I think it is because they are sweet, yet at the same time there is tartness. I adore things that are slightly sour.
And also because they are great to bake with!
There are times when a recipe calls out strongly to me. BAKE ME! BAKE ME! It would shout. Many times, that recipe would contain some form of berries, or chocolate, or both.
What I like about baking with berries, apart from the flavour and moistness they impart to the cake, is that I can usually substitute one type of berries with another.
I buy berries when they are on sale. After all, I live in Singapore and we import most of our fruit and vegetables. Berries can be very expensive. When they are on sale, I buy loads and freeze them.
My favourite berry to bake with has to be blueberries. I simply love the colour of blueberries.
As with most cakes, I started by creaming the butter with the sugar.
Until it became light and fluffy.
Then the orange zest and vanilla extract were added, and mixed into the batter.
What you would end up with is a batter that looked like it had curdled. But all is okay.
The flour and buttermilk were then added in the sequence: flour-buttermilk-flour-buttermilk-flour. Beat well after each addition.
The resulting batter should be smooth.
The blueberries were placed in a single layer in a springform tin that had been greased, lined with baking paper and dusted with flour. Sugar was scattered over the blueberries.
The batter was poured over the blueberries, and using a spatula, I smoothed the top.
Once baked, the cake was left to cool in the springform pan for about 15-20 minutes before I removed the ring and peeled off the baking paper.
The cake was dusted with icing sugar and left to cool.
I dusted the cake with more icing sugar before serving it. But that is totally optional. :)
RECIPE
Blueberry Upside-down Cake (Serves 6-8)
Ingredients:
170g unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan and baking paper
2 1/3 cups cake flour (sifted) plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) fresh blueberries
1/4 cup plus 1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
Powdered sugar (for dusting)
1. Position a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 170C.
2. Butter a 9″-10″-diameter springform pan; line bottom with a round of baking paper. Butter baking papert. Dust with flour; tap out excess.
3. Arrange berries in a single layer in bottom of pan; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup sugar.
4. Sift 2 1/3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a medium bowl; set aside.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat 3/4 cup butter and remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar in a large bowl at medium-high speed, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
6. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. Beat in vanilla and zest.
8. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until incorporated.
9. Pour batter over berries in pan; smooth top.
10. Bake until cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 25 minutes.
11. Let cool in pan set on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes, then run a thin, sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen.
12. Remove pan sides.
13. Invert cake onto rack and remove pan bottom; peel off parchment.
14. Dust top generously with powdered sugar and let cool completely.
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