Mixed Berries Lemon Cake

This easy raspberry blueberry lemon cake is made entirely from scratch using fresh berries and pantry staples. It requires only 20 minutes of prep time and 45 minutes of baking (idle) time. Serve it for breakfast, brunch, or as an after-dinner dessert with vanilla ice cream or a light dusting of powdered sugar! A delicious summer cake that surely will become a family favorite! The recipe was adapted from 

Juliasalbum 

Baking Tips: 

• When folded into cake batter, fresh raspberries will break. Use frozen ones or freeze the fresh ones before adding them to the cake.
• Greek yogurt can replace regular yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream.
• Fresh strawberries can replace raspberries, but slice and freeze them first.
• If you are not using a 9x3-inch round springform pan, use a 10-inch high-sided cast iron skillet or 12-cup muffin pan.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted or aerated with a whisk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 oz butter melted (½ cup)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, low-fat
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3/4 cup each raspberries and blueberries
• 1/3 cup raspberries tossed lightly with flour
• 1 tablespoon flour 
• 3 tablespoons lemon zest, divided
• 1/2 cup crushed almonds

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If your oven has a convection setting, use a convection bake setting. Line the bottom of the 9 x 3-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides and the bottom of the springform pan with butter or cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour and baking powder.
• In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, melted butter, and eggs, and beat on low for about 1 or 2 minutes until the mixture turns light in color, smooth (not grainy), and fluffy.
• Mix in Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon zest and extracts. Whisk just until combined.
• Add the flour mixture gradually, whisking in 1 cup at a time with the wet ingredients until combined. Refrain from over-mixing.
• In the same bowl where you mixed the dry ingredients, toss berries with 1 tablespoon of flour.
• Carefully fold in flour-coated berries into the batter. It's OK if some of the berries smudge or break.
• Pour the cake batter into the parchment paper-lined springform pan. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of lemon zest on top. Arrange the other ⅓ of the raspberries on top of the cake batter in a circular pattern.
• Add crushed almonds on top of the batter.

• Place the springform baking pan with the cake batter on the middle rack (this is especially important for non-convection ovens). Bake for about 45 or 50 minutes - the tester (or toothpick) inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean. If not, bake 5 or 10 more minutes longer, checking the cake every 5 minutes for doneness. If you use a regular oven, the cake could take longer (up to about 1 hour) to bake at 350 degrees. 
• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in a springform pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Then, release the cake from the springform pan. If the cake is cool enough, you can slide your hand (or a large, wide spatula) under it, between the parchment paper and the cake, and transfer the cake without the parchment paper onto a cake plate.
• When serving, dust with powdered sugar.