Test Kitchen: Sourdough Vanilla Sheet Cake
The highs and lows of life call for a "still in progress" cake recipe
Hello - it’s Monday already.
The past week has felt like a blur. It’s dragged on forever, but also flown by. We got over a foot of beautiful snow, which is very rare for our area, so everything halted for several days as we savored the blanket of beauty that covered our entire landscape. Lots of soup was eaten, books were read by the fire, we watched movies with hot cocoa and snow cream. It was a much needed reset.
Just a day later, my daughter’s co-worker was in a tragic sledding accident. A young wife and mama. Her whole life out in front of her. My heart has been heavy - for her family, her husband and sweet daughter. For my daughter who lost a friend, and for all of her co-workers and friends who are feeling her absence heavily. I never met Madelyn, but she’s reminded me of life’s fragility and beauty, and that only God can carry us through these deep waters of life. I will include the link to a GoFundMe for her family - there is no pressure to give, but every little bit is appreciated - more than anything, your prayers mean the world.
It feels appropriate that this recipe is “still in process.” Life is like that. I will update this post with the finalized recipe, once it is just right - but for now, it’s good enough to share with you. Because why not bake a cake this week? Let me know how it goes.
Warmly,
-Hannah
Fresh Milled Sourdough Vanilla Sheet Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Icing
makes one 9x13 cake - serves about 10-12
INGREDIENTS
ferment overnight:
300 grams fresh milled soft white wheat flour
100 grams sourdough starter, discard or fresh
230 grams water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder
320 grams sugar (I use a combo of maple sugar, coconut palm, and brown sugar)
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
METHOD
In a medium size bowl, combine fresh milled flour, sourdough starter, and water and let sit, covered, on the counter overnight.
The next morning, or up to 24 hours later, preheat oven to 350º.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar, then add eggs, and vanilla and mix.
Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, and overnight sourdough mixture and mix until just combined - do not over mix.
Pour batter into a lightly greased 9x13 glass baking dish and bake for 35 minutes, or until toothpick poked in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let cool for one hour before icing.
Chocolate Buttercream Icing
1 cup butter, softened
350 grams powdered sugar
25 grams cocoa powder
50-60 grams milk
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
Cream butter, then add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, milk, and vanilla and whip until smooth and fluffy.
