a light birthday cake

about a month ago, it was one of my favorite yoga teacher's, denys morgan's birthday.  she teaches at studio 11 in tremont, which is a great studio and comes highly recommended.  since it had been so hot out i wanted to make her a lighter cake that could be enjoyed even in the 90 degree weather.  i found this recipe at smitten kitchen which has to be one of my all time favorite food blogs out there.  all of her food pictures are beautiful and every recipe i have tried from that blog has come out perfect.  she is so organized, i guarantee if you went there now you could find something you liked right away!  this cake was ridiculously easy to make and so pretty too!  the day i made this cake for denys my mom was drooling a little so i ended up making her one as well the following week.  this is a really a great cake to bring to your summer parties.

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
from smitten kitchen

Makes 1 thin 9" round cake.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk  ***
1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 oz)

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside in a medium bowl.  In the bowl of your stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about two-three minutes, then beat in vanilla and zest. Add egg and beat for an additional minute.
At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.  Make sure to scrape down the edges in between the steps as well.  Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top.  Arrange raspberries evenly over top, in whatever way you think looks nice and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.
Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more  Invert on your serving plate of choice!

***For the first time last week I made my own buttermilk and it was SO EASY.  Get our your 1 c. measuring cup and put 2 tbsp of lemon juice in it, then fill the rest up with milk.  Let stand for 5 minutes and bam! you have buttermilk.  You simply must try it!