Sourdough Maple Ginger Cake

On a lake of ice, my husband Ace did some advanced driver training and instruction in Alaska. Look how those cones just shatter because it's so cold there. I can't even relate to that. Arizona is a polar opposite. No pun intended.

It's Monday and I like to share mixes or homemade recipes using food storage items on this day of the week. It doesn't always happen (me sharing a mix), but when Ace came from Alaska Saturday, he brought me this book called Simply Sourdough The Alaska Way by Kathy Doogan...that also included a dry packets of some Alaskan Sourdough starter. I had to experiment. Oh my gosh. I almost fell over in shock when Ace handed me this book. He's come a long way since our first Valentine's day were he bought me radial tires for my car. As practical as I was and am...it just didn't seem right. This gift on the other hand...to a baker...genius.
So, I took out my Homemade Sourdough Starter and got the one that was included with the book started on it's way. It will take a few days to be ready for use. The book has some really amazing sounding recipes too...so I'm excited! However, knowing how enthusiastic I always am about new recipes and knowing how much I love to bake...I couldn't wait. I used a recipe that was in the book for Sourdough Gingerbread...and altered it a bit to use the sourdough starter I had, as mine has a thinner viscosity. Just so we're clear...this is not Kathy Doogan's recipe. I altered it to fit my sea level altitude and moisture content of my homemade Chef Tess Sourdough starter . I uses different ingredients as well. You can bet I'll be contacting the Kathy Doogan to see if I can share any of her other recipes here on the blog. In the meantime... Here's my recipe using the Chef Tess Sourdough Starter and dry food storage items and my own Chef Tess Wise Woman of the East Spice Blend:

Sourdough Maple Ginger Cake

Dry ingredient mix:

1/2 cup dehydrated honey or brown sugar

2T dehydrated egg powder (if you use fresh egg, whisk 1egg into the wet ingredients ).

1 1/2 cups whole wheat cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1T Chef Tess Wise Woman of the East Spice Blend (OR 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground clove, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg)

To bake combine:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup Chef Tess Homemade Sourdough Starter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a nine inch by nine inch cake pan. Combine the dry ingredient mix. Combine the wet ingredient mixture. Mix the wet and the dry ingredients together, beating about 100 strokes by hand. Pour into prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

While cake is warm, top with the maple glaze.

2 cups organic powdered sugar

1/3 cup maple syrup

1T melted butter

1tsp Wise Woman of the East Spice Blend

Heat maple syrup and butter together until just boiling. Stir in powdered sugar and spice blend.

Remove from heat and use immediately on the cake.

There you go. Make some Cake. It's amazing.

Simply Sourdough The Alaska Way has so many great ideas and again, comes with some starter. Check it out! Remember to go to my 75$ CSN Store Giveaway