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.
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.