By Joyce Kiefer
Joyce Kiefer is a frequent visitor to Vashon, and the mom of editor Jane Valencia. She shared this recipe.
Grandpa grew “young berries” in the backyard by the back fence. These berries were a hybrid of blackberries and raspberries. We had to do something with the abundant crop, so this cake was one way to use ’em.
I love the cake and have made it many times over the years, often with blueberries.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter or margarine
⅓ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ tsp grated lemon rind
2 tsp lemon juice
2 cups fresh blackberries or blueberries (raspberries tend to get squishy)
Melt butter in an 8″ x 8” baking pan. Add sugar, lemon rind, and juice, and stir well. Arrange berries in this mixture to cover the bottom of the pan.
Cake batter:
¼ cup shortening (we used Crisco), melted*
1 ¼ cup sifted cake flour (to use regular flour, sift flour, then measure it and sift again as indicated)
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
½ cup milk
½ tsp vanilla
Melt the shortening and let it cool while you combine the dry ingredients and sift them into a mixing bowl. Combine the egg, vanilla, and milk. Stir gradually into flour mixture. Add the cooled shortening. Mix well and pour over berry mixture in pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until done. When cake has cooled, cut into squares and invert each square so the berries are on top. Makes 6-8 servings.
* From Jane: 100% leaf lard, available at Ruby Brink, is also an option. See article on vashonloop.com, “Lauren Talks Lard!”, published Nov. 2023.
