RCP: Buttermilk cake

I came across this recipe in an Australian cooking mag, but since I tore the page out, I'm not sure which one it was. The ingredients are great, but the instructions were daft, so I just made it the way I make all butter cakes, and it worked out very well. This is an easy, versatile recipe that makes a lovely textured cake, which is even better the second day.

1 and 1/3 cups (200g) self raising flour
150g almond meal
200g caster (superfine) sugar
175g unsalted butter, softened
150ml buttermilk
3 large free-range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
jam/lemon curd

Cream together butter, sugar and zest, then mix in eggs and vanilla, beat well. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Stir together flour and almond meal in a separate bowl.

Into the butter/sugar/egg, mix in half the flour/almond, then the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour/almonds, mixing well after each addition.

Spoon half the mix into a well-oiled bundt pan, add some jam or lemon curd, then top with remaining mix, and bake in a preheated oven at 175C for 40 - 45mins. (Note to Cyn, I've also made these in the little Nordic Ware bundt pans and baked them for 30 mins. With the Nordic Ware pans, I drop the oven temp to about 160c).

Cheers, Celia

cake 002.jpg

Will it still work if you don't use "free range" eggs?

rwj

No.

No.

Dang. Maybe I'll try these snake eggs I have on hand.

rwj

Will it still work if you don't use "free range" eggs?

rwj

I'm trying to figure out this whole egg thing. At the store the other day, the "Cage Free" eggs were right next to the "Organic" eggs (same brand) and the Cage Free were .51 cents less. Those are the ones I bought. They were still pretty pricey. I want to say $4.49 a dozen.

Will it still work if you don't use "free range" eggs?

rwj

I'm trying to figure out this whole egg thing. At the store the other day, the "Cage Free" eggs were right next to the "Organic" eggs (same brand) and the Cage Free were .51 cents less. Those are the ones I bought. They were still pretty pricey. I want to say $4.49 a dozen.

Personally, I think it's marketing B.S. "Cage Free" or "Free Range" usually means that the chickens have a little door cut into the gigantic house where they are all kept. If they so choose then the chickens can walk out the door onto a little strip of green "range". But chickens tend to do what other chickens do and if not many of them are using the little door then most of them won't. Thus, they lay their eggs in this gigantic egg house packed to the gills full of chickens and reeks to high heaven of chicken poop. What' s the brand name on these eggs?

And $4.49 is INSANE for a dozen eggs. I can get a dozen at my local farmer's markets for about $3.50 and they really are free range and organic. Often I get to see where the eggs come from and what chicken laid them. But I don't really eat eggs that much anymore so I buy them about as much too. Nowadays I have some friends that raise chickens and they give me the eggs for free; an even better deal!

As for Cage Free vs. Organic, all that indicates is that the organic eggs come from chickens that eat an entirely organic diet. It's possible to get organic eggs that aren't cage free. Crazy, crazy, crazy.

rwj

What' s the brand name on these eggs?

And $4.49 is INSANE for a dozen eggs. I can get a dozen at my local farmer's markets for about $3.50 and they really are free range and organic. Often I get to see where the eggs come from and what chicken laid them. But I don't really eat eggs that much anymore so I buy them about as much too. Nowadays I have some friends that raise chickens and they give me the eggs for free; an even better deal!

Brand name is "Naturally Preferred." I will double check the price next time I'm in Ralph's.

I'll see if I can find that brand in my neck of the woods today while I am at work.

rwj

As for Cage Free vs. Organic, all that indicates is that the organic eggs come from chickens that eat an entirely organic diet. It's possible to get organic eggs that aren't cage free. Crazy, crazy, crazy.
rwj

Robert, I am perfectly at ease with my opinion that the whole "organic" thing is a marketing ploy with little if any advantage to the consumer. It is IMO a successful way though to raise the price. Yes, I know this is an unpopular thought or idea around the FLDG.

As for Cage Free vs. Organic, all that indicates is that the organic eggs come from chickens that eat an entirely organic diet. It's possible to get organic eggs that aren't cage free. Crazy, crazy, crazy.
rwj

Robert, I am perfectly at ease with my opinion that the whole "organic" thing is a marketing ploy with little if any advantage to the consumer. It is IMO a successful way though to raise the price. Yes, I know this is an unpopular thought or idea around the FLDG.

I'm with you, Bob. Most of it is b.s. in my opinion, too. I do think that the surge in local food and farmer's markets is giving the "organic" industry a run for it's money just because people can see exactly where their food is coming from.

I was in a CSA a few years ago. The wonderful people that owned the farm invited all CSA members of their farm out to the property twice a year for a picnic by the creek. They took you on walking tours of the farm so you could see how everything was done. It was really cool and truly organic.

rwj