Raspberry buttermilk cake

This simple raspberry buttermilk cake recipe posted by Smitten Kitchen was recommended to me a while back and I've been wanting to make it ever since.  I filed it away in the back of my mind and when I walked into Whole Foods the other day and spotted a sale on organic raspberries and remembered the buttermilk I had in the fridge at home, it was my chance.

I suspected this simple cake would be good and it truly was.  In short, I could sum it up by saying this is just a wonderful everyday cake and a great one for summertime.  The buttermilk cake base itself is a great canvas for whatever seasonal fruit you might want to drop within.

The cake is moist and tender, light, and not overly sweet or rich.  A little lemon zest might be considered optional but I think it adds a great extra level of flavor.  As the raspberries bake, they intensify and the result is a candy-like smell and taste that makes this a great afternoon treat or a lovely summertime dessert after dinner.

I may be a chocoholic but I do enjoy a little variety.  And I love everyday cakes like this one that are a bit lighter and no-fuss to put together.  It's all the better when you can play around with the ingredients a bit.  I foresee blueberry and strawberry buttermilk cakes in my future.    

Chocolate raspberry layer cake

Today, let's step into the world of sweets in a more serious way.  I know no better way to do that than with chocolate cake.  I may have been a purist in the past; by that, I mean I never wanted to mix my chocolate desserts with fruit.  But lately, I'd been craving the combination of chocolate and raspberries.  This chocolate raspberry layer cake was my way of fixing that craving.

This 6-inch cake is a pretty straightforward one.  There are two layers of moist chocolate cake (that's prepared without even using the mixer), joined together with seedless raspberry jam and dark chocolate ganache.  I simplified the recipe I worked off of and the cake came together as I ran errands and went about my day.  

Dark chocolate ganache, seedless raspberry jam and fresh raspberries for the cake

The whole cake is lovingly covered with chocolate ganache and simply garnished with a handful of fresh raspberries on top.  This cake definitely satisfied my chocolate-raspberry craving (and we know that cravings must be addressed eventually).  It's not complicated at all but I have to say that I'm always a little amazed when a cake comes together and that I made it from scratch, as simple as it might be.

There's seedless raspberry jam with ganache in the center and top layer of the cake

And a cake is just what I wanted to post here today because it's the 3rd anniversary of this little bumbling blog!  It's funny because for the first blog anniversary, I made a chocolate-hazelnut cake; the next year, it was another chocolate-hazelnut concoction - and both involved meringue!  Noticing the pattern after the fact, I decided to take a break from hazelnuts this year.  But, of course...it still had to be chocolate!

I almost can't believe I'm still chugging along after three years.  I have a lot of fun making the food and treats, then putting these posts together to share and stow away here.  It still feels like a little food diary of sorts but the chance to interact a little, and to learn from others who love food as much as I do, has been a huge perk.  This little blog continues to motivate me to try new things in the kitchen and I love all the learning that naturally happens. 

Thank you for spending a few minutes here sometimes.  I wish I could sit down and eat a slice of cake with many of you.