Streuselkuchen

By Cat, Nov 2007 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

• Includes: 1. Irish Tea Cake, Standard Version; 2. Pre-soak Version; 3. Glaze for both versions
• See also: 1. Cakes & Tortes Menu;

Tea cakes, a close cousin of American coffeecakes, are a specialty in the British Isles.  Many are flavored with spice mixtures brought back from India, where the spice blends are known as curries. The simplest tea cakes resemble English muffins, but usually have some kind of dried fruit in them (such as currants).

This recipe is an example of using sweet dairy whey as a substitute for up to ⅓ of the total sugar. Sweet dairy whey is a by-product of cheese making; its sweet component is lactose, a disaccharide. Why would you do this substitution? Because lactose is a major food for the good bugs in our gut; they turn it into lactic acid, rather than allowing our enzymes to break it down into its simple sugars (glucose and galactose) for burning as calories. Not only does this reduce the caloric value of lactose, but it also promotes a healthy gut.

NOTE: the originally liquid whey from cheese making is dried by simple dehydration, which does not create MSG (unlike powdered milk or whey protein powder that is dried by high heat). I know this because I am allergic to MSG (I get severe pain and digestive distress), but sweet dairy whey does not cause this problem for me.

Glazed Irish Tea Cake

These recipe versions are adapted from a package of Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry flour (1).  If you cut the glazed cake in 10 slices, each is 382 calories; if 18 slices, each is 212 calories.

For the flour, you can use whole wheat pastry flour or whole spelt flour. However, if using spelt, which is not as dry as wheat, you will need less added moisture (or more flour).

Equipment for both versions:

• 9″ loaf pan
• bakers parchment or waxed paper
• small, medium and large bowls
• spatula
• knife
• cooling rack

Standard Version for Cake

This version does not presoak the whole grain flour; if you want the added nutritional benefit of including a presoak, see the Presoak Version, below.

I’ve not yet tested this recipe.

• ¾ cup butter
• ⅔ cup Rapadura sugar
• ⅓ cup sweet dairy whey
• 2 tsp real vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 3 oz cream cheese
• 1 ¾ cup whole grain pastry flour, divided
• 1 ¼ tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
• ¼ tsp unrefined sea salt
• 1 cup dried currants
• ⅔ cup buttermilk
• 1 recipe for glaze (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Butter sides and bottom of loaf pan; place a sheet of bakers parchment (or waxed paper) over the bottom only.  Then butter the parchment.  Dust sides of pan and parchment with flour. Set aside.
3. Combine butter, sweet dairy whey, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until fluffy.  Beat in eggs.  Add cream cheese; mix until well combined.
4. Dredge the currants in ¼ cup of the flour in a small mixing bowl.
5. Sift remaining 1 ½ cups flour, baking powder and salt into medium mixing bowl, then mix portions into butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
6. Stir in dredged currants (and flour) until well combined.
7. Transfer to prepared pan.  Smooth surface with spatula; bake about 1 hour and 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cake will crack on top.
8. Remove pan from oven and place on rack.  Allow cake to rest in pan 10 minutes.   Then run knife around the sides and remove cake.  Peel off parchment; let cake cool a little.

Soaked Flour Version for Cake

The above recipe is easily converted to a soaked flour version, because it uses buttermilk.  The lactic acid in buttermilk activates the enzymes in the flour to simulate the germination process.  This increases nutrient availability, especially the minerals in the whole grain.  (NOTE:  You could substitute yogurt).

I’ve not yet tested this recipe.

Pre-Soaking flour:

• 1 ¾ cup whole grain flour
• ⅔ cup buttermilk

1. Stir buttermilk into flour in large bowl. If difficult to mix, add filtered warm water, 1 tsp at a time.
2. Press a sheet of waxed paper against the flour mixture, so that the entire surface is covered. Let sit on counter 12 hours or overnight.  When you pull off the paper in the morning, scrape any batter stuck to the paper back into the bowl.

Cake:

• ¾ cup butter
• ⅔ cup Rapadura sugar
• ⅓ cup sweet dairy whey
• 2 tsp real vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 3 oz cream cheese
• ¼ cup whole grain flour
• 1 ¼ tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
• ¼ tsp unrefined sea salt
• 1 cup dried currants
• 1 recipe for glaze (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare pan as for Standard Version recipe above.
2. Combine butter, sweet dairy whey, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until fluffy.  Beat in eggs.  Add cream cheese; mix until well combined.
3. In medium bowl, mix ¼ cup flour, baking powder and salt. Add currants, to dredge them.
4. Stir butter & egg mixture into the soaked flour.
5. Stir in dredged currants (and flour mixture) until well combined.
6. Transfer to prepared pan.  Smooth surface with spatula; bake about 1 hour and 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cake will crack on top.
7. Remove pan from oven and place on rack.  Allow cake to rest in pan 10 minutes.   Then run knife around the sides and remove cake.  Peel off waxed paper; let cake cool a little.

Glaze:

• ½ cup Rapadura powdered sugar (or Make your own unrefined powdered sugar)
• 2 tsp lemon juice

1. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in small bowl; spread over the warm cake.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with fresh-brewed coffee or tea.

References

1. Bob’s Red Mill recipe #1407 (link removed at their request)