Hot-Milk Cake
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour or white whole-wheat flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
shortening or butter and flour for greasing and flouring the pan
Preheat oven to 375 F. Microwave milk until it begins to steam, about a minute and a half. Add butter and allow to melt. Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan or a muffin tin that holds a dozen muffins.
Use an electric mixer to beat the eggs on medium-high until they turn light and thick. Add the sugar and beat about 2 1/2 minutes more. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Fold sifted ingredients into egg mixture. Fold in hot milk and butter. Work quickly to keep the cake fluffy; adding flour and milk mixtures should take no more than a minute.
Pour into pan or muffin tin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cool thoroughly in pan before cutting.
Topping
2 pounds of fresh strawberries
about 1/2 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of strawberries)
plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
Wash strawberries well. Remove tops and any bad spots. Crush or puree about half the strawberries in a blender or food processor. Slice the other half. Hold back 12 slices for garnish; stir rest in with crushed strawberries. Taste and add sugar as needed.
Put whipping cream, 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla if using into a chilled mixer or food-processor bowl. Beat on high until soft peaks form.
Cut cake into 12 pieces. For each serving, cut cake in half cross-wise. Layer bottom of cake, strawberry sauce, top piece of cake and more strawberry sauce. Top with a spoonful of whipped cream. Garnish with reserved strawberry slices.
Serves 12.
Heart-Healthy Adaptation (pictured): Make two flaxseed “eggs”: Mix 1 tablespoon finely ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons water and heat briefl y (microwave for 1 minute), stir with a fork to get an eggy texture, and cool to room temperature. Use coconut drink in place of milk and use an additional 1/8 teaspoon baking powder.
When you beat the sugar and flax seed together, you won’t see the amazing transformation that you’d get with sugar and eggs. On the bright side, this means you don’t have to fold the dr y ingredients in so carefully; simple stirring will do. The berry juice hides the flax seed in the cake.
©Wildly Affordable Organic: Eat Fabulous Food, Get Healthy, and Save the Planet — All on $5 a Day or Less (Da Capo Press, 2011), used by permission.
