White Lemon Cake with Berry Topping

I tend to be an early riser. Well, I am if you compare me to H, at least. Out of the two of us, he is definitely the one who likes to sleep in. And while I love H dearly, I really savor those couple hours of the weekend morning that I have to myself before he wakes up and our day begins.

During the winter, those mornings are often spent wrapped up in a blanket, reading, listening to jazz, and drinking a home made peppermint mocha. In the fall, the windows are open; I'm loving the brisk wind and crisp, undoubtedly fall smell; and I'm more likely than not baking some sort of pumpkin treat or starting a big batch of chili.

This summer, I've been spending those mornings listening to some Ray LaMontagne or Amos Lee, appreciating the soft breeze of the ceiling fan, and putting coffee iced cubes in my morning cup. And yesterday morning, enjoying this cake. Really, really enjoying this cake.

This cake truly made my morning. It manages to be light, yet rich at the same time. The lemony sweetness of the cake is a perfect complement to the slight tartness of the berries. I just used blueberries in the topping, but I bet raspberries or blackberries would be just as delicious. 

White Lemon Cake with Berry Topping

(serves 12)

1/2 pint of berries

1 stick of butter, room temperature

3/4 cup of white sugar

1 egg white

3/4 teaspoon of lemon exract

1 cup of cake flour
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 cup of buttermilk

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Cut a parchment paper round to fit inside your cake pan. Grease parchment paper with a bit of butter, place it in the bottom of the cake pan, and spread berries out on top of the greased parchment. 

Beat butter and sugar together with medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add egg white and lemon extract and beat for another 30 seconds. 

Combine all dry ingredients (cake flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder) in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add 1/3 of dry ingredients to bowl while beating on low. Alternate with buttermilk, ending with dry ingredients, beating until just combined. 

Plop batter on top of the berries in the cake pan, and spread to the edges. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until slightly golden brown on top and the middle is no longer jiggly. (I used an 8" pan, so I may have needed a bit longer. If you're using a 9" pan, check after about maybe 25 minutes.) Allow to cool on a rack for 15 minutes, and then invert on to a plate. Cool completely before cutting, and serve with a dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Inspired by Smells Like Home, and adapted from The Powdered Plum, original recipe here.