Summery Citrus Raspberry Cake

Alright Gour-Maybe users, if you are looking for a light, flavorful, not-too-sweet, "dessert" (or snack or breakfast for all I care) then I have the cake for you! This cake screams summer, when berries are in season and on sale. You could use lots of different types of berries. It's not super rich or heavy like a birthday cake, it almost floats off the plate - probably because it has no calories... Ok, maybe a FEW calories, but they are totally worth it! It's basically all fruit! Come on! The orange and meyer lemon and tart raspberries give it such a delicious, fresh flavor, and the buttermilk keeps it from being too sweet. The sugar-coated raspberries bake in their own juices almost created a jam over the top. I realize I'm going on and on. This is great for a party, or a baby shower, or a special easy dessert. The one caveat is that you will need about 2 hours of time. Be sure you have a spring form pan and parchment paper on hand, as a Gour-Maybe, I've found I use both frequently, so if you don't have one, go get one, it will be a good investment. Read the recipe and the tips after the jump.





Summery Citrus Raspberry Cake (serves 10-12)
You will need:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp (like really soft) not kind of soft.

1 T for buttering your pan

2 1/3 cups cake flour (sifted)

3 C raspberries (or a mixture of red and golden raspberries if you want to get creative)

1/4 C light brown sugar

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ginger

3 eggs, room temperature

2 tsp pure vanilla extract (as always, don't use the imitation!)

1 T finely grated orange zest

1 tsp finely grated meyer lemon zest

1 cup cold buttermilk

Preheat to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10" spring form pan. Cut a round of parchment paper, the exact size of the bottom of the pan. I like to trace around the pan with a pencil and cut it out. Easy! Line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Butter the parchment. Dust bottom and sides with with flour; tap out excess. Toss berries with 1/4 c brown sugar. Place berries in a single layer in bottom of pan; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup white sugar.If you wanted to be super crafty, use golden and regular raspberries and arrange in a pattern - oooh artsy!!!

Resift 2 1/3 cups cake flour, baking powder, salt, ginger and baking soda into a medium bowl; set aside. With a stand or hand mixer, beat butter and 1 1/3 cups sugar in on medium-high speed, until light in color and fluffy, appx two minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time on medium speed. Beat the mixture well after each addition. Add vanilla and both zests. Reduce speed to low; and add dry ingredients in thirds. Do one third dry ingredients, then half the buttermilk, then dry ingredients, then buttermilk and finishing with the last bit of dry ingredients. Don't over mix!  Pour batter over raspberries and level the batter with a knife, spreading evenly.  

Bake until cake is golden brown, this takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then, if your cake is sticking to the sides, which it shouldn't be, hopefully, run a thin knife around edge of pan to loosen. Undo your springform sides and release them. Place platter over top (golden brown side) of cake. Flip over, holding both the platter and pan bottom in place. Carefully remove  the pan bottom and peel off parchment.Serve warm with ice cream or cold with a little whipped cream or even a lemon and powdered sugar glaze! A perfect summer cake.