American

Any Fruit Cake

by:
October 19, 2020
0
0 Ratings
Photo by judye
  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Serves 6-8
Author Notes

This is one of those cakes that’s a little bit of cake holding a lot of fruit. I’ve been tweaking a recipe that Melissa Roberts published years ago in Gourmet and this is what I’ve come up with. You really can use whatever fruit is in season though frozen berries will also work well. Smaller berries can be left whole but I like to cut larger fruits in small chunks. I like to vary the sugar to match the fruit. Berries and summer fruits seem to work better with plain white sugar while brown sugar tastes better with apples and other fall fruits. The cake is very good topped with coarse sugar but if you like fruit with chocolate try the chopped chocolate on top. —judye

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Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup Butter at room temperature
  • 100 grams White or brown sugar (see note)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 1 Egg at room temperature
  • 120 grams All purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1/4 cup Plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup Milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 1/2 -2 cups Any fruit
  • 2 tablespoons Coarse sugar or chopped bittersweet chocolate.
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. Butter a 9 inch round cake pan or baking dish or coat with cooking spray. You are probably going to serve the cake from the pan so choose your pan with this in mind.
  3. With a mixer at medium speed cream butter with sugar until fluffy.
  4. Beat in vanilla.
  5. Add egg and beat at very well at medium high speed until fully combined and creamy.
  6. In a separate bowl mix flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  7. Mix milk and yogurt.
  8. At low speed add flour mixture in three parts alternating with with milk mixture stirring until combined and smooth.
  9. Scoop batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
  10. Prepare fruit. Smaller berries can be used whole. Cut larger fruit into half inch chunks.
  11. Arrange fruit on top of the cake. You don’t need to be too precise about this. At least some of the fruit is going to sink into the batter as it bakes so you can’t count on any pattern staying put.
  12. Sprinkle with sugar or chocolate.
  13. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cake is done when it is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack. I usually serve this from the baking dish. While you can remove it from the pan the juicy fruit often leaks from the bottom. Serve warm or cooled. The cake will keep keep for 2 days at room temperature but will absorb the juices from the fruit as it sits. Whether this enhances the flavor or not is a matter of taste. A little ice cream or whipped cream is always good on top. If you top it with yogurt you can call it breakfast.
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2 Reviews

creamtea October 25, 2020
Love this type of cake! I use a similar one from an old Sunset Magazine cookbook. It's wonderful with sweet-tart plums! Must try yours with yogurt. (I also have a very similar pie pan that I use for everything but pie! So pretty and versatile)
judye October 26, 2020
Glad you enjoyed it. I often make it with plums. It’s really delicious if you top the plums with chopped chocolate.