Another of summer treasures has arrived in Quebec over the last couple of weeks: Concord Grapes. Concord Grapes are a little smaller than the standard varieties, and I find them to be much sweeter. Their season only lasts a couple of weeks and they’re really easy to miss. I bought a small box and started munching on them right away.
As I was stuffing my face with grapes I wondered how else I could use them. Then I remembered this month’s Bake Together. Abby Dodge has asked us to bake a simple fruit cake our way. Concord Grapes were clearly how I wanted to go. I struggled with how to flavour the cake for awhile. I considered following Abby’s original instructions, or maybe some cardamom. Then Janice suggested rosemary, which sounded perfect. I didn’t want an overwhelming rosemary flavour so I used Janice’s infused honey method from her Lavender Honey Cakelettes.
Grape and Rosemary Cake
- 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 6 tablespoons clarified butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp rosemary infused honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 pint Concord Grapes
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp flour
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9 in round pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to pull the cake out of the pan once done.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Mix in the honey. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
- Mix in the dry ingredients alternating with the sour cream.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. During this time prepare the fruit, toss the grapes with 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp flour. Once the 15 minutes are done pour the fruit on top of the cake (you’ll have to work quickly). Bake for and additional 25 to 30 minutes.
- Serve with a drizzle of rosemary honey.
What She's Having 
Very interesting. All those grapes look like they add a lot of strong flavor. Beats icing!
How gorgeous is this!? Love it and can imagine the grapes popping in your mouth with yummy cake as well! YUM!
What a pretty cake! Love the idea of grapes and rosemary together.
I don’t use this word lightly and since I made it up no one else does either. Yummalummadingdong. That is all.
how wonderful!! I’ve never thought of using grapes in a cake! Great idea. They look just like blueberries and probably offer that same great burst of flavor when you bite into them. yum!
Very interesting idea! I would never have considered using Concord grapes in a cake. Now I’ll have to give it a try.
What a lovely looking cake! I love having all the fresh produce at the ready these days! so fabulous! well done on that cake!
Rustic cakes almost look too good to eat!
I love concord grapes and I love the look of this cake!
Delightful recipe! Concord grapes and rosemary honey look very appealing. I tend to prefer desserts with fresh fruit instead of a frosted cake. Thanks for sharing.
What lovely flavors you have here. Rosemary and grapes sound so good together, I’m itching to try this flavor combination! I love the way the grapes are nestled on top of the cake, simply beautiful.
Great contrast of herb w/ fresh fruit!
Just gorgeous…love the flavour combination and Abbys call this month! Beautiful cake!
What a gorgeous cake! I love those sugar-crusted grapes on top.
We usually buy a basket of Concord grapes around this time of year because The Boy just loves eating them, but we always end up with way more than even he can eat… this sounds like a perfect way to use up the leftovers!
I’ve been wanting to make a tart or a cake with grapes on top, I think it’s beautiful looking. Grapes are coming into the market, I’ll be on the look out for the Concord grapes;-) I also really like the use of honey infused with rosemary, just a great idea, I’m sure it’s delicious!
im getting through a bag of grapes a day here too, its an expensive habit! But there truly arnt enough grape-baking recipes out there, this looks reallyreally great and im sure tastes just wonderful! Lovely post and your photos are simply gorgeous :)
I never think of grapes as something that can go in foods, but recipes like this remind me how lovely they can be baked in cakes.
This looks wonderful! I just love rosemary and have a ton in my herb garden. I think this would be great for this weekend! Fabulous recipe!
This looks great. I was googling a concord grape recipe and found this. Thanks.
We must be on the same produce seasonal cycle. I live near the Finger Lakes in New York and concord grapes are where it is AT this time of year. That spicy, sweet fragrance–I have been stuffing my face with them. (I actually prefer the seeded variety–better texture inside). Your choice of matching it with a rosemary honey is superb and unique to me. I’ll have to try this. I noticed you opted out of the cardamom, maybe for another grape creation? :-)
Oh Yum! I never thought to put grapes in a cake, I love it though! This looks so pretty:-) Hugs, Terra
Just saved this recipe, was looking for a different fruit to work with. The selection is dwindling a bit at the farm stand and this is perfect for fall.
-Gina-
A great looking cake and I think a riff on Patricia Wells Winemaker’s Grape Cake from her ” At Home in Provence” cookbook. It is one of my standard recipes and one with which I have played time and again. My best variation on this theme was made replacing the grapes withfresh Black Mission figs. Glorious
I love the idea of baking with grapes, though haven’t tried it yet!
I’ll definitely be doing it soon though…probably with this recipe.
It is baking in my oven as we speak! Unfortunately, I used another type of grapes, regular honey and yoghurt (just because they were sitting nicely in my house), so hopefully the result will be as good. Thanks though. There aren’t many deliciously sounding grape recipes out there. I bumped into your blog purely due to faith! :) Thank you for this