Berries are beautiful — and make this quick, buttery cake the best.  This is a redo of one of my earlier recipes, scaled smaller optimized for berries.  I think it’s perfect for an afternoon treat.

Fresh Berry  Butter Cake
(makes one 8″ cake)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
5 oz (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
1 1/2 large or 2 small eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
7 oz (1 1/3 cups) all purpose flour (may use 1 to 1 gluten free flour if desired)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
8 oz (1 cup) buttermilk
2 cups fresh berries
Sparkle sugar

Heat oven to 350, and grease and flour an 8″  baking pan.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition.   Add vanilla extract and beat to combine.

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Add flour and buttermilk to butter mixture and mix on lowest speed until batter just comes together.  Scrape down bowl and give the batter a couple of gentle turns with the spatula.  This is a thick batter.

Spread the batter into the prepared ban.  Scatter the fresh berries on top of the batter.   They will sink 1/2 way into the batter as the cake bakes.   Bake for 40 minutes, then sprinkle the sparkle sugar on the batter and return to oven for another 10 – 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Let cool to room temp and serve with lightly sweetened whipped heavy cream.