Raspberry buttermilk cake with chocolate chips AND my 1 year blogiversary

Sometimes, I need to be reminded repeatedly of something important. It may take two, three or four times before I go "Oh yeah, this is something I need to do today."

This cake is a perfect example.

First, there was Deb at Smitten Kitchen. I read her post on this cake and thought "I should make this." Just as quickly, the idea vanished.

Then, my friend Jody brought this to a potluck at work. I again thought "I have to make this." Just as quickly, the idea vanished.

Then, my bloggy friend Pamela posted this cake. I thought "I really do have to make this." Just as quickly, the idea vanished.

It took looking in my fridge this morning and seeing a pint of raspberries nearing the end of their useful life and the last of a half gallon of buttermilk (a size I never buy, but it's made me make a bunch of recipes just so I could use it up). That combination of events made me say "I have to make that raspberry cake RIGHT NOW."

You know by now that I can never leave well enough alone. So I took Deb's spin on the original recipe from Gourmet and I added 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. Because, hey, chocolate and raspberry, need I say more?

Today was one of those days that I rebelled against my mixer. They're rare, but I mixed bread dough last night for Peter Reinhart's cranberry walnut celebration bread, and I was feeling like not using it. So I used my hand mixer, and it was fine. The batter for this cake reminds me a lot of this coffee cake. Since three people I respect mentioned how dangerous this cake is, I decided to make two 6" cakes and give one away. That was a wise choice, because this thing is dangerous, doubly dangerous in the 6" size. Cutting off a tiny wedge at a time seems so harmless until you realize you've consumed 1/4 of the recipe.

Don't be like me. Realize immediately that you have to make this cake today. You can use raspberries, blueberries (as Pamela did), peaches, plums, blackberries, cherries (if you have any in your freezer or they're still available where you live). I bet mango and strawberry would also work, but hot strawberries give me the willies.

In my other piece of news, today is my one year blogiversary. I had hoped to have a big announcement for you but we're experiencing technical difficulties. In any event, when I started this blog a year ago, I had no idea how much it would change my life. It has expanded my cooking and baking horizons and added another dimension to how I define who I am. Without knowing it, blogging has taken unexplored interests and given me a format to indulge them. I still haven't told friends that I do this, but I think that will come this year.

Over the next few days, I'll weigh in on the good, the bad and the ugly, how I've grown (both in knowledge and poundage), my philosophy and what inspires me. Please come back, for without you, it's pretty lonely here!