Old-Fashioned Hot Milk Cake with Summer Berries

• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, rinsed, drained and sliced
• 1 pint fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
• Heavy cream, whipped and sweetened

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs and gradually add sugar, beating until the mixture is thick and pale in color. Scald the milk over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Add butter and remove the pan from the heat.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until they are well combined. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, and beat until they are well blended. Pour in the hot milk all at once and mix on low speed until the batter is smooth and thick. Stir in vanilla.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9-inch round cake pan lined with parchment paper. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the pan on a rack 15 minutes; then remove the cake from the pan and cool completely.

To serve, dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar, slice, and serve with sliced strawberries, blueberries, and a swirl of whipped cream.

Yield: 8 servings