Recipe: Lemon-Raspberry Sour Cream Cake

For me, chilly winter weather (OK, as chilly as Southern California gets) means time to fire up the oven so I can flood my home with that wondrous freshly-baked aromas & a blast of comforting warmth.

All this was made even better when I entered Hodgson Mill's "Have a Grain Holiday" recipe contest, since I get to be creative in crafting a recipe and get a batch of their lovely baking products too. (Actually, you can get a chance at their baked goods too by entering their sweepstakes, and if you missed out on that - here's a $1 off coupon for you to use through the end of Feb.)

And for my blog readers, here's an extra giveaway opportunity for their baking products.

And while I know winter usually call for baked goods that are hearty, robust and spicy (fruitcakes, gingerbreads and the like,) I think it's a refreshing change of pace to have some bright and sunny too -- thus my lemon-raspberry sour cream cake. It's light in texture, tender in mouthfeel with the mildest crunch from a sugar topping, and the perfect fruity tang to balance its sweetness.

Slices of this cake can pass off as a breakfast pastry. Or if you're feeling more indulgent, top it with a fruity dessert sauce, light frosting or scoop of sorbet for a simple yet elegant dessert dish.

Lemon-Raspberry Sour Cream Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour (I used Hodgson Mill's White Whole Wheat Flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• zest of 2 lemons (approx. 2 tablespoons)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 tablespoon raw/turbinado sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425 F and line the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a larger mixing bowl, toss the granulated sugar and lemon zest together; add butter then cream until smooth. (You can also use the butter paper to grease the sides of the cake tin.)
4. Add sour cream, vanilla and egg and combine until smooth. Then add flour mixture in 2-4 batches, stirring until well-combined each time.
5. Gently add the frozen raspberries and stir until they are well distributed throughout the batter.
6. Pour batter into the cake pan and smooth out with a spatula or clean hands until it's even throughout (the batter is on the thicker side.)
7. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar on top and put in oven's middle rack.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, testing for doneness as needed (a toothpick inserted in center of cake should come out clean.)
9. Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then serve. 

Disclosure: Hodgson Mill had provided the flour used in this recipe.