If I knew you were coming...

I'd have baked a cake!

Well, I did.  Thanks for coming.

For last night's Mid Week meal I wasn't sure what to do for dessert.  I feel that desserts, and food in general, should be simple and delicious enough to eat on their own.  Maybe it's just my lack of formal training, but I'm overwhelmed at the thought of three sauces and multiple preparations for each dish.  This cake was no exception.  I found some blackberries at Whole Foods and decided to adapt a recipe I'd seen on Smitten Kitchen.  It is sorta like a big, delicious muffin top, and while it is great by itself, could only be improved with some freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream!   Here it is:

Berry Lemon Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I used our housemade bourbon vanilla)
1 lemon (really, any citrus will do), zested with a fine grater
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup plain yogurt, preferably greek
1/3 cup milk or cream 
2 cups fresh berries, quartered if strawberries

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together yogurt and milk, set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. 

In a larger bowl, beat butter and 1 cup (146 grams) sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg/yolk and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with yogurt/milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter berries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate. Try to keep your family's hands off it before company comes, or eat it while standing over your sink with a cup of coffee.