A rich, crumbly, buttery vanilla cake made for topping with whipped cream and loads of fresh berries

The texture of cakes used as a vehicle for berries and whipped cream varies from light as air angel food cake to dense, flaky biscuits. I tend to enjoy it all with a slight preference for the biscuit version. I love how the biscuit's crisp exterior holds up to the juicy fruit and cream while the inside becomes slightly softened and absorbs those flavorful juices. However, sometimes those biscuits can be a bit dry.

My Vanilla Berry Cake is my ideal texture for berry cakes. It is subtly sweet, slightly moist and dense enough to hold up the ripest of summer berries. What makes this cake such a happy medium? The answer is buttermilk and almond flour, both texture and flavor superstars. The acidity in buttermilk results in more moisture and a more tender crumb. The slight tang it provides is an added flavor bonus! If you're interested in more of the science behind buttermilk, Fine Cooking has a great article going into all the details. Almond flour also provides great flavor as well as a soft, moist crumb. I use it in combination with all purpose flour to achieve a sturdy yet tender cake.

Of course, buttermilk and almond flour aren't the only key ingredients here. I included vanilla bean paste in both the cake and whipped cream, resulting in a nice vanilla flavor with gorgeous bean flecks throughout. A touch of almond extract is included for that unidentifiable "bakery" flavor and brown sugar for added moisture and flavor complexity.

Now grab some berries, whip some cream and dig in!

Vanilla Berry Cake

A rich, dense, crumbly, buttery vanilla cake made for topping with whipped cream and loads of fresh berries

Serves: 9

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted frozen butter
1 cup (125 grams) all purpose flour
1 cup (96 grams) almond flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
4 tablespoons (50 grams) granulated sugar, separated
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3 teaspoons + 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (sub: vanilla extract), separated
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
18 ounces mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, combine the fruits with 2 tablespoons sugar. Place in the refrigerator and allow the juices to develop for at least an hour
Carefully grate the frozen butter using a box grater and place back into the freezer while you prepare the remaining ingredients
Prepare an 8 x 8 baking pan by spraying with cooking spray or greasing with butter then lining with parchment paper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
In a large bowl, combine the flours, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, baking powder and salt
In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, 3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste and almond extract. Set aside
Remove the grated butter from the freezer. Using two forks or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour mixture until small pieces of butter remain - this shouldn't be too much work since the butter is already grated
Add in the liquid ingredients and stir to combine - the batter will be very thick
Evenly spread the batter into the prepared baking pan and place in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, carefully remove from pan and allow to cool completely
When the cake is cooled and you are ready to serve, whip together the cream, confectioners sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste in a large bowl attached to a stand mixer using the whisk attachment
To serve, top the cooled cake with the whipped cream and assorted berries
Note: This is best served immediately once the whipped cream is put on