Aunt Farah's Mixed Berry Cake

Happy Holidays Ladies!

I hope that you are all enjoying this festive week.

I've decided to share a traditional festive family cake recipe.

My aunt Farah loves to bake and she's great at it!

She has decided to share her secret recipe with me and gave me permission to share the basic ingredients without giving out the special secrets since that is between only us women in the family. =)

And so my Beloved & Loyal Readers here is . . . 

My Aunt Farah's Mixed Berry Cake Recipe:

This is aunt Farah packing one Berry Cake especially for my grandma.

(I hope she doesn't see this picture, she'll kill me ahahaha)

Since my family is South-Eastern Europe traditionally, after a very large dinner we make some coffee and eat homemade cake with some small fruit like berries or grapes. In Eastern European & Asian culture it is believed that warm water helps you digest your food faster.

Ingredients*:

·       2 cups all-purpose flour

·       1 1/2 cups brown sugar

·      1/2 cup shortening

·       3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·       1 cup milk

·      3 eggs

·       ½ Cup of Blueberries

·       ½ Cup of Cranberries

·       ½ Cup of Gooseberries

*remember this recipe does not include our secret ingredients

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Take a stick of margarine and Grease and Flour one 9x13 inch round pan.

With a KitchenAid Mixer mix together the flour, baking powder in one bowl.

In a seperate bowl, add brown sugar and shortening mix gently until light and fluffy. Then add one single egg after the other, mix it all up.

Gently pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Mix gently while pouring milk into that same bowl.

Finally as everything is stirring up together, very slowly pour the half cup of blueberries, cranberries and gooseberries, one cup after the other of course.

Now depending on your oven it make take more time or less time but overall you should set your oven to bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for anywhere about 30 to 45 minutes. My trick is after the 30 minutes take a clean toothpick insert it into the center of the cake. If there is nothing on the toothpick then your cake is ready (the berries stains are fine-I mean if there’s no crumb from the cake-the toothpick has to come out crumb free, the toothpick is completely crumby then you need to bake it a little longer try 10 to 15 minutes).

Finally do the toothpick thing again, in the center but not in the same spot as the previous test. If it comes out completely clean (again, berries stains don’t count, just the crumbs), then you’re all set!

Once you take your cake out let it cool down on a cooling rack (like the one in my aunt has in her photograph) for about 5 to 10 minutes. Once the cake cools down to save some time just put some frozen whipped cream on top or if you don’t have any just gently sprinkle some brown sugar.

Now all you need is a cup of berries to snack on and some freshly brewed coffee or tea.  ENJOY! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

x o x o

Amela Sandra