a picture is worth a thousand drools

Like many of you, I really enjoy looking at pictures of food. Even if it's a dish that I wouldn't particularly care to eat (fish, anyone?), I can appreciate a thoughtfully-displayed and carefully-taken photo.


Also like many of you, I have a ridiculously long list of favorite blogs. One on that list is Susan's Food Blogga--her writing is sharp and completely enjoyable, and her pictures are always stunning and usually of things I like to eat. Not long ago, she posted a recipe for a breakfast cake containing blackberries and cashews. The photos were so breathtaking that they stuck in my mind and when my buddy picked all those blackberries for me, I knew I needed to make that cake. (I really set myself up for disappointment though, because my pictures will most assuredly never be on par with Susan's.)

I did make some changes (as I'm wont to do), the most obvious of which being an increase in cinnamon. I used whole eggs rather than egg whites and all all-purpose flour and white sugar rather than a combination including whole wheat flour and brown sugar. I also increased the oil a tad. Basically, what I did was make it less healthy. Hmm. Also, instead of just cashews, I used a mixture of cashews and walnuts, and I bumped up the blackberries as well.


(mmm...berry goo)

Happily, my changes didn't seem to affect the cake's scrumptiousness. However, as you can see, they did affect the picture quality. Yes, those changes are most certainly to blame for the fact that my pictures aren't as nice as Susan's. It has nothing to do with my picture-taking abilities, to be sure...

Blackberry Breakfast Cake
(based on this recipe)

Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup quick oats
2 cups fresh blackberries
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Topping:
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup quick oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or coat with cooking spray an 8x8-inch pan.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In a separate large bowl, combine the sugar and eggs. Stir in the vanilla, buttermilk, and oil. Add in the dry ingredients, including the oats, and stir just until incorporated. Coat the blackberries and nuts in a bit of flour and then fold in until well blended.
Pour the batter into the pan and gently shake it to even it out. Sprinkle the chopped nuts and oats evenly over the top of the cake.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool at room temperature.