Jennifer Lapidus’s White Wheat Cake
This simple recipe evolved from Jennifer Lapidus’s days as a baker, courtesy of North Carolina-grown Appalachian White wheat flour.
I developed this recipe to showcase whole grains in an unexpected form. I wanted to demonstrate how the right choice of ingredient can push the boundaries and achieve extraordinary results. Doubters may cringe at the idea of whole grain flour and cake even in the same sentence but trust me, in this application, it works. White wheats lack the bitterness of red wheats (that bitterness one may associate with whole wheat flour). Whole white wheat flour’s flavor profile is buttery with a tinge of sweetness. Our Appalachian White wheat also delivers tooth; think semolina or even cornmeal, and now think cake. For a more delicate crumb, one can use our High Extraction All-Purpose flour which is a blend of Appalachian White wheat and soft red winter (pastry) wheat, with just 15 parts sifted out.
I chose to make this a small (7-inch) cake, because I find that I tend to only make large cakes for celebrations, but a small cake like this is a lovely dessert any time. To increase the size of the cake, just double the recipe and bake the batter in a 9-inch springform pan.
— Jennifer Lapidus, founder of Carolina Ground, a mill in Asheville that stone-grinds regional grains (we sell some of her flour here), and author of Southern Ground: Reclaiming Flavor Through Stone-Milled Flour
Ingredients:
57g (¼ cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
56.5g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
1 large egg, separated
2 heaping tablespoons apricot jam
104g (¾ cup) whole white wheat flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
82g (⅓ cup) buttermilk
¾ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
45g (1.5 ounces) bittersweet chocolate (at least 60% cacao),coarsely chopped
Prepare:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan with parchment paper cut to fit, then grease the pan and dust it with flour, tapping out any excess.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter on high speed until light and fluffy. Adjust to low speed and add the egg yolk and jam, then increase the speed and mix until fluffy.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Measure the buttermilk into a bowl and stir in the almond and vanilla extracts.
5. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing only until incorporated after each addition. Add the chocolate and mix until just incorporated.
6. In a separate medium bowl, whip the egg white until it holds stiff peaks. By hand, gently fold the beaten egg white into the batter, then pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.
7. Bake until the cake springs back when you touch the center lightly and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool 5 to 7 minutes before removing from springform pan. Cool completely on cooling rack before serving.
Store covered in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 days.
