This recipe was originally a raspberry buttermilk cake, but I had just made blueberry muffins and wanted to use up the leftover blueberries. This is my second time trying this recipe, but it still didn't come out as expected! I might use less baking powder next time, because it rose too much. However, this is definitely the easiest cake--takes just 15 minutes to assemble, and bakes for 20!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar (decreased 3 Tablespoons)
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 t finely grated lemon zest (optional)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 cup fresh berries of your choice (I used thawed frozen blueberries)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about two minutes, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg and beat well.
3. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter berries evenly over top. Sprinkle sugar on top (optional).
4. Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

If you don't have buttermilk*, just add 1 T vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 10 minutes until it gets thick.

*I personally LOVE buttermilk--especially after learning that it's a lot healthier than it sounds. It makes all the difference in pancakes, cakes, cornbread and even marinating chicken.