When I was a kid, my mom would often make cakes for dessert. Only, she didn’t frost them. WHATTT!??? As kids this would just crush us. We wanted everything slathered in mounds of sugary buttercream frosting, and millions of calories. But as an adult, I am appreciative of just a lovely little dusting of powdered sugar. You can actually taste the cake and the fresh baked fruit, with just a touch of extra sweetness.
These kind of cakes always seem like they should be “weeknight” dessert to me. You know what I mean? Like not a special occasion big old layer cake (not that those aren’t fantastic too!), but something you could serve on a Monday night, without having to go to much extra trouble.
And I am telling you right now, that this is the best cake of this nature that I have had in a really long time. Maybe ever. I went back and tweaked this old recipe of my Grandma Graces and voila, GLORIOUS Raspberry Buttermilk Cake!
The texture of the cake is so fine and moist, and almost a little spongy. The buttermilk gives it a just a hint of tanginess and it is studded with sweet and tart raspberries.
I am not sure how it could even get better than this for a summer dessert. Oh wait, I was eating it for breakfast too. And by the way, unlike most cakes (especially those with fresh fruit), this did not get stale right away, in fact, in continued to stay very moist for the 2 days before it was devoured. I highly recommend this recipe!!
Also- I have to note that I made this cake with fresh eggs from Athena’s organic chicken farm on Whidbey Island. These were the most gorgeous eggs I have ever seen. If you are ever up there- please do yourself a favor and pick some up- you can taste the difference!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9” round cake pan with a round of parchment paper in the bottom and some cooking spray.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, and combine well. Add the milk, and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until it is a smooth batter.
Gently fold in the fresh raspberries.
Pour the batter in the prepared cake pan and bake the cake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until just done.
Let cool before turning out onto a platter, and removing the parchment paper.
Dust with powdered sugar.
Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe: Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
Ingredients
- -1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- -1 cup sugar
- -2 eggs
- -1 1/3 cup Cake flour
- -1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- -1/2 tsp salt
- -1/2 cup buttermilk
- -1 cup raspberries
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9” round cake pan with a round of parchment paper in the bottom and some cooking spray.
- 2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- 3. Add the eggs one at a time, and combine well. Add the milk, and mix until combined.
- 4. In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until it is a smooth batter.
- 5. Gently fold in the fresh raspberries.
- 6. Pour the batter in the prepared cake pan and bake the cake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until just done.
- 7. Let cool before turning out onto a platter and dusting with powdered sugar. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
Print Recipe
The cake is gorgeous! Would make a lovely Christmas dessert.
I love getting green/blue eggs! That usually means the chickens ate a healthy, natural diet. 🙂
I did not know that about the eggs! That is really great info- thanks!
This cake is so pretty! Love this idea!
thanks Katrina!
I love the simplicity of this cake. So beautiful!
thanks Carrie!
Heather, this cake makes my heart stop. I love raspberries in cakes and oh how I miss baking with cake flour! This would be a very dangerous cake for me to have around!
Oh thanks Susan. Yes, It was on the majorly addictive side for me!
Really pretty cake! Would this batter work for all berries?
Vicki- absolutely! Plums, peaches and nectarines would work too!
What a gorgeous cake! Your photos are just beautiful!! 🙂
Thanks Amanda- coming from you that means a lot!
you had me at raspberry!! this looks gorgeous!! So sorry we missed each other at BlogHer 🙁 we need to plan better next time lol
I know!! Shoot! I just didn’t expect it to be so mammoth!
You know, I was always the opposite–I scraped the frosting off my cake for years on end. 🙂 This simple cake is right up my alley, clearly!
Perfect Eileen! I’m glad that this is your style!
What a pretty and delicate cake, Heather. I actually love these types of cakes without heavy frosting. Just the thing for a lazy summer afternoon with a glass of lemonade.
Ooooh! with lemonade! perfect 🙂
This cake is so pretty. And I know what you mean – I love fancy layer cakes and frosting, but sometimes a simple every day cake with powdered sugar is perfect 🙂
First time here through Foodgawker and I have to tell you, this cake looks marvellous!!I just love the soft moist texture !i’m so going to be trying this soon 🙂
Heather this looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it. I also have to say that your photographs are extra beautiful for this post!
thank so much Susie 🙂
I love how simple the recipe is. The cake looks gorgeous with the raspberries and the powdered sugar on top!
Thank you peach!
I wish I would have had this recipe last week when we had family in town! I look forward to making this light and pretty dessert!
Oh good Soupista! You will love this one- its a keeper!
I’ll take a dusting of powdered sugar with my cake any day!
Simply beautiful. We made similar cakes using different ingredients. How fun to come across your site.
I adore cakes like this – everybody needs to have a recipe like this in their repertoire! I love serving a cake like this or a tart for dessert in the summer – frosted cakes in the summer, for me, are just too heavy! Gorgeous photo Heather!!
Thanks Nancy!! I love this simple cake too, in fact I am making it for tonight’s dessert!
I rarely get fresh eggs, but when I do there is a great excitment in my home! This cake looks beautiful. I’m going to try it tonight with the saskatoon berries that are growing out the back door. I’ll let you know how it goes.
amazing! WHAT are saskatoon berries!?
This cake looks delicious and beautiful! I definitely want to try it! Thanks for posting it!
Thank you Jessica! I hope you do!
Okay, I made the cake last night with the Saskatoon Berries that I picked. Saskatoon berries (also called Service berries) are similar to blue berries or huckle berries. They grow here in North West MT, where I am vacationing at my in-laws. I’ve been wanting to bake something with these berries and a buttermilk cake sounded perfect. It was yummy! The cake is just the right amount of sweetness, so tender and moist. I think you could put anything into this cake and it would be amazing!
I am so glad Kari!! I will have to look these berries up!
What a lovely cake and such a scrumptious recipe! Yum!
Thank You Russell!
I have just made this cake and it is fantastic, easy and very quick to make. Next time I will add a little lemon zest and see how it goes with the raspberries. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Just put this cake in the oven! If it takes as good as the batter did yes, I’m one of those!), it will be delicious!! Let you know in 23 mins!
Oops, tastes as good!
What a lovely looking cake! And just an FYI, the green and blue eggs have nothing to do with the hen’s diet, but everything to do with the breed of the chicken. Usually they are Ameracauna or Aracauna – also known as “Easter Eggers!”
could you use blueberries and lemon zest instead?
YES!! that would be wonderful!
Best cake ever my mom has made like 10+ times so good.way to go auntie I love your recipes<3
Is there a substitute for the cake flour?
You could use regular flour (All Purpose) it just won’t be quite as tender. If you do use AP, please sift it at least once and then measure from the sifted flour.
I ended up adding corn starch to the flour. I also added vanilla and lemon zest. And the cake turned out great.
I prefer this cake over the smitten kitchen one.
Could you use frozen berries for this?!
Sure Kay!
Good stuff…rave reviews! Moist with a light, fluffy crumb. I skimped on the raspberries as I was baking 2 cakes and added some fresh blueberries…would add more fruit next time. I added the flour/buttermilk in increments because that is the way I usually make my cakes. Topped with sanding sugar before baking & a light confectioners sugar/cream/vanilla drizzle of glaze after baking.
Please help! I used to be able to make this cake and it would come out incredible. It is my actual favorite cake.
The last 7 times I’ve made it however, I bake it at the correct temperature for the correct amount of time in the correct sized pan – and it is still raw in the middle. The edges are almost overcooked. The middle? RAW. What in HADES am I doing wrong? Please? Am I cursed?
I am thinking your oven needs to be calibrated? Especially if it used to turn out well? It may just not be baking at the same temperature. OR you used to bake on convection and now you are baking on regular?