My Secret Cake Recipe

Over the years, IG followers have been captivated with occasional posts of my aromatic cakes. As a wee holiday present to all of you, I’m sharing this recipe, given to me eons ago in France, memorized, tweaked a little, shared with less than a handful of people.

The wondrous thing about this cake, which I’d categorize in the “rustic tea” category, is you can make it almost any flavor you can imagine, or have ingredients for on hand. The recipe is one bowl, though you may make it by separating dry & liquid ingredients, even employ the reverse creaming technique (which I won’t explain here as you can Google it). It is simple enough to memorize, and to bake with children helping along.

I will give the basic recipe, first, as the cake knowledge base, noting a few options; then present my Bright Lemon Spice Cake version, as well as flavorings of a few cakes I’ve made.

I do ask that you take the following advice seriously:

Cooking and baking is mostly only ever as good as the quality of ingredients used. This recipe relies heavily on flavor, not technique and using fresh, whole & organic ingredients. As one of my friends remarked, “This isn’t cake, it’s food.”

Basic Variable Cake Recipe

ingredients:

2 pasture raised, organic eggs

4– 8 tablespoons organic, unsalted butter, + some for buttering cake pan. you have to experiment a bit with each variation you create, or depending how buttery you’d like your cake as a compromise, try using 6 tblsps to get the hang of slightly adjusting flour ( less) or yogurt ( more). I’m attempting to give guidelines for less restrictive , more creative baking. You can do it!

2 cups organic whole flour: spelt, sprouted spelt, einkorn, ww pastry. speciality flours such as oat, rye or buckwheat may form a portion of the total amount as a variation calls for.

1/3-1/2 ( more if you must have more sweet) organic sugar: coconut, rapadura or dried, whole cane are the best, lowest glycemic index sweeteners. less desirable but organic white came or brown sugar will work. you will find if you use a higher butter measure along the scale, you will need the higher measure of sugar so that creaming these two ingredients is successful.

1 tsp aluminum free baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

generous pinch sea salt

1-2 tsps organic, fair trade vanilla extract

1/2 – 3/4 cup organic whole fat yogurt. I use Biodynamic, rich pale yellow Seven Stars.

Bright Lemon Spice Cake

Lemon forward with a tantalizing, unusual spice blend, this cake is almost savory, and has a beautiful, dense crumb. It comes out slightly drier and much loftier baked in a rectangular pan, which accentuates the flavors. I use stainless steel baking pans. You’ll need a mortar & pestle ( a Japanese suribachi is perfect for this).

Following best mise en place practice, gather your equipment and ingredients:

zest of one whole organic lemon, fresh juice of two. reserve juice for final step.

freshly grind whole spices blend of: 1 tsp each ( amount when ground) of green podded cardamom (crush pods, remove black inner seeds & discard pods); fennel seed; coriander seed. 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 tsps grated fresh ginger. I like the hotter baby ginger. additionally you may add 2 tsps. finely minced crystallized ginger.

preheat oven to 350 F , butter pan

6 tblsps butter. scant c sugar. cream 5 tblsps with sugar. reserve 1 tblsp for buttering the pan.

one at a time, add each of 2 eggs.

add 2 cups (sprouted spelt is my favorite) flour for this version.

add 1 tsp each baking soda & powder, plus pinch of salt. add freshly ground spices then mix a bit; add lemon zest .

fold in yogurt, 3/4 to possibly a tad more, until batter is uniformly moist & thick. add 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 reserved lemon juice.

pop in oven for about 45- 50 minutes, when knife tests clean upon insertion.

slash top of cake all over, pour reserved lemon juice evenly over top.

let cool thoroughly..this tastes better cool… invert from pan and bon appétit !

*Scroll down for more cake ideas.

More Flavor Combinations

prune & cinnamon, using chopped dried prunes & 2-3 tablespoons of ceylon cinnamon1 part spelt or einkorn & 1 part oat flour, 9” round cake pan.

upside down pear, blackberry, cardamom & rosewater ( real, not the fake stuff in stores ..it’s going to be expensive, about 25-35 for 2 oz). use a 10” 2 piece fancifully shaped or ring pan, line with buttered parchment. slice 1-2 pears and arrange in pan bottom ; chop another to fold into batter with 1 pint blackberries.

figs & fennel

non alkalized cocoa ( 3/4 cup, will need 1 cup yogurt), cinnamon, chile powder & cacao nibs . a bit more salt.

and a few of my past favorites:

elderflower, vanilla & propolis extract

maple walnut buckwheat

rye & whole wheat pastry triple gingerbread, with dried, freshly grated & crystallized ginger

lemon poppy seed in round pan, split in half horizontally and spread with raspberry or blackberry preserves..or lemon curd!

2 layers of cocoa with rose buttercream frosting

Enjoy and please tell me what you make!