Monday, August 17, 2009

Raspberry Sour Cream Cake May Just Be the Perfect Summertime Cake

fresh raspberries

Our local market recently had raspberries on sale -- 77 cents per half pint. I bought 8.

Since tangy fresh raspberries are highly irresistible (and perishable), Jeff and I have eaten a lot of berries over the last few days in cantaloupe boats, smoothies, berry parfaits, salads, scones, and today's raspberry sour cream cake.

raspberry sour cream cake

This may just be the perfect summertime cake. It's delightfully quick and easy to make, and it's versatile. I know. I loved the raspberry sour cream cake so much that I made a blueberry buttermilk one too. Most of all, it's delicious. Underneath the crunchy sugar-dusted top is a pillowy soft interior punctuated by bursts of juicy, tart raspberries. This cake needs no adornment, but a dollop of creme fraiche doesn't hurt.

raspberry sour cream cake

Raspberry Sour Cream Cake
Serves 8
Print recipe only here.

Note: This recipe is adapted from an original raspberry buttermilk cake at Gourmet. I have made this cake both with sour cream and buttermilk. When I made it with buttermilk, I used 1 egg; with sour cream, I used 2 eggs.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar, plus 3 tablespoons, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup fresh raspberries

1. Place rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 400°F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with Pam baking spray (or coat with butter and dust with flour).

2.Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs and beat well. Add sour cream and beat well.

4. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar.

5. Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

You might also enjoy these fruity summertime desserts:
Nectarine and Raspberry Crumble
Peach and Blueberry Galette
Mini Custards with Limoncello-Spiked Raspberry Sauce

Here are more delicious summertime cakes:
Plum Nectarine Buttermilk Cake at Two Peas and Their Pod
Blueberry Peach Mango Crumb Cake at Playing House
Lemon Cornmeal Bundt Cake with Raspberries at Baking Bites
Blackberry Breakfast Cake at A Southern Grace
Blueberry Upside Cake at Cookie Baker Lynn