Blackberry Snack Cake - May Cake Odyssey

DISCLAIMER...

Ack!  I just realized that it is June 1st and my May Cake Odyssey post never was published!  I thought for sure I hit "publish" but instead it's been sitting in the "draft" slot.  This is a true indication as to what kind of month May has been for me. 

When I first began this blog, I would sit down and type out random thoughts or share interesting (to me anyway) stories and it brought me such therapeutic joy and release.  I've always enjoyed writing.  Then the more I wrote and posted, the more I wanted to write and post. 

And then it started to become work. 

Work I wasn't being paid for. 

And work I was getting a bit annoyed with. 

So, I'll get on with sharing this recipe with you.  I love this cake.  And it is perfect for the berry season that is fast approaching.  You will not be disappointed.

Blackberry Snack Cake

Here's What You Need:

For the streusel:

6 Tablespoons light brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

For the cake:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 Tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries

Here's What You Do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and pecans in a mixing bowl.  Work the butter pieces into the mixture, making coarse crumbs.  You'll end up with something that looks like this: 

I didn't include the pecans because my children refuse food that includes nuts and I was out of pecans, so it was an easy decision to make. 

Whisk the sour cream, egg and vanilla together in a large measuring cup.  It will look like this when you're done:

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.

Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl when needed.  Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the egg mixture and mix until well combined.  Add the flour mixture, a bit at a time, and be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down when needed.

Scrape the batter into the baking pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Scatter the berries over the batter.  When I made this cake, I realized I had put too many berries on my cereal that morning and didn't have enough to make the cake.  So, I relied on my supply of mixed berries from the freezer.  So, essentially this is really "Mixed Berry Snack Cake." 

Sprinkle the streusel over the berries and bake the cake until it's golden, about 45 minutes.  Let the cake col in the pan for 15 minutes.

This cake serves 9 squares and can pass for an afternoon snack, dessert or for a breakfast even.

Store uneaten squares wrapped tightly or in a sealed container for up to 3 days.  It won't last that long in your house, so you don't need to worry about that.  This recipe comes courtesy of "Cake Keeper Cakes" by Lauren Chattman.  This book is one of my BFF's of 2010.  If you like cake, you should have this wonderful cookbook.