The Parade Pass-Around

As a young girl I remember attending the Pioneer Day Parade in Salt Lake with my family. As excited as I was for the floats and wearing a matchy-matchy summer dress with my Cabbage Patch doll, Suzie, I was also excited for the cookies that my mom and her sisters would bake and then pass around while the parade progressed.

A few years ago I decided to take part in the tradition and as an adult contribute to the delight of others' taste buds. The challenge is to take something that sounds appealing to the masses and also something that can be handled. Once I took brownies squares in a pyrex dish and the only eaters were my immediate family members/taste testers. The next year I had the brilliant idea to take the same brownies but prior to the parade debut place the squares in festive cupcake liners. It was a success! So in my quest to find something new to pass around that met the requirements above I discovered:

Berry Swirl Pound Cake
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 6 ounces blackberries (1 1/3 cups) *You can also use raspberries or blueberries
  
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan and line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; butter parchment. I didn't have parchment so I simply buttered the pan. I did have to loosen the cake from the pan edges after it baked but it still came out in a pretty shape. You can be the judge in your own kitchen. In a food processor, puree blackberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

3. Transfer half the batter to pan and dot with 1/2 cup blackberry puree. Repeat with remaining batter and puree. With a skewer or thin-bladed knife, swirl batter and puree together. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours. Check the progress at 1 hour. Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 30 minutes. Lift cake out of pan and place on a serving plate; let cool completely before slicing.
   

This is a photo of how they looked before baking.

I made one cake with blackberries and one with raspberries and I would say the raspberry was my favorite. I was able to slice the cake and cut those slices in half. It was perfect for hands to hold and, if desired, try both flavors.