This recipe is based on my memory of a coffee cake my grandmother, Marie Seibel Chambers, made for her WSCS* circle and served to me after school when she had leftovers. Her cake was made with canned cherries and had a cinnamon sugar topping, but I wanted to use the last blackberries from our canes.
Preheat oven to 375° F.
- 1 cup cooking oil
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup canola or corn oil
- 2 cups flour
- 1-3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3-4 cups fresh blackberries
Gently stir all ingredients together in a large bowl so that the berries are thoroughly covered by dough. The result is a lumpy mass, not a smooth batter.
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan. Dump the mass of berries and dough into the pan and gently push some of the mass to each of the corners. It does not need to be level, the batter will even out as the baking heats up the mass.
Bake for 50-65 minutes at 375° F. When done, the top should be a nice light brown and a little crunchy when you poke a toothpick into the center of cake. The toothpick should not have any crumbs sticking to it when you withdraw it.
Remove cake from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes, which helps the flavors settle. This cake seems even better on the second or third day after baking. For an added treat, serve warm with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
The texture is like large crumbs and slightly chewy with a crisp edge on the top and bottom. It is not a very sweet cake, and not iced. This simple style of cake was meant to accompany coffee or tea in a social 
setting, quick to whip up if a neighbor or friend called to say they might drop by for a visit.
*Before the United Methodist Women’s organization began, stay-at-home mothers and wives in Galena Park United Methodist Church used their circles (small groups) in the Women’s Society of Christian Service to study the Bible, socialize, organize church events, and deliver meals for shut-ins and families in mourning.