fall raspberry cornmeal cake

     Recently violent windstorms, rain spits, and sun deprivation have all taken a toll on the Pacific Northwest. Currently we rest and reprieve in a warm and sunny calm... not only are we humans aware that these sunny days may be our last for long stretches of cloud cover ahead, but the deer know, the birds certainly know, even the fruit bearing plants know. While walking to my vegetable garden I stepped gingerly over heavy ripe apples and pears that had been blown to the ground. Blackberries barely cling to their vines, so plump and shiny they burst in ones mouth. I stumbled upon a plump and healthy raspberry cane forest and decided to make this delicious raspberry upside down cornmeal cake.

fall raspberry cornmeal cake

If you aren't a cake person (aka: a pie person) then may this cornmeal cake convert you. It features the sweet and tart filling of a berry pie nestled deeply in a soft, buttery and flavorful cake. The cornmeal heightens the goodness of this cake and pairs well with the somewhat seedy berries.

before

after

Baking an upside down cake is quite a thrill. It's like opening presents that have sat wrapped and shrouded in mystery before you. You have to wait patiently for the cake to cool before you can reveal the fruit-painted masterpiece on the underside. In fact, I aspire to infuse that quality in all of my baked treats; the unexpected, the anticipation, the pleasant surprise, and that moment of complete awareness of your being.