Since 4thof July is around the corner, red, white and blue desserts are an order, right? They are if you write for this blog, so here you go – now serving a 4th of July dessert recipe by way of a rustic mixed berry cake. That’s a rustic cake mixed with some homemade salted almond meal, stuffed with summer berries and then crowned with a cloud of whip cream and a pop of color fresh berries.
Mixed Berry Cake
This is actually one of four, and the second cake, that I’m sharing from my mother-in-law’s birthday. Although for her party I made it with only raspberries and kept it even more simple by finishing it with a light dusting of confectioner sugar. For this post I gave the cake a mixed berry twist for a 4th of July dessert.
Alright, two down and two more to share with you. I chuckling a little to myself as I type that since I’m always declaring what a non-caker I am, yet I made my MIL four of them—but birthdays require cake and four was to celebrate her awesomeness.
That said I’ll be sharing the chocolate double decker one next.
A few notes:
- The cake can be made (without the whip cream) two days in advance and kept lightly covered at room temperature.
- Any berries will do, so use what is in season for your area.
- The salted almond meal is not necessary and can be replaced with flour if you prefer to skip that step. I add the salted almond meal for an extra layer of flavor.
Mixed Berry Cake
- 2 cups of flour, divide use
- 1/4 cup of salted almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1.5 oz raspberries
- 1.5 oz blackberries
- 1.5 oz blueberries
- Place 1/2 cup of flour and almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add almond mixture to remaining 1 1/2 cup of flour and whisk to blend. Sift baking powder and salt into flour mixture. Set aside.
- Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until light in color. Add eggs into mixture and beat until light and fluffy. Add in coconut shreds and mix to combine. Add in milk and mix to combine. Fold in flour mixture in three additions, making sure to gently fold between each addition.
- Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle berries onto batter press them into the batter until they are all submergerd. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 50-60 minutes, but start checking for doneness at 45 minutes. Cake is ready when inserted cake test is inserted at the center and comes out clean when removed.
Welcome to my cozy corner where baking meets random thoughts and musings. I’m a self-taught baker sharing all things sweet (and some savory—okay, and cocktails) with a whisk in one hand and a camera in the other. 
Wow, this does look tasty. I love the combination of berries.
Gorgeous cake (and old distressed wood and spoons jar!)
This just screams summer. Can’t wait to make!
can we celebrate the 4th together and eat cake? okay good.
Fresh whipped cream is an absolute must! It makes everything 1000x better
Now I need a slice of cake…
that looks absolutely heavenly! Love the presentation
Beautiful post; I love your photography. This looks delish and is perfect for 4th of July!
Thanks for sharing.
I mean really, a non-caker? Who are you kidding!!! This cake is awesome!
Just found your blog and it’s sooooo beautiful! I love your props, your styling, your gorgeous food…love everything! I’ll be visiting again and again! And this cake is very rustic…just my style
I just got through making a test run of this cake for the 4th. I used a couple of ingredient substitutions that I had on hand; sweetened toasted coconut and smoked almonds. These subs worked just fine. The cake was pretty and tasty. I should have cooked it a little bit longer; so don’t be afraid to let it get a little brown. A very simple and pretty cake. (PS: Naomi, you might want to add the berry addition to the instruction part of the recipe.)
This cake is gorgeous! I LOVE your pretty flowered utensils too!
So where do the berries go? (not described anywhere in the instructions)
I have been making chocolate milkshakes all week for my husband. I am going to make this one for me! And will suprise my dad on sunday for his birthday, he loves strawberries. Can’t wait to try the sorbet, I am going to try a orange flavored sorbet with vanilla ice cream I bet it will taste like a dreamsicle.
Thank you
gorgeous! I like the use of space above the cake