In the past 3 1/2 weeks, Madrid's seen little more than rain and cold. Leila's tired of getting short-changed on her walks. And I'm ready to trade in my rain boots and ski jacket for anything lighter. Until that happens, I'm channeling productive energy in the kitchen and setting my sights on the warm months ahead.

This Mixed Berry Pudding Cake is my I'm-pretending-like-it's-summer cake. If you're a cobbler fan like me, you'll love this one. I use mixed frozen berries to make a sauce thickened with arrowroot (or cornstarch). The sauce is poured over a simple dump-and-stir honey and almond flour batter creating a marble effect because the berries sink to the bottom. As the cake bakes, it turns into a soft, spongy, cobbler of sorts. Top it with yogurt and you're set for a snack or dessert!

Mixed Berry Pudding Cake

Serves 6-8

Berry Sauce

• 1 cup (142 gr) frozen mixed berries
• 3-4 Tbsp. (24-32 gr.) coconut sugar
• 1 Tbsp. water
• Juice from 1/4 of a large, juicy lemon
• 1 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Almond Cake

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) melted coconut oil (or butter)
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened almond milk
• 2 small-medium eggs
• 3 Tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (125 gr) almond flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 F / 190 C. Grease a medium-sized baking dish the size of a square 8x8 in. (20x20 cm) pan or a round 9 in. (23 cm) pan as shown in the pictures.
2. Make the berry sauce: Add berries, coconut sugar, and water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until berries have released their juice. Add a spoonful of juice to a small bowl and whisk in arrowroot (or cornstarch) to make a slurry. Whisk slurry back into berry mixture, add lemon juice, and cook until mixture has thickened. (Note: If using cornstarch you'll need to bring mixture to a boil to fully activate it. If using arrowroot, it will thicken pretty quickly. Remove from heat immediately, as continuing to cook arrowroot will diminish its thickening power.)
3. Make the cake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together melted coconut oil, almond milk, eggs, honey, and vanilla extract. Add almond flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined and mixture has thickened slightly.
4. Pour mixture into greased pan, spreading batter to the edges evenly. Evenly distribute berry sauce over top. It will sink to the bottom. Cook for 20-25 minutes until just set. Knife inserted into center of cake should come out without crumbs from the cake portion.

A note on the photos: This cake has been tested several times. I took pictures when testing an earlier version, after which I decided to cut back on the amount of berries. The quantity was disproportionate and weighed down the cake. Please keep in mind then that your cake will not look as dark as the photos here because you'll have fewer berries. You'll also notice a more defined separation between the cake and berry layers. It's delicious and I hope you give it a try!