Summer is here and the raspberry bushes are fruiting! Last year we discovered a few berries in July but with the early spring and summer arrival this year we’re a few weeks ahead. The bushes aren’t producing a ton of berries, as you can see from the photos, but a handful or two each day is enough to inspire a cake. I didn’t have any yogurt on hand for my usual loaf cake, so I improvised a bit from the Coconut Mango Muffins recipe. The best part was baking in the new oven. Yes, we are finally set up with a gas range and it really feels like home now! We had some trouble with the hood vent installation, which I can’t bare to go into right now, it’s working fine it just doesn’t look so nice without the chimney part, which will be fixed soon. Other than that I’m in gas stove heaven, it has a few bells and whistles and is definitely the best stove we’ve ever had. I’ll post more about the stove with photos in future posts, I don’t want to turn this into an advertisement for the stove but do want to share my thoughts and experience with it. Recipe below, enjoy!

Raspberry Coconut Loaf Cake

1 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 cup granulated sugar
1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons), room temp (plus more for loaf pan)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 350°, butter the loaf pan and line with parchment paper, butter the paper.

In large bowl cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, either by hand or in mixer for a few minutes.

Add eggs, cinnamon, salt and vanilla into the butter mixture, beat until well combined. Add half the flour and mix well, add the milk and continue to mix, add the remaining flour and baking powder until incorporated (the batter will be thick). Gently fold in the coconut.

Fill the loaf pan with batter and top with raspberries. Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and firm to touch. Serve warm or room temperature.