Irish soda... cake?

While I was revisiting UVA this past weekend, I had plenty of time during those somewhat tedious but necessary question-and-answer sessions to think about the prospect of going back to school. It's hard for me to be more excited, but I will definitely miss certain things about my time now. For instance, these past two years have made me realize the extent of my affinity for domesticity. I organize and clean when I'm stressed, shop for groceries when I'm bored, and cook pretty much around the clock. And today, I got back to my apartment early just so I could have more time to bake bread and read the Sunday newspaper. Going back to student-mode will certainly be a transition from these carefree days with nothing hanging over my head.

Anyway, about this bread. I'm still working on a yeast bread with a sponge starter recipe, which happens to require an entire weekend of babying. Since I haven't had a free weekend in a while I thought I would try out some faster soda breads in the mean time. I got this particular recipe from Melissa Clark, and frankly, I don't know what to make of it, because it's definitely not bread. If I were to serve it as dessert, no one would object. The recipe calls for only a third of the butter and sugar I usually put in my cakes, making it a little less tender and moist. But the upside is that the tangy buttermilk flavor and the hearty texture really come through, and it's nice to have a lighter cake once in a while. But what will I eat with my soups and salads this week? No, not cake, of course not.

Irish soda cake
Minimally adapted from the New York Times

3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 stick of butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups buttermilk, well-shaken
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 10-inch oven-proof skillet (I used my 8-inch cast iron fryer). In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, and 3 tbs of the butter before pouring into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and incorporate raisins but be careful not to over mix. Pour batter into the skillet and bake until firm and brown at the top, about 1 hour. Brush the remaining butter on top of the cake before serving.