Well, I think I have done it. As you know (or maybe you do not), I have been on a quest for the last year and a half to make the perfect yellow cake using fresh ground wheat. Today, I have done it. My Darling Daughter Number Two had her eleventh birthday today and requested a homemade cake (not one of those box ones). That was fine except, I still had not perfected the soft yellow cake. I had nice ones of the "pound cake" persuasion, but not light and fluffy. I spent all week looking for the recipe. There are a lot of great cake recipes out there, just none for a soft, fluffy yellow cake.
I found it! It was from a cookbook I purchased when I bought my grain mill. Christine Downs' cookbook "Cooking and Baking with Fresh Ground Flour" is a wonderful investment. It has taught me pretty much everything I know about fresh ground wheat. I found her recipe and doubtfully began following it. I, of course, made some changes. I am going to share my recipe because I have never made hers, but it was a great starting point.
 Just look at that beautiful sponge. Keep in mind, this is the first "from scratch" sponge cake I have ever made! I had to make another because it was not going to be enough cake. I made the next into cupcakes and frosted them with chocolate frosting.
 It makes my Grandmother laugh when I say this, but I think these beauties actually made me tear up a bit...
Key to this recipe, be sure to bring the eggs to room temperature. Also, blending the Savannah Gold to powder makes a wonderfully smooth batter. Do not forget, my typical cake flour blend is 3 parts soft white wheat to 1 part millet. I threw (gently set) the grain in my mill and ground it as fine as I could. Next, I sifted it through a fine sieve to take out the large pieces of bran. That is what darkens the finished product and makes it heavier. Trust me, this recipe is worth all the extra steps.
Sponge Cake
Adapted from Christine Down “Cooking and Baking with Fresh Ground Flour”
6 eggs at room temperature
¼ cup water
1 cup Savannah Gold with Honey, blended to powder
1 tablespoon vanilla or almond extract
1 ½ cup fresh ground flour (3:1 ratio of soft white and millet) sifted to remove large bran pieces
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- In mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks, water, Savannah Gold with Honey and extract for 5 to 7 minutes. The mixture should be very thick and creamy with a soft yellow color.
- Add flour and a pinch of salt and beat on low.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tarter until stiff. Fold the egg white mixture into the flour batter. Be sure the egg whites are completely stirred in, but to not over stir. Pour the mixture into an ungreased tube pan and bake for 60 minutes or until firm and golden brown. Cool the cake thoroughly before removing from the pan.
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Jan. 29, 2008 - Untitled Comment