Thursday, June 2, 2011

Blackberry Buckwheat Tea Cake

Early spring means strawberries, and the season for them is short here. Strawberries have always been my favorite fruit, but this year, they had a contender. Blackberries start showing up at farmers’ markets at the tail end of strawberry season, and they only make a few appearances before they’re gone for another year. I started looking for them about a week too early wanting to make sure I didn’t miss them. Then, at last, on a Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago, there they were in baskets all lined up and waiting, looking juicy, perfectly ripe, and ready for dessert. No disrespect to the strawberries, but I was just more eager for blackberries this year. I’d been reading the review copy I received of Farmers' Market Desserts by Jennie Schacht, and the Basket of Berries chapter had given me several good ideas. Just about any berries can be used in these desserts even though several are shown with strawberries. The strawberries and cream roll cake looked good as did the mixed berry pavlovettes with lemon-lime cream. But, when I read the recipe for the strawberry buckwheat tea cake and learned that it was made with browned butter, my decision was made. I used those prized blackberries instead of strawberries of course. The inspiration for this tea cake was strawberry and buckwheat pancakes. By adding browned butter to the cake batter, it becomes reminiscent of a buttery stack of pancakes. There’s also thick yogurt in the cake giving it great texture.

The first step of this recipe is aromatherapy in the form of browning butter. One stick was melted and then swirled in the pan as it became nutty-smelling and more delicious by the minute. That was left to cool while AP flour, buckwheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt were combined. Then, Greek yogurt, eggs, and vanilla were added to the butter, and that mixture was stirred into the dry ingredients. Last, the precious blackberries were folded into the batter, and the batter was spread in a square baking pan. Now, some of the berries were to be set aside and tossed with sugar so the juices would start running, and then the berries and resulting juice could be used to top the whipped cream served on the pieces of cake. I have a thing about not wanting much sugar with my berries because I like them just the way they are with a little tartness peeking through here and there. So, I left the remaining berries plain and there were no running juices to drip over the whipped cream. I did, however, follow the suggestion at the beginning of the book to add creme fraiche to the whipped cream.

The book offers ideas for fresh fruit from every season as well as dried fruits and nuts. There’s a first-prize peach pie that promises to deliver a perfect proportion of crust to filling. There’s also a sweet cornmeal cake made with fresh corn kernels and berries that I have to try while I can get local corn, and I’ve already made one of the ice cream desserts that I’ll post soon. This book may make you eager for certain growing seasons to arrive, but when they finally do, you’ll have some great desserts to make.



29 comments:

  1. That is a stunning picture, looks like it could be on the cover of a magazine :D. I am curious as to how buckwheat flour would taste, I need to try it one of these days. The cornmeal cake you mentioned sounds yummy, I hope you make that one too :D
    *kisses* HH

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  2. Lisa this is the most summery dessert I've seen yet. Utterly gorgeous! And I am partial to buckwheat flour so I know I'd love it. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. I would have to agree that blackberries are my favourite berry. I have some frozen Marionberries in the freezer that are form Oregon and just another species. Here we come dessert!

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  4. A wonderful use of buckwheat flour! That cake looks delightful.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  5. A teacake inspired by a pancake, chockful of blackberries and yogurt? Yes, please!! I second Heavenly Housewife's assessment of your top pic - it's summer defined. 8-)

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  6. Buckwheat is my favorite flour after teff. Just the color alone have me salivating. Your photo on that first shot is pretty irresistible.

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  7. I love buckwheat! Your cake looks delicious with the blackberries, must be a good flavor combination.

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  8. This cake sounds so good with blackberries and I'm sure it would be awesome with strawberries as well. Wish I could get the recipe for this one.

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  9. This is the 2nd post I have read today , about using buckwheat in bakes! :D ....

    Blackberry buckwheat tea cakes. I want my tea time right now!

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  10. Lisa, your top photo is stunning! Wow. I have not baked with buckwheat flour before...very curious about the taste. The blackberries are gorgeous -- what a great sub!

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  11. Oh yum Lisa, this cake looks super delicious! My parents always have loads of blackberries in August, so I know what I'll be making with them this year. :-)

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  12. OMG, it's morning and I am drooling:) I wish we could get some blackberries here in Athens. Unfortunately I made a cake using strawberries, not that it wasn't good but still I have never used blackberries :)

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  13. Once again I am struck by how different our seasons are and how difference the produce is because of that. We haven't yet seen strawberries and we don't get blackberries until the very end of the summer. When they get here, I would love to try this cake. Perfect and simple, just my type. Also, I love the top and bottom photo Lisa! Beautiful!

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  14. (Loved your interview with Gesine. I read her book and have Sugar Baby. It's sitting on my kitchen counter at this very minute!)

    Marvelous cake, Lisa. I'm crazy about buckwheat flour...have some in the fridge from when I last made pancakes. I'll be trying this cake!

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  15. Lisa -- thanks for your riff on the Strawberry Buckwheat Tea Cake -- I am definitely going to try it with blackberries. Thanks so much for taking Farmers' Market Desserts for a test drive!

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  16. Ooh, love the buckwheat flour in this for that added nutty taste. What a versatile cake. I bet this would work with a lot of different berries.

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  17. *Gorgeous* photos!! I really like using buckwheat in baked goods - adds a great flavor...buckwheat + blackberries sounds like a great combo!

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  18. Oh man this is just bleeding sweet juices and wholesome flavors! I love the buckwheat in here. I think blackberries are perfect with the nuttiness of the cake; they're both bold and stand their own.

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  19. Mmm I love blackberries but buy them all too rarely! The buckwheat in this cake must give it such a great wholesome flavor!

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  20. I've been watching carefully for blackberries this year myself. Not that I'm snubbing the delightful Strawberry but I must agree, for some reason blackberries have me waning...

    Thank you for sharing this stunning dessert with us Lisa. It is truly a work of art.

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  21. I have never baked with buckwheat flour but I'm intrigued by your photos. The cake looks amazing, I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy it with my afternoon tea.

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  22. I've enjoyed the blackberries this year much more than the strawberries. I ended up making jam from nearly all our local berries because they were so small and tart. The blackberries on the other hand have all gone into pie or we eat straight from the fridge. Yum!!

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  23. What a yummy sounding cake packed full of lovely blackberries. I've seen that cookbook and leafed through it with interest, every recipe looking better than the last. Thanks for sharing this one with us.

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  24. Hi Lisa, I really enjoy cooking with non-glutinous grains and have had limited success with Kasha outside of cereals and puddings - I look forward to investigating this delicious looking cake further!

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  25. That is gorgeous! I have some buckwheat flour that needs to be used desperately - great idea! Looks delicious.

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  26. I have never used buckwheat for baking. Looks wonderful. Sure gonna try.

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  27. Agreed on all counts when it comes to brown butter. The smell is intoxicating, and it definitely ups the ante of whatever dish its in. Perfect use!

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  28. what a lovely cake! it doesn't waste any time becoming outstanding, what with browning the butter being one of the first steps! excellent and unique creation.

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  29. That first image has 'eat me' written all over it, it sounds an awesome cake Lisa, beautifully rich & caramelised too :)

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