Berry Cake

I've been wanting to make this recipe for a while now but didn't have anyone to give it to and Lord knows I do not need to eat an entire berry cake...my sister went up north over the weekend to her sister-in-laws so I very nicely offered to send her with a cake (haha, it was way more self-serving than being nice but don't tell her that). My only request was that she please take a picture of it after it was inverted and sliced...and guess what? Yep, she's lame. She got a delicious fruit-topped pink-swirled bundt cake and I did not get any pictures. Sigh. Sisters.

Fortunately I had the foresight to take out some of the dough and bake a small 4" cake so I could taste it and see if what a keeper recipe - and I took a picture of it, so at least I have something to show you!

I'm worried that there was so much fruit on the top and it was SO juicy after it baked that the cake might break apart - once again my sister is lame and she hasn't told me if it made it there in one piece. So let's go with it arrived in perfect condition :). I know it tasted good - and that's all I know for sure LOL!

I found the recipe here on bhg.com and they have a photo on the website. Not sure if I can post their photo tho so you'll either need to trust me that this looks pretty (bundt cake with fruit baked into the top) or go to their site and look for yourself. There is a pink swirl of cake batter running thru the cake (at least it is in their picture, I have no idea if mine turned out that way - credit my sis for that); you get that by removing some batter before pouring it in the pan and add melted jam to it, then layer cake batter with pink batter and more cake batter. Easy to do and I'm sure the effect was pretty.

I'm copy and pasting their exact recipe because it's long - don't let that stop you from making it tho, it's worth it. The original recipe calls for raspberries and cranberries - I used raspberries and blueberries. Yum.

INGREDIENTS

BERRY TOPPING

• 3tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/4cups fresh raspberries
• 1 1/4cups fresh cranberries
• Seeds of 1/2 pomegranate (about 1/2 cup)

CAKE BATTER

• 1 1/2cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 3/4cups granulated sugar
• 6large eggs, room temperature
• 3cups all-purpose flour
• 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1teaspoon salt
• 1cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1tablespoon pure vanilla extract

SWIRL

• 3tablespoons seedless raspberry jam, melted
• 3 - 4drops red food coloring
• Confectioner's  sugar for dusting 
  
  
  
  

  DIRECTIONS

  FOR THE TOPPING

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Liberally spray a 12-cup Bundt® pan with non-stick baking spray or prepare with shortening/butter and flour. 
  2. Add melted butter to bottom of the bundt pan then cover butter with 3/4 cup of the brown sugar. 
  3. Evenly sprinkle cranberries, raspberries and pomegranate seeds over the brown sugar covering entire area then carefully pat down inside the pan. 
  4. Cover berries with the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar.

  FOR THE CAKE BATTER

  1. In your mixer bowl, add butter and beat on high speed for 1 minute. Slowly add in sugar and mix on high speed for an additional 5 minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy.
  2. Next, add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
  3. Whisk together flour, cinnamon and salt in a medium sized bowl. Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour mixture into batter in two increments. Be careful not to overbeat.
  4. Lastly, add sour cream and vanilla extract, scrape down sides, and mix until just combined and turn off mixer.

  FOR THE SWIRL

  1. Remove 1 cup of cake batter from mixing bowl and add to separate small bowl. 
  2. Stir in melted raspberry jam and red food coloring and whisk until smooth.

  TO ASSEMBLE

  1. Evenly spread 1/3 cake batter into bundt pan over berries then add 1/2 of swirl batter over the top. 
  2. Repeat step by adding 1/3 of cake batter and remaining swirl batter on top. 
  3. Finally, add remaining 1/3 of plain batter to the top.
  4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the top of cake comes out clean. Tip: Add a sheet of parchment paper or foil on a shelf below the bundt pan to catch any juices that may drip during baking.
  5. Remove cake from oven and cool for only 5 to 7 minutes in pan. Carefully invert cake onto serving plate to finish cooling. If any berries stick to pan, carefully use a butter knife to remove and place back on the top of the cake. Let the juices settle (to speed this process you can refrigerate).
  6. Garnish with a small sprinkling of powdered sugar, if deisred.