Berry Buttermilk Cake from the NYT's Cooking Column

The texture and taste of this cake was reminiscent of what I would call a cottage pudding. I did cut the amount of sugar by about half, which was perhaps too draconian a decrease, but the result was still tasty. Fresh berries will work as well as frozen in this recipe. Speaking of fresh fruit, I was given some rhubarb yesterday, so am on to baking a pie today. But is rhubarb really a fruit?

Ingredients:

• ½ cup/120 mls vegetable oil or other neutral oil, plus more for greasing the pan
• ½ cup/120 mls buttermilk or milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup/200 grams plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups/190 grams plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups frozen berries, any kind, any combination (large berries quartered)

Methods:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9-inch baking dish or pan (square or round) with oil and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup oil, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and 1 cup sugar. In a separate medium bowl, whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Toss the berries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour then fold them into the batter before pouring it into the baking dish. Sprinkle the top of the batter in the pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 53 to 58 minutes.