Love, and Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

A few years ago, when I first started making raspberry buttermilk cakes, the boy declared that it was his favorite. Last week, he had surgery on his broken ankle. Because I knew he was not feeling well, I asked him if he wanted this cake. Like so many girlfriends and wives, boyfriends and fathers, mothers and grandmothers, I turned to food. There is a unique magic in food, that we use something that is meant to nourish our bodies to show others that we want to nourish them too. It shows that we care about their physical and emotional well-being. We want to spend time with them, we want to comfort, care, bring a little measure of happiness. And in particular, baked goods, from crusty slices of bread to pretty layer cakes, are meant to be shared and to soothe and comfort.
I made two raspberry buttermilk cakes last week. I really wish I could make a lot more of them, and share them with all of you. Perhaps with good conversation and cups of lovely warm tea. This is a recipe I return to summer after summer. What's more, these are the first market raspberries of the year. Which means that - summer weather is finally here! And how better to celebrate than with cake? Especially this cake. It is homey and complex, just barely sweet yet rich and flavorful. The butter and buttermilk make it luscious, the whole wheat adds depth and texture, and the raspberries contribute bright little bursts of fruity, sometimes tart, sometimes sweet raspberry flavor.

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup cake flour (2/3 cup AP flour, 2 tsp replaced with corn starch)
1 tbsp baking powder
6 tbsp butter, softened
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
zest of 1 lemon
1 generous cup of ripe raspberries
2 tbsp demerara sugar (I used THIS)
Line a 9-inch springform (or 9*3) circular pan with parchment paper and butter sides. Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a medium  bowl, combine whole wheat flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, whip together butter and sugar, until the mixture is smooth and pale. Whisk in buttermilk, egg, and lemon zest. Add dry ingredients (flour mixture). Whisk thoroughly, until smooth and homogenous.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle raspberries as evenly as possible over the top of batter. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tbsp of the raw/demerara/namasatoh sugar over the cake. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining 1/2 tbsp of raw sugar. Allow cake to cool for 10-15 minutes prior to removing from pan.
Tea pairing: A hearty black, such as an Assam or Yunnan. I chose a lighter Darjeeling, which works well with the berries.

A few little (ceramic) lovelies for you:
- My favorite new teacup
- Quaint pedestal plate. I'm fascinated with aged, textured wood, what about you?
- This serving ware.
- These cups. And this plate is too pretty, isn't it?