dish).

4th of July Berry Cake: (adapted from Coastal Living)

1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup halved strawberries
zest of a lemon
1 teaspoon lemon juice for the top
turbinado sugar for top
*updated July 2020: I add in a tsp of vanilla and a huge tablespoon of sour cream......makes the cake even better!

Heat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, zest and sugar for 3 minutes with a mixer (or by hand), until light in color.

Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and eggs, and beat at medium speed 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl once.

Spread the batter evenly into an 8-inch greased springform pan (or Pyrex pie plate). I like to line my springform pan w/ a circle of parchment paper.

Place blueberries and strawberries (any berries!) on top of the batter, pressing lightly into the surface. Drizzle lemon juice evenly over the top.

I sprinkled some turbinado sugar on top for a nice crunchy crust.

Bake 40-50 minutes or until golden.

Remove and allow to cool slightly in the pan. Run a knife around the edges, and remove sides of the pan. Top with powdered sugar or freshly whipped cream to serve.

My fruit sunk into the cake after baking, but it was fine....tasted delicious anyway.

Have a happy 4th of July!