a birthday cake. yes, another one.

did i mention my ambivalence towards showy, frosted-to-death, decorated and tall-filled-with-cream cakes? they're so often filled with the fluffy nonsense that is whipped cream that don't live up to the way they look.

no, the way i like my cakes is a little rustic, a little imperfect and yet oh-so-showy like the jane-next-door who stepped out in heels and knocked every boy in her neighborhood off his feet. i bring to you a slightly unconventional cake that while not exactly planned for the celebration of a birthday, was brought to life only because of a birthday.

oh let's cut the crap here. i just want to call it a birthday cake okay?

first you prepare a simple yogurt cake batter, and forget to put the oil in. and DO NOT PANIC like i did and start looking for another recipe to make. because all is well, and will be well. who needs the oil anyway!

then you sprinkle over a back of summer berries (so sour just thinking about them make my teeth hurt like ow). enough for a decent amount that will become jammy and provide a tang to the not actually sweet batter.

top that up with a simple crumble topping and put it in the fridge as fast as you can! like right this moment what on earth are you waiting for when you could have this miracle baking away to be the best breakfast ever and the best dessert ever and lunch and dinner and alright that's enough nuttiness for a day. see i didnt even remember to photograph the cake before i stuffed it into the oven.

and then what you get after watching it through the window of the oven as it bakes and takes its goddamn sweet time to rise waiting is this wonderful smelling cake with rivulets of berries running through it and the loveliest eruption of cake batter onto the top and crunchy crumble with sugar glistening covering it. it is THE awesomeness.

i ate it for a week's breakfast and every other meal inbetween. so lovely and healthy without the oil! although there's butter in the crumble but think about it this way: there could have been fat in both the cake AND the crumble. AHAH! now you see what i mean by healthy.

batter:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt (I used peach-flavored 1% yogurt, and reduced the sugar to about scant 3/4cup)
1 cup sugar
3 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil (optional; I clearly forgot it)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a brownie pan, or any pan you want. It's your cake. If it doesnt fit you could always make muffins.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. (Fold the oil in at this juncture if you would like to use it.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Pour the frozen berries over the batter to make a nice even layer. As much as you want, go on, but just make sure your pan can hold it all.

crumble:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mash with a fork or rub with fingers until you form pea-sized lumps and the consistency of wet sand. You do not want to overmix this. Sprinkle it over in lumps over the berries and make it as evenly as you can.

Now bake the whole thing until a knife stuck through the centre no longer brings out gooey batter, about 40-50 minutes. But always check it from 30minutes! That's my philosophy.