Cranberry Cake 1 (Late Summer Berry Torte)

This dense, thin, fruit-filled cake showcases luscious end-of-summer fruits: raspberries, blueberries, Italian prune plums, blackberries... Take your pick, or mix and match.
And, when summer fades into fall, and it's time to think about Thanksgiving desserts, this recipe can be turned into a luscious cranberry cake — see the tip at right for directions.
Read our blog about this cake, with additional photos, at Bakers' Banter.

by: Volume

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor or 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia, optional
• 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups berries or 12 Italian prune plums, halved  chopped cranberries
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, to sprinkle on top

by Weight

• 4 ounces butter
• 5 1/4 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor or 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia, optional
• 4 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups berries or 12 Italian prune plums, halved
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, to sprinkle on top

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8" or 9" square pan, or 9" or 10" round pan.

2) Beat together the butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt till smooth.

3) Add the eggs, beating till thoroughly combined. The mixture may look somewhat coagulated; that's OK. Stir in the vanilla and optional flavor.

4) Add the flour, mixing to make a smooth, stiff batter.

5) Spread the batter in the pan. In the larger-sized pans, the batter will be spread fairly thin; that's OK.

6) Spread the berries or plums on top. If you use plums, place them with their skins up. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar.

7) Bake the cake for about 35 to 40 minutes, till a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, and the cake showing around the berries is a light golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and serve warm, or at room temperature.

8) Yield: one cake, about 10 servings.

 

Recipe summary

Hands-on time: 8 mins. to 12 mins.

Baking time: 35 mins. to 40 mins.

Total time: 43 mins. to 51 mins.

Yield: One cake, about 10 servings.

Tips from our bakers

• Here's a tasty variation for Thanksgiving: Cranberry Cake. Line a lightly greased 8" round cake pan with parchment or waxed paper; grease the paper. Make the cake batter, and spread it in the pan. Bake the cake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and quickly and carefully top with 2 cups (8 ounces) fresh cranberries. Sprinkle the cranberries with 1/3 cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons coarse sparkling sugar; or with 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Bake the cake for an additional 45 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and serve warm — as is, or topped with ice cream or whipped cream.

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recipe from Baker’s Banter Blog

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