Kermakakku (Finnish Sour Cream Cake)

I love this cake. It is simple to prepare, flat out tasty, and just different enough that people will raise their eyebrows quizzically and ask "What's in here?" And yet, it tastes familiar enough that everyone will take a slice.

The Nordic flavors in this pound cake -- cardamom, almond, and pepper (!) -- really make this cake a knock-out. Plus, the presentation is tremendous. Highly recommended!

Kermakakku

From the Penzey's Spices catalog

2 eggs

2 c sour cream

2 c sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

3 c cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 - 3/4 tsp ground white pepper

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 - 3/4 tsp cardamom

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a tube or fluted tube pan and liberally sprinkle with sugar and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together flours, soda, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients in thirds to the wet ingredients and beat well until the batter is smooth and combined. Pour into the pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until set in the middle.

Cool on a rack fo 10 minutes and invert to cool. Dust liberally with powdered sugar; the granulated sugar on already on the cake will keep it from "melting."

Comments

Cauliflower and Arugula Soup with Tibetan Flatbread

Because the weather is chilly, and because I had a bag of arugula from the last farm box taunting me, only to be compounded by a fresh bag of arugula from the recent farm box, I decided to try this soup I found from a blog associated with a California-based CSA, Eat Outside the Box . Cauliflower and Arugula Soup Eat Outside the Box farm blog 1 head cauliflower 1 red or white onion, peeled and chopped 3/4 lb zucchini, peeled and chopped 1/4 lb arugula 15 oz stock 15 oz water 1 T olive oil salt and pepper Parmesan cheese, grated First, let me state how important it is to wash your arugula before using it. I don't know about you, but sometimes I get lazy and rely on the "well, if it doesn't kill me, it'll just make me stronger" approach to washing my foods and vegetables. This laziness is only enhanced when the food I'm considering has come from an organic farm. But leaving aside all the various things that can get on the food

Mayocoba Beans with Green Chiles

I love this dish so much that I can barely stand it. Delicious the night it was made, and fantastic as leftovers throughout the week. Mayocoba beans are easily replaced -- try pintos, if you can't find mayocobas. Mayocoba Beans with Green Chiles Baptism of Fire 3-4 green chiles, roasted and chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 T lard or olive oil 1/2 tsp oregano 1 tsp cumin pepper 1 c mayocoba beans, dry 3 c water 1 tsp salt Cook the green chiles, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and black pepper in the fat until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the beans sit, uncovered, for an hour. You may drain the water to remove some of the slightly indigestible sugars that cause gassiness. If you decide to drain them, add enough water back into the pot to cover the beans with about 2" of water above the beans for cooking. Bring the beans back to a boil and cook, until tender. This will take

Chilled Soba Noodles with Cucumber, Snow Peas, and Radishes

We destroyed these. In a good way. It's a lovely-to-look-at dish, chock full of vegetables. More so than I had anticipated, and more so than most soba noodle dishes I've made in the past. We absolutely gobbled this up! Served here with a five-spice chicken and smashed cucumbers. The original calls for nori. We don't love nori so left it out. Maybe we are missing a part of the experience, but even without it, this was delicious. Chilled Soba Noodles with Cucumber, Snow Peas, and Radishes Cook's Illustrated 8 oz soba noodles 3 T white miso paste 3 T mirin 2 T toasted sesame oil 1 T sesame seeds 1 tsp ginger, grated 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1/3 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise, seeded, sliced thin 4 oz snow peas, strings removed, cut lengthwise into matchsticks 4 radishes, trimmed, halved, sliced thin into half-moons 3 scallions, sliced thin Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Stir in noodles and cook according to package directions, stirring occasionally

Donut Army

Search This Blog