Home Cooking Chronicles: Summer berry Brita cake  

Published 10:48 pm Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Living in Astoria means being surrounded by Nordic culture. From festivals and food to princesses and friends, the heritage is now woven into my life. I’ve come to appreciate it — but what really draws me in is the baking.

I’ve been lucky enough to flip through handwritten recipe books passed down from friends’ grandmothers, discovering baked goods I never could have imagined growing up in the American South. 

One recipe, in particular, stood out: a butter cake topped with a baked meringue. As a devoted meringue lover, I was instantly hooked.

This Brita cake is a beautiful celebration of cake and meringue — topped with fresh, seasonal berries at their best. 

Summer Berry Brita Cake

Serves: 12 

Traditionally, this cake is served as a two-tiered showstopper, but that felt a bit like flirting with disaster. So, I’ve simplified it into a single-layer version that’s just as beautiful and far easier to manage.

Cake

3 large eggs, separated

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Grated zest on one lemon

3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Assembly 

1-pound fresh berries (strawberries should be hulled and halved)

Juice of half a lemon

2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch cake pan with parchment and coat it lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Make the meringue: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the three egg whites with 1/4 teaspoon salt on low speed until they begin to thicken. Increase the speed to medium and add half the sugar — 3/4 cup — a little at a time, letting each sprinkle disappear before adding more. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and continue to whip the mixture until the egg whites are glossy, and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted. Set this bowl aside.

Make the cake: In a second bowl, beat the butter with the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and the lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat to combine. Sprinkle surface of batter with baking powder and beat thoroughly into mixture. Add the milk and beat to combine. Add the flour and beat until smooth.

Bake the cake: Spoon the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it into a thin, even layer. Dollop the egg white mixture all over the batter and gently spread this across the cake. Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, then check for doneness — a toothpick inserted into the cake should come out batter-free. 

Once baked, cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then used the parchment surrounding the cake to carefully lift the cake and parchment directly onto your cooling rack to completely cool.

Finish cake components: In a medium bowl, combine the berries, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and lemon juice and set aside for 15 minutes. Combine the heavy cream, sour cream, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, and vanilla extract in a large, clean bowl, and beat mixture until soft peaks form.

Assemble the cake: Swirl the top of the cake with the whipped cream, then scatter the berries. Garnish with powdered sugar, if you wish.

Brian Medford is a baker, teacher and the owner of The Rusty Cup in Astoria. He has lived in the Northwest for more than 20 years and delights in Southern cooking. Contact him at blmedford@gmail.com.