Raisin Walnut Cake

Raisin Walnut Cake

Serves 15

Ingredients

1 ½ C Sugar

2 C whole wheat flour

½ C white flour or cornstarch

½ tsp salt

1 c buttermilk

½ C natural yeast starter

½ c vegetable oil

¾ c pureed pears or applesauce

1 c raisins (will be chopped in the blender)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

¼ tsp ground cloves

Sponge above

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 c chopped walnuts (optional)

3 eggs (optional)

Put flour, salt, spices and sugar in a mixing bowl and blend well with wire whisk

In blender puree buttermilk, fruit, oil and raisins

Add starter and mix on low speed

*Add blender mixture to dry ingredients and beat for at least 2 full minutes

Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and allow to sponge (set in a warm place for at least 6 and up to 24 hours)

After sponging time mix  in  beaten eggs, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and walnuts. Mix very well.

Pour into 9x13 baking pan and bake at 350’ for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool slightly and drizzle with lemon or orange glaze.

Orange or Lemon Glaze

1 C confectioners’ sugar

¼ tsp orange or lemon juice

Start with sugar in a bowl and add juice a Tablespoon at a time until the right consistency is achieved.

*To use whole wheat in your favorite cake recipe, substitute approximately ¼ of the amount of flour given in the recipe with cornstarch and use whole wheat flour for the other ¾.  This will give the cake a finer texture and help it keep its delicate lightness.

*To eliminate a course texture in a cake, be sure to beat it thoroughly together.  Most cakes require that the batter is beaten about 300 strokes by hand or 2-3 minutes with electric mixer after the last ingredients have been added.  After the batter is poured into the pan, gently tap the pan on the countertop so the small bubbles will rise to the top.  Break bubbles with a spoon and then bake as per recipe directions.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread   

Yield one loaf

From Beyond Basics with Natural Yeast by Melissa Richardson

Soak

(6 hours before baking)

1 C natural yeast starter

1 egg

1 C whole wheat pastry flour or (¼ C corn starch and ¾ C whole wheat flour)

Mix together the starter and one egg.  Add flour and mix until all flour is incorporated into a rather firm ball of dough.  Cover and set to sit for 6-12 hours.

Final Batter

½ C butter or coconut oil

¾ C brown or raw sugar.  May also substitute molasses or real maple syrup.

1 egg

2 1/3 C. over ripe bananas (about 6 large bananas)

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350’.  Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the egg.  Add  sponge mixture  in chunks, mixing well after each addition.  Add the mashed bananas.  To bake walnuts into the loaf, add them now.  Sprinkle the baking soda and salt across the top and mix well.

Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan.  To bake walnuts into the crust only, sprinkle walnuts over the top and press gently with the flat of your hand or the back of a spatula to set them into the batter.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  If the top of your loaf is browning too quickly, cover it with tented tin foil and continue to bake. 

As impossible as this sounds, try to wait until the loaf is relatively cool before cutting.  While hot, it will be more prone to crumbling.