Summer Berry Cobbler Cake
Now that summer is officially upon us, it's the time when I start making one of our favorites desserts, cobbler cake. This is a great go-to dessert whether it's for family, friends or a potluck. What makes this recipe different than so many other cobblers is after the fruit has been topped with the flour/butter mixture, a cornstarch/water combination is poured over the mixture. This methods makes the topping a little crispy.
Follow the fruit season all summer long and use what's in season. Berry combinations are great. Just about any fruit will work in this recipe. If you're using small berries like blackberries, raspberries and blueberries keep them whole. Pit cherries and keep whole. When using any of the stone fruits like peaches and plums, cut them into bite-sized pieces.
4 cups fresh berries or any combination of summer fruit (see prep note above)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
½ cup milk
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Place fruit in a 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Drop butter chunks into flour mixture. Cut in butter with two knives (making slicing motions) or use your fingertips to incorporate until mixture is somewhat crumbly.
- Add milk and stir until fully combined. Dollop batter over fruit (batter is thick and more like a dough than batter); the final topping as well as baking will evenly distribute the batter.
- In a medium bowl, combine water and cornstarch and stir until cornstarch has dissolved. Pour mixture over batter.
- Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake cobbler/cake for 45-50 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm just as it is or top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Yield: 8 servings
