Blackberry Butter Cake (Dear Joe, I'm climbing a small mountain)

jammy, short, Oma-esque

Dear Joe

And everyone else! A glut of blackberries this week that I picked from Jonathan’s garden while I was visiting him and Mum. I’m sharing the recipe of what I baked with the pickings. Based on a German butter cake, using a handwritten recipe from Oma as my guide. It’s a hybrid kind of cake, with shortbread quantities of butter, but a softness that skates close enough to cake texture to call it so. Crucially, the blackberries on top remain part whole and part jammy, thanks to the butter you need to ‘blob’ over the top of the berries before it goes in the oven.

I did have a small argument with this cake while prepping it. There was batter flicked onto the ceiling and a few rogue blackberries on the floor. The cake won, obviously, and so I did too really. It came out bubbling and perfect, like it will for you too. I climbed a small mountain with Mum after it came out of the oven. We ate it as soon as we came back. And then had second slices. Enjoy.

Grease and line a round 9-inch cake tin, then preheat the oven to 180 / 160 fan. Roughly chop 40g almonds and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together 150g softened unsalted butter with 100g sugar until very light and fluffy. Beat in a large pinch of salt and 1 medium egg. It’s best if the egg is cold from the fridge to prevent the mixture from curdling – but really, it's not a deal breaker. Now mix in 70g milk, ½ tsp baking powder, and 250g plain flour until you have a thick batter. Spread the batter in the tin, and top evenly with 400g blackberries, 50g sugar, and the chopped almonds. Weigh out 65g softened unsalted butter and dot blobs of it evenly over the top of the cake. Bake for 35 minutes and allow to cool in the tin before serving. This one is best on the day it’s baked, but good for another 2.  

Caitlin xx