If you are looking for a simple moist cake for this July 4th here is one you would love. You can use sourdough starter, yes that is the secret ingredients in the cake. Make this Sourdough Vanilla flag cake for your July 4th celebration and you will enjoy it. If you are looking for a vanilla birthday cake this will be exceptionally good. I love to be adding sourdough to everything.
What is the role of sourdough starter in cake?
Role of sourdough in cake should be as leavener just like baking powder. Sourdough has been a choice for many centuries before baking powder and baking soda made their appearance. The ancient Egyptians made their bread from a sourdough starter.
Bakers discovered that sourdough is incredibly good for bread, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, or muffins. However, many people are not aware that sourdough can lend itself to the sweet as well as the savory. The tang of sourdough can play up the sweet flavors often found in cakes and other sweets.
How to use sourdough starter or discard to make a great cake?
To ensure that the cake does not stick, thoroughly butter, and flour the pan or you can line the pan with parchment paper just I did it.
When you are using the sourdough, starter use a ripe unfed starter and that adds tangier flavor to the cake. A recently fed starter gives a milder flavor.
You need to bring all the ingredients including the sourdough starter to be at room temperature just like all the other ingredients.
Make sure to add sourdough starter only in the final stage of wet ingredients mixing, over stirring will develop gluten and toughen the cake.
Non frosted cake can remain at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you frosted with cream cheese, then store the cake in refrigerator.
Individual slices can be wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months.
The sourdough batter results in wonderfully moist cake without being dense and gives a subtle richness to the flavor.
Points to remember while making sourdough vanilla cake.
This cake makes 8x 8 inch you can easily double the content to make 13x9 inch sheet cake or typical birthday cake.
You can make the cake ahead and then frost them with cream cheese frosting
I used strawberries; you can use raspberries if you want little more color.
I have used 50:50 all-purpose and whole wheat flour starter with 100% hydration. You can use any starter, if you are using rye starter expect little more tanginess in the cake.
You can use milk or buttermilk in the recipe. Make sure to use whole milk to get more creaminess.
You can use 1 large egg and two egg whites instead of two eggs I tried in the recipe.
I have not tried veganizing the recipe if you want you can try with vegan butter and apple sauce, flax and chia eggs make denser cake.
While baking keep eye on your oven this cake is ready at 350°F for 30 minutes.
You can change this cake into birthday cake. Instead of blueberries and strawberries, decorate with birthday sprinkles.
Here are few other recipes you can make with sourdough starter:
If you do not have sourdough starter in hand, you can make one here is there recipe of
How to make sourdough starter.
Next, I am planning to make a chocolate cake, brownies, cookies, and muffins. Yes, with sourdough starter choice are endless.
If you made this cake, please tag me Zestysouthindiankitchen in Facebook and @nidhinikhil in Instagram
Sourdough Vanilla Flag Cake
Ingredients
- For Cake
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon 85g unsalted butter, softened, plus more for dish
- 1 ½ cups 187.5g all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups 150g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tablespoon 3g baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup 128g whole milk
- ½ cup 100g sourdough starter ( ripe, 50: 50 all purpose flour : whole wheat flour 100% hydration)
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- For Frosting
- 4 oz 115g cream cheese
- 2 cup 240g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon butter softened
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup fresh strawberries
Instructions
- To make cake, preheat oven to 350 °F. Lightly butter an 8x8 inch baking dish. Line the tin with parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out excess.
- In a medium bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt and mix well.
- Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- To this add sourdough starter, milk and vanilla extract and mix well.
- Then add flour and mix until everything combined well.
- Transfer batter to prepared baking dish.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean, 30 minutes. Set aside for cooling
- While cake is cooling make cream cheese frosting.
- Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy.
- Frost the cake and top with blueberries and strawberries.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
Cam Huong says
I made this cake for my friend's birthday. As I have always been famililar with chiffon style cake, I don't know if I had whipped the butter enough to achieve desired softness. Yet, the cake came out very delicious and I will definitelky make this again
Rachel says
Can you use discard instead of fed starter/leaven?
Swathi says
yes you can
Cynthia says
This cake fascinated me since it used sourdough starter, so I tried it. I didn't use the cream cheese frosting, but used it as the white cake base for my strawberry cake. I split the cake into two layers, filled it with chopped strawberries and the juice then Cool Whip. Then topped it with the second layer then iced it all over with Cool Whip. I decorated the top with strawberries. Everyone loved it. It is a moist cake that is somewhat dense but super good!! I will definitely be making it again. It did not disappoint.
Swathi says
Glad you liked it, yes adding more fruits make more delicious
Rashi says
why do we use a baking powder in this when sourdough acts a leavener? can we make a cake without baking powder and baking soda?
Swathi says
Sourdough is actually help in developing flavors in this cake, not doing any work as leavining. So we need leavaning in this recipe. You can try without baking powder or baking soda then it will have less rise.
Natalia Voche says
I love anything with strawberry and this looks so delicious. I wanna try this
Lizzie Lau says
I had no idea I could use my sourdough starter in a cake recipe. I'm glad you shared the tip about avoiding over stirring once the starter is in.
Natalie says
I love sourdough bread yet have never had it in a cake! So curious to try it in dessert form now, this looks awesome!
Beth says
It looks delicious! I didn't realize that sourdough started could be used in sweet desserts.
Janeane M Davis says
This recipe just screams summertime. It also looks like it will be a lot of fun to make.
Catalina says
I want a huge piece of this cake. It looks fabulous!
Rena says
Okay I have to admit this has me fascinated! I have never heard of a sourdough cake but I'm game.
Gervin Khan says
Awesome concept for a recipe. One of my favorite fruits in a dish. Strawberry makes it more appealing and enticing. Thanks for sharing such wonderful recipe.
Marysa says
This sounds delicious, and it is so pretty, too! My kids would have fun making this. Great summer dessert!
Lynndee says
Such an adorable cake and very patriotic. I bet it is as good as it looks too. Yum!
Kathy says
That cake looks amazing. I love how festive it is too. I don't think I've ever tried a sourdough cake before. I'll have to try this out. It sounds really good.
Melissa Dixon says
This looks amazing. I bet that this would be a perfect dish to serve after a light dinner. I always want something sweet after a light meal and this looks beautiful!
Tasheena says
I’ve never had a sour dough cake before. This looks really yummy.
Laura says
What exactly is sourdough starter? Is it something that is sold together?
Pam Wattenbarger says
That looks so good! I don't think I've ever had sourdough vanilla before. I want to try this.
Amber Myers says
This looks like a neat cake! And it sounds tasty too. I don't think I've ever tried a sourdough vanilla cake before.
melissa chapman says
We had a great fourth but it would have been better with a cake like this. I love the fruit on a beautiful sourdough cake.
Jen says
That looks delicious! I love cake with strawberries on it.