Summer Cake with Berries and Lemon

When it comes to festive summer cake, is there anything better than a berry flag cake?! I think not!

This Summer Cake with Berries and Lemon is the perfect treat for a summer breakfast or mid-day snack! And just look how festive it is!

Okay, let's talk cake! I'm typically not a huge sweets person. And when I'm in the mood, it has to be chocolate all the way. So when I stopped my scroll on Instagram for Bon Appetit's Strawberry Snacking Cake, I knew I had to give it a go. Something about those strawberry stripes just grabbed me.

And after one test of their recipe, I knew I wanted to make a couple slight twists to simplify it and turn it into the July 4th/Memorial Day/Veterans Day/Flag Day cake of our dreams!

For starters, I adapted the recipe to be made in an 8x8 pan, so that it's more of a snack or small breakfast treat. Which is perfect because this cake is really best on day one. After that the berries start to sag, so you're better off eating the whole thing in one fell swoop! Plus, we're saving room for the afternoon barbeques.

Additionally, I cut down on the sugar just a bit, simplified the process overall and added some blueberries in the top corner of our flag design.

I mean, it just seems too perfect that strawberries and blueberries are wildly in season when we need ALL the red, white and blue things!

What do you need to make this Summer Cake?

• White Whole Wheat Flour or All-purpose Flour
• Cornmeal
• Eggs
• Greek Yogurt
• Lemon
• Vanilla Extract
• Olive Oil
• Strawberry jam
• Strawberries
• Blueberries

How to Make a Summer Cake with Berries:

1. Mix together the wet ingredients
2. Add in the dry ingredients
3. Pour batter into the pan and swirl in some strawberry jam
4. Top with strawberries and blueberries in the pattern of an American flag
5. Bake, cool and enjoy!

How long does this Summer Cake with Berries and Lemon last?

Admittedly this cake is really best on the first day after cooling all the way. After that the berries on top begin to sag a bit, so you're better off eating it all at once.

Adapted from Bon Appetit's Strawberry Snacking Cake

Print Pin

Summer Cake with Berries and Lemon

Course Dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup greek yogurt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam
• 4 oz. strawberries - hulled, thinly sliced lengthwise
• ⅓ cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 8x8" pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on 2 long sides. Spray parchment with cooking spray.
  
  
• Whisk eggs, greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1/2 cup sugar to sour cream mixture and whisk gently to combine. Using a spatula, gradually fold in ⅓ cup oil until batter is smooth and all of the oil is incorporated.
  
  
• Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Dollop jam onto surface, then use a butter knife to gently swirl jam into batter. Arrange the blueberries in the top left corner and the strawberries in even rows across, touching at the widest points, in an American flag pattern. Sprinkle all over with remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar.
  
  
• Bake cake about 50 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.