Berries, berries everywhere. I flipped through a hundred-year-old cookbook to see if there were any berry recipes, and came across a lovely recipe for Blackberry Cake.
Blackberry Cake is a spice cake that contains blackberries. The combination works really well, and the cake was delicious. It makes a lovely summer dessert.
Here’s the original recipe:
A hundred years ago, canned blackberries were readily available. In those days, before home freezers, many cooks canned blackberries to preserve them. Commercially canned blackberries were also sold in many stores.
Since it’s difficult to find canned blackberries today, I substituted fresh blackberries for canned ones when I made the recipe. I used a pint package of blackberries and cooked them with a little sugar prior to using in this recipe. The blackberries I used were very large, so I cut each berry into 2 or 3 pieces before cooking. After they were cooked, they had a consistency (and liquid) similar to canned blackberries.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Blackberry Cake
1 cup canned blackberries, including liquid (or use 1 pint (8 ounces) fresh blackberries + 1/4 cup sugar)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Step 1. If using fresh blackberries, put blackberries in a saucepan. (If the blackberries are very large, first cut each one into 2 or 3 pieces.) Stir in 1/4 cup sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow time for juice to be drawn out of the berries, then heat, using medium heat until the liquid begins to boil; reduce heat and simmer until the berries are soft (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.
Step 2. Drain the blackberries. Reserve both the berries and liquid. (Regardless of whether canned or cooked berries are used, they will need to be drained.)
Step 3. Preheat oven to 350° F.
Step 4. Grease and flour a loaf pan or a 9-inch square baking pan. (I used a square pan.).
Step 5. Cream butter and 1 cup sugar. Add water, and eggs; beat to combine. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; beat until thoroughly mixed. Add blackberry juice; beat until well blended.
Step 6. Then stir in the cooked blackberries. Pour into prepared pan.
Step 7. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Thanks for going into detail about how to prepare the black berries. I was wondering how they determined the ratio of berry solids to juice when using canned blackberries. That would make a huge difference in the texture of the cake.
That’s a good question. I just went with the juice that I got from putting sugar on the blackberries and cooking them. When I added that juice, I ended up with a fairly thick better, but it seemed to work okay. Canned blackberries may have more juice.
I’ll rember that!!
I have a huge patch of tame blackberries and always have a lot more than I need. I have been looking for ways to use them. This cake sounds like something my family would like. I will definitely try it. Thanks for the post.
I think that you’ll like this recipe.
I think so too.
I am thinking that the only canned blackberries I have seen in a long time is the occasional can of blackberry pie filling.
There is an upscale small regional supermarket in a nearby town that has a large selection of canned fruits. I think that it still has canned blackberries. I occasionally visit the store and buy canned white cherries, canned grapefruit, canned blueberries (not pie filling), and some other canned fruits that I never see at other stores. I think that a key demographic for the store is older people. Apparently we like canned fruits.
Mmmmm… Delightful, Sheryl. Loving the spices added to this cake.
It’s good to hear that you enjoyed this post. The spices and the blackberries made a nice flavor combination .
Wow – that’s a lovely recipe, Sheryl. Thanks for sharing your updated version.
You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed this post.
Berry goodness, through and through – so timeless!
The cake’s berry good. 🙂
I wonder how the seedy wild blackberries would do. We have so many of them on Blackberry Homestead.
Love the name of your farm. It sounds so picturesque. I definitely noticed the blackberry seeds in the cake, but they didn’t detract from it. I’m not sure if wild blackberries might have so many seeds that it might detract from the cake.
I love our 5 acres. It has beautiful views, lots of wildlife, and wild blackberries all over.
It would be interesting to try the cake with the wild blackberries. My grandmother would make blackberry cobbler. It was so good.
It sounds beautiful – and you’re making me hungry for Blackberry Cobbler.