Warming cinnamon, fresh gooseberries and an incredibly rich and moist texture, this gooseberry cake makes for such a yummy way to use those deliciously tart seasonal gooseberries.
Hey friends!
I just love this time of year in Newfoundland…there’s no snow on the ground (yay!) and wild berries are plentiful!
If you go berry picking, you’ll find blueberries to make blueberry bread pudding, gooseberries to make gooseberry crumble, strawberries to make strawberry bundt cake and beautiful red currants (recipe coming soon!) Not to mention, raspberries!
Then, later in the fall, there are partridgeberries to make partridgeberry muffins.
Today I have another delicious recipe using gooseberries – gooseberry cake!
With butter, cream cheese and lots of eggs, this bundt cake has a pound cake-like texture.
It’s dense (in the best kinda way), moist and so delicious.
You get little pops of tartness from the fresh gooseberries and a lovely hum of warming cinnamon. So good with your favourite cuppa tea, coffee or milk.
This gooseberry cake is kinda special to me because I picked the berries myself straight off a wild bush growing at my parent’s. Talk about fresh!
Story time…upon baking (and just when I was about to flip the cake over onto a wire rack), it slid out of my hands on onto the counter top. Typical Dawn.
Time froze. I stood, looking at the inverted pan, wondering what I was about to find. Lucky me, it was ok and I was able to get the cake onto the rack (but there was a moment there, lol). Have you ever had any baking close-calls?
Green Gooseberries versus Purple Gooseberries
A combination of green and purple gooseberries was used in this bundt cake.
As gooseberries ripen on the bush, they start out green and eventually turn to a purple hue.
The green gooseberries are firmer and more tart than the purple ones. Both are delicious, if you ask me!
How to Prepare Gooseberries
Before using gooseberries, you’re going to want to prepare them…meaning ‘top and tail’.
‘Top and tail’ just means getting rid of the top and bottom bits of the berry (as shown on the berry below).
I like to use a pair of scissors here and snip those ends off.
After that, I just give ’em a little rinse and drain well before using in the gooseberry cake.
Can I Freeze This Cake?
Absolutely! Allow the cake to completely cool before freezing.
I like to cut into chunks so I can easily take some out (without taking the full cake out at once).
Wrap well in wax paper or plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag or container.
Enjoy within 3 months.If you don’t plan on freezing, wrap well with parchment paper and store in a container.
Typically, it will last 3 to 4 days at room temperature (but can vary, depending on how hot it is where you are). The Kitchn has some great cake storing tips.
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More Recipe Tips
The bundt cake batter is thick! I like to stir in the gooseberries with a spatula (versus using my stand mixer), so I don’t break them up too much.
Freshly grated orange or lemon zest is also a great addition to this gooseberry cake.
Ovens (and pans) vary so be sure to check on before the full bake time is up. You don’t want to over-bake your cake.
Because this cake is rich and dense, it’s normal for the bottom to crack a little after baking.
Serving Suggestions
- Icing sugar dusted over top
- A simple icing sugar glaze, like the one used in my blueberry bundt cake
- Ice-cream (vanilla or strawberry works lovely here)
- Drizzle of caramel sauce
- Drizzle of chocolate sauce
More Berry Recipes You May Enjoy
- Partridgeberry Cake – Using local Newfoundland partridgeberries (or ligonberries) paired with orange and topped with a simple icing sugar glaze, this is such a treat.
- Blueberry Bundt Cake – Lemon and blueberries…what’s not to love?
- Roasted Blueberry Crostini – A super simple appetizer. Roasted blueberries makes them ultra sweet and almost jam-like. Perfect for entertaining!
- Blueberry BBQ Sauce – A sweet and savoury way to use blueberries. So delicious, especially for those summer grilling recipes.
Hope you love this gooseberry recipe as much as we do!
Until next time, take care and chit chat again soon,
Dawn
Make this gooseberry cake? That’s awesome! Love it if you left a comment below. Many thanks!
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Gooseberry Cake (with cinnamon)
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh gooseberries , washed and trimmed ('top and tail')
- 2 cups all purpose flour (plus, 2 tablespoons for dusting berries)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 250 grams cream cheese , softened to room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar , packed
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 large eggs
- baking spray or butter (to grease bundt pan)
- icing sugar (for dusting over baked cake, to taste (optional))
Instructions
- Place gooseberries in a bowl and spoon 2 tablespoons of flour over berries, stirring to coat. Lay to one side.
- In another bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir to combine and lay to one side. Also, preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit at this point too.Note: I like to 'spoon' the flour into measuring cups rather than scoop the measuring cup directly into the container of flour.
- In a stand mixer on medium speed (or in a mixing bowl using a hand mixer), combine cream cheese, butter, both sugars and vanilla. Blend until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl once or twice.
- Blend in milk.
- Add eggs, one at a time, until just combined.
- Blend in reserved flour mixture. Don't over mix.
- Next, stir in gooseberries with a spatula, being careful not to break them up too much.
- Grease a 10-inch bundt pan with baking spray or butter. Scoop batter into pan (it will be thick). Smooth top with a spoon. Tap pan down 15 to 20 time on a hard surface to allow it to settle.
- Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean of batter when inserted. Note: Because ovens/pans can vary, check on at the 55 minute mark.
- Once baked, let cook 30 minutes in pan. Then, carefully, release cake from pan, allowing it to cook completely on a wire rack.
- If desired, dust with icing sugar. Note: As the cake sits, the icing sugar will absorb into the cake. You can add more upon serving, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- The bundt cake batter is thick! I like to stir in the gooseberries with a spatula (versus using my stand mixer), so I don’t break them up too much.
- Freshly grated orange or lemon zest is also a great addition to this gooseberry cake.
- Ovens (and pans) vary so be sure to check on before the full bake time is up. You don’t want to over-bake your cake.
- Because this cake is rich and dense, it’s normal for the bottom to crack a little after baking.
You’ve introduced me to many different berries, Dawn. Love that you picked these yourself, at your parents house no less. The cake sounds and looks so tasty, and it’s SO beautiful! I have a very similar bundt pan and it’s my favorite! 🙂 ~Valentina
So happy to hear that!! Thank you Valentina!! Love that pan too 😉
Somehow I have never had a gooseberry! I grew up blackberry picking (I still have a few scars to prove it, lol!). This cake looks divine, so now I’m on the lookout for gooseberries!
Oh, I hear ya about blackberries! Picked a whole bunch lately and those suckers can be rough to pick. Good luck with the gooseberries 🙂
What a wonderful time of year to find all that abundance of wild berries! My grandmother used to grow gooseberries when I was a kid, but that’s the only time I have ever found gooseberries. I need to see about growing some so we can harvest those too and then I can make this cake!
How nice!! They’re delicious, aren’t they??
Gooseberries bring back childhood memories from Germany. We had many bushes in our garden and my mom and aunts would make wonderful cakes and tarts. My favorite was a gooseberry sheet cake with a meringue on top. Your Bundt cake looks delicious and I wish I could have a piece. I have tried growing gooseberries in California where I live but without any luck.
That dessert sounds lovely! And how nice how food can bring back memories like that!!
Gimme all the summer berries Dawn! You know how much a love a good bundt! And this one looks and sounds delicious! Pinned.
Thank you Mary Ann! Summer berries are the best!
I don’t think gooseberries grow around here, but I’m sure I can find some at the produce market! This looks fabulous 🙂
Thanks Jennifer! Good luck 🙂
Oh yeah – I’ve had more kitchen mishaps than I can count! 😉 Oh, I’d love a big hunk of this gorgeous cake with my coffee this morning!! Have a great weekend, my friend! XO
Right there with ya! Thanks Annie! XO
Oh, I have definitely had baking close-calls…and baking disasters. There have even been times that I completely forgot an ingredient only to discover it sitting on the countertop…and the item is already in the oven. d’oh. Glad you avoided catastrophe with this cake! And speaking of this cake, it looks delicious. I’ve yet to stumble across gooseberries here, but you know I’ll be making a cake with ’em as soon as I do!
Happy to hear I’m not the only one 😉 Thanks David! Hope you enjoy!!