Summer Fruit Cake

This Summer Fruit Cake has it all going on. First off, it’s absolutely delicious. An incredibly tender butter cake baked with a beautiful mix of fresh summer fruit. The cake in my photo has plump blackberries, sweet raspberries and blueberries. Oh yes! Second, the cake recipe is very versatile. It’s fun to get creative and add any combination of fruit that strikes your fancy. The first time I made it, I used blueberries, strawberries and sliced peaches. It was amazing! Third, it is quick and easy to put together, and there is no frosting to make. This Summer Fruit Cake will become your new “go to” summer dessert recipe.

Every year, I look forward to June rolling around. It’s so exciting to finally see all that colorful summer fruit at the market. Peaches, plums, raspberries, cherries; and the strawberries are gorgeous! At home here in New England, June is the month to go strawberry picking at local farms and find the sweetest berries you have ever had in your life.

Of course, the best thing to do with sweet summer fruit is to just eat it out of hand. Natures candy. But if you are like me, you are also thinking about what can I bake with all those juicy peaches or ruby red strawberries. So many possibilities….

This summer fruit cake is an easy answer to that question. The cake batter is simple to mix and then just fold in your favorite summer fruit. I suggest you use fruit that is in season and perfectly ripe for the best flavor. If you wish, use only one or two types of fruit. Sometimes raspberries are on sale and you want to do something with those. It’s all fine. It’s cake for goodness sake and cake made with fresh fruit is always a good thing.

Adapted from a recipe in the “Stonewall Kitchen Harvest” cookbook.

Summer Fruit Cake

5 from 1 vote

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Summer Fruit Cake

Makes one 9" cake.

Special equipment - 9" springform pan.

Author Cakewalk Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature - 1 stick
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs - room temperature
• 1½ cups cake flour or 210 grams
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 3 cups mixed blueberries, raspberries*, blackberries - sliced strawberries, or peaches could be used

Topping

• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar - approximately
• 1 cup fruit - a mix of the same fruit that went into the cake

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Position rack in the middle of the oven.

1. Butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan. Set aside. Rinse and completely dry the berries with paper towels. Set aside. You do not want to add extra moisture to the batter.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour and the baking soda. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium/high speed, beat the butter and sugar together for about 8 minutes until it is light and fluffy.

4. With the mixer at medium speed, add in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time and beat until fully incorporated. 

5. Add in the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated. This is a thick cake batter.

6. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the fresh berries. See notes. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan. 

7. Place the cake pan on to a sheet pan or cookie sheet and bake approximately for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top is browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Unbuckle the sides of the springform pan after 15 minutes.

8. Once the cake has cooled, remove completely from the pan. Sift confectionery sugar on top of the cake to cover. Pile the cup of remaining fruit on top of the cake and sift a little more sugar on the fruit to serve.

Recipe Notes

• I like using a 9 inch springform pan. The original recipe calls for a 10" springform pan. Either size works, but the 10" will result in a thinner cake.
• Be extra gentle folding in the raspberries (if using) as they tend to break apart with this thick cake batter. A few smashed ones are fine.  🙂
• If using peaches, peel and cut them into thin slices. Strawberries will need to be hulled and sliced.
• You could top with whipped cream or serve with ice cream.