Recipes

Huckleberry Cake

James Beard

Author and Educator

James Beard greatly enjoyed this cake, which showcases the delicious wild huckleberries of his home state, Oregon. The huckleberry is often confused with the blueberry because of its close similarity, and either can be used in this recipe. Huckleberries are a tough, bluish-black wild berry found in the Pacific Northwest that are more tart than blueberries and have a crunchy seed.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 cup huckleberries
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Cream butter and sugar together until the mixture is very light. Add eggs, one by one, beating after each addition. Combine 1/4 cup flour with the huckleberries. In a bowl, mix the remaining flour with baking powder and then fold this into the egg mixture. Add vanilla and, lastly, fold in the floured huckleberries.

Pour the batter into a buttered, floured 8-inch-square baking tin. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake is nicely browned, or when a tester inserted comes out clean. Serve the cake hot with whipped cream.

Yield

1 cake