Three years ago Alice Medrich wrote a key book: Flour Flavors. In this volume she offers ways to uses flour alternatives, either as a complete substitute or as add-ins to create a flavor evolution. She presents recipes with teff, buckwheat, sorghum, rice flour and more. My book review is here.
This cake is a beautiful example of using flour alternatives: white rice flour and a little oat flour are combined to fashion a cake that is lighter than pound cake but more substantial than a sponge or chiffon cake. Alice says that, once tried, this cake will become your new basic. The flour combination here makes the buttery flavor even more intense. You’ll truly enjoy this cake. You can frost it, serve it with berries, put dulce de leche on the side, or just plain eat it.
I wanted to frost ours. All I got was a frosty stare from my wife. But, I did enjoy the cake. We enjoyed the cake.
Ultimate Butter Cake
Yield: serves 10 to 12
Ingredients:
- 2 ⅔ cups (400 grams) white rice flour or 4 cups (400 grams) Thai white rice flour
- ½ cup (50 grams) oat flour
- 2 cups minus 3 tablespoons (360 grams) sugar
- ½ pound (2 sticks/225 grams) unsalted butter, very soft
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 cup plain yogurt (any percent butterfat) or slightly watered down Greek yogurt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Equipment:
Two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans or one 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom or one 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan
Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Preparation:
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the pan(s) with vegetable oil spray or butter and line the bottoms of the layer cake pans with parchment paper.
Combine the rice and oat flours, sugar, butter, and salt in the bowl j of the stand mixer and mix on medium speed with the paddle attachment until the mixture is the texture of brown sugar, about a minute. Add the baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes; the batter should be very smooth and fluffy. Scrape into the prepared pan(s) and bake the layers for 25 to 30 minutes, or the tube or Bundt pan for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and dry. Set the pan(s) on a rack to cool completely.
Slide a thin knife or a small metal spatula around the edges of the layer cakes or the tube pan (and the tube) to detach the cake(s) I from the pan(s). Loosen the cake from the Bundt pan by rapping all sides of the pan against the counter. Invert each cake onto the rack and peel off the parchment liner. Turn the layer cakes right side up.
Source: Flour Flavors by Alice Medrich [Artisan, 2014]
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/5 for 1/60th second at ISO‑2500