Summertime is filled with lots of fun seasonal activities, like blackberry picking. Picking this delicate and fragile fruit can be dangerously fun through all the poking, prodding, and piercings as you maneuver your body through the thorny landmine…so, grab a basket, a bucket, or bag and prepare yourself for some blackened hands!

If you can’t or not up for this contact sport, go to your local farmer’s market or favorite market to get a few baskets of ripened berries before the season is over. This low calorie and delectable, seasonal dessert is an ideal alternative to a pie, cobbler, or turnover.

Yields: 8 servings.

Ingredients:

2 tsp of melted butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 ½ tsp grated Lemon zest

2 cups of fresh Blackberries

1 ¼ all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

2/3 cup sugar

2 TB of butter softened

1 large egg

¾ tsp vanilla extract

½ cup Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter the pan well to prevent from sticking.

3. Place 2 tsp of melted butter in the bottom of a 9-inch round retractable cake pan. Swirl and rub pan completely with butter. Sprinkle brown sugar and lemon zest evenly around the pan. Completely cover pan with blackberries. Set aside.

4. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

5. Beat sugar and 2 TB butter in a large bowl at low-medium speed with a hand mixer until well-blended. Add the egg and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with milk (beginning and ending with flour mixture). Mix after each addition.  Spoon batter evenly over and on top of blackberries.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until done. Insert a wooden toothpick in the center to see if it comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen edges of cake with a knife.  Place a plate upside down on top of cake pan and flip over so the bottom of the pan is on top. Slowly loosen cake as you retract the sides. Then, slowly remove the top of the pan easing the berries off gently with a knife.

Guru Tips:

• Blueberries make a good substitute for Blackberries.

• Any kind of milk.

• Top cake with our vanilla bean whipped cream (try this recipe).

• Other accompaniments: Vanilla Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, or Gelato.

• Any leftovers, wrap slices in seran wrap and put in Ziploc bag and freeze. Reheat in microwave for under a minute.

• Instead of having a muffin for breakfast, have some cake and add a dollop of your favorite Vanilla Yogurt.