Marionberry-Ricotta Cake

Marionberries have a short season. July to be precise. The plump, Oregon-borne morsels are the cabernet of blackberries, with a tart-yet-sweet flavor that's somewhere between raspberries and blackberries.

NPR states, "The marionberry, a cross between Chehalem and Olallie blackberries, was bred at Oregon State University as part of a berry-developing partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture that dates back to the early 1900s. It's named for Marion County in the Willamette Valley, where most of the field trials took place." 

[Ed. note: To be clear, this has nothing to do with the late-D.C.-Mayor Marion S. Barry, who in 1990 was caught in an FBI sting smoking crack. Man, this blog suddenly got dark, didn't it? All apologies, we now return you to your regular programming.] 

The original recipe calls for raspberries, but I chose marionberries as an homage to my home state. Feel free to use raspberries, blackberries or even boysenberries. I have been lucky enough to find fresh marionberries, but have used frozen too and it's delicious.

An incredibly moist, unassuming everyday cake that is perfect for breakfast, tea or a light dessert. Works well with ice cream or softly whipped cream, but it needs no accoutrement Well, maybe a cup of coffee!

Adapted from: Bon Appetit, March 2015 and Orangette
Number of servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups whole-milk ricotta
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 stick  unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup fresh or frozen marionberries, divided

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan (you can use a springform or regular cake pan), and press a round of parchment paper into the bottom.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, ricotta, and vanilla until smooth. Gently stir mixture into the dry ingredients until just blended.
4. Fold in the butter, followed by ¾ cup of the berries, taking care not to crush them. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it evenly, and scatter remaining berries on top.
5. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Do not overbake.
6. Let cool at least 20 minutes before unmolding. Cool completely before serving.