Father’s Day Blackberry Pound Cake

I went to visit my dad and pop-pop on Sunday for Father’s Day. We did the Maryland thing and had a crab feast — Maryland steamed crabs, Maryland crab soup, crabcakes, corn on the cob and hot dogs (the hot dogs were just an added bonus).

I was in charge of dessert. My dad always says he doesn’t like dessert, but he’s usually the one eating the biggest slice. I can say though he’s not one to like his desserts piled on with icing. When I came across a recipe for blackberry pound cake, I knew it would be a hit.

I recently read Orangette’s (Molly Wizenberg) book A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table. In the book she shares her mother’s go-to pound cake recipe for nearly the last 20-some years. It also seemed fitting since a lot of her of recipes and stories are inspired by her father.

While the original recipe called for raspberries, blueberries and kirsch, I took Wizenberg’s suggestion to substitute blackberries instead for my pound cake. You can find the original recipe at Orangette, or you can follow my recipe with the blackberry substitution. I served this cake alongside a dollop of whipped cream for Father’s Day, but it was also eaten with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (hello, leftovers!). It also preserves well for several days wrapped tightly in saran wrap, so you can make it ahead of time, and according to Wizenberg, it also freezes nicely as well.

Blackberry Pound Cake

Adapted from Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life

2 cups, plus 8 tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
1 1/4 cup (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
2 cups fresh blackberries
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-cup bundt pan, or if using non-stick, spray with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together with an electric mixer the eggs and sugar until smooth and thick, about 1 minute. Add the butter and blend until fluffy, about an additional 1 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and orange and lemon zest.

Add the dry ingredients to the sugar, eggs and butter, and blend until just combined. Do not over mix.

Add the fresh blackberries and fold into cake batter gently using a spatula. Pour cake batter into bundt pan and spread evenly. Bake in the oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours.