I made this gluten-free cake, with Greta’s help, a couple weekends ago to take to dinner with Eric’s family. It is a simple cake and the addition of yogurt makes it moist and dense. It was a nice ending to a family meal with a just a hint of orange to the tangy blackberry. Scroll down for the recipe.
I simply served it plain without any topping. Though a glaze or a berry sauce as a topping would be quite good. It makes a single layer 8 inch cake and so it went fast. I even caught Eric toasting a slice and eating it for breakfast one morning.
For Mother’s Day weekend, we traveled to Minneapolis to see my sister and her new baby girl, Dylan. It just kills me that the cute little newborn dress my new niece is wearing was once worn by Greta. Greta enjoyed her time meeting her new cousin and hanging out with her aunt and uncle. In this photo she is still holding an armload of toys that belong to her cousin – she was trying to work with Dylan on grasping toys. We explained it would be a little while before that could happen. In any case, I think Greta is going to be an excellent big sister and extremely helpful. I am not even sure how many times she told my sister, “I help!”
Sunday morning we ate at a lovely cafe, The French Meadow Bakery & Cafe on Lyndale in Minneapolis. They specialize in organic, vegan, gluten-free, and slow foods. I had the two egg breakfast which came with sourdough toast. Eric had the chicken chorizo Cajun hash browns, which he reported were spicy and chock full of garlic cloves. As you can see, we had the place to ourselves on this Mother’s Day Sunday. Although, we were there by 7 AM – we are all early early risers on trips.
After a perfect breakfast, we headed off to Lake Calhoun for a walk.
Greta and Eric practiced their soccer skills lakeside. Greta picked up quite a few ball handling tricks right away. Maybe we have a future futbol girl on our hands.
Other than visiting family and work we have been just laying low. I am enjoying seeing lilacs in bloom for the first time in 9 years. The scent is just heavenly and lilac is not a plant that grew very successfully in Greensboro.
Greta has a new-old sandbox that was once mine. I am impressed it is still in one piece, considering the abuse it endured from my sister, friends, and myself as a kid. Greta has been putting it to good use in the mornings before I head off to work. I am trying to soak up as much relaxing time and one-on-one Greta time as I can with a mere 8 weeks to go until baby boy arrives.
Gluten Free Blackberry Orange Cake – serves 8.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan and dust with gluten free flour, knocking out any extra. Stir together 2 cups gluten free flour, 1-1/4 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt, and 2 teaspoons vanilla in a bowl. Pour the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Add the zest from one orange and 1 cup blackberries (fresh or defrosted), fold into batter.
2. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top of the cake is light and golden and a knife or toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
3. Let the cake cool for about 5 minutes in the pan. Then, place on a wire rack too cool completely.
4. Wrap in plastic wrap or store in cake keeper for 2 days at room temperature.
Bluebird Hill Art 