Welcome spring with a berrylicious dessert

As we inch ever closer to spring, we know summer – with its long days, warm sun, and delicious, seasonal fruit – isn’t far behind. So why not get a jump on the fresh flavours of spring with our bushberry pudding cake! Luckily you can still get everything you need at the grocery store, as cranberries and raspberries are easily available even in colder months. With a light vanilla-cake base, what makes this dessert stand out is the sweet-tart combination of the berries, plus the whisky-butter sauce drizzled on top. It’s a snap to make, looks pretty without even having to try, and tastes too good to stop at only one piece – especially when served warm, with an extra spoonful of sauce and a dollop of freshly whipped cream. We expect we’ll be making this one all year round!

Step 1:

Preheat your oven to 400°F and spray a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with oil. In a medium-sized bowl, stir flour, baking powder, and salt together. In a separate bowl (choose a large one), use a wooden spoon to beat the 2 tbsp of unsalted butter, ½ cup of sugar, and vanilla. Add a third of the flour mix to the butter/sugar mixture, followed by half the milk. Repeat, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go, until well mixed. Stir in the cranberries and raspberries (gently, to avoid bursting the fruit), and scrape the batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top before popping it in the oven. Tip: Use a wooden spoon or spatula, which have duller edges, to stir in the fruit.

Step 2:

Bake cake in centre of preheated oven until it’s lightly golden, about 30 minutes. With a fork, poke the cake a few times and then set aside.

Step 3:

In a small saucepan over medium-high, combine ¼ butter, ½ sugar, ¼ cup 35% cream, and whisky, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally until smooth, about 5 minutes (a metal whisk works well here).

Drizzle sauce over still-warm cake and let stand for 10 minutes. Then serve, topped with freshly whipped cream.

Try this recipe: Bushberry pudding cake

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ¾ cup milk
• 170g tub raspberries
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed

Whisky-butter sauce

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup 35% cream
• 2 tbsp Canadian whisky
• ½ cup 35% cream, whipped (optional)